A new study by London Luton Airport (LLA) has revealed that two in three British children feel under pressure to make their summer holidays productive rather than just having fun. The research found that 67% feel the need to 'summer-maxx' by setting goals, learning new skills or achieving something during the break, highlighting the influence of 'always-on' culture.
The study also found that 51% of children admit reading is something they have to do rather than want to, yet 70% agreed that reading can be fun. In response, the airport has launched a campaign to help families switch into holiday mode before take-off, encouraging them to swap 'summer-maxxing' for a 'pagecation'.
Graphic novel to spark joy of reading
Staff have teamed up with Luton-based comedian, author and illustrator Olaf Falafel to create '26 Minutes to Save Summer', an exclusive graphic novel designed to help children rediscover the joy of reading for fun this summer. The book follows the adventures of Average Joe and Robo Snail as they take on the villainous Dr Prodktiv, who wants to fill the school holidays with efficiency and achievement.
'Nobody needs another thing to achieve during the summer holidays. Sometimes the best thing you can do is switch off and get lost in a story – preferably a funny one,' Olaf said. 'That's exactly what we wanted '26 Minutes to Save Summer' to do. It's got a villain trying to optimise all the fun out of the holidays, a robot snail, and hopefully enough jokes to tempt even the most reluctant reader to turn the page.'
Reading for enjoyment at record low
Data from LLA's charity partner, The National Literacy Trust, highlights that reading for enjoyment among eight to 18-year-olds has fallen from 58.6% a decade ago to just 36.1% today. Just 20.3% read daily. '26 Minutes to Save Summer' is being released during the National Year of Reading, a nationwide campaign to encourage everyone to discover the joy of reading.
Dinny Smith, assistant director of education at the National Literacy Trust, said: 'The National Year of Reading is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine what reading can look and feel like for every child. We know that children are more likely to build a lasting love of reading when they can follow their own interests and choose formats that excite them - whether that's graphic novels, comic books, audiobooks, or reading digitally or in print.'
Free copies at airport
Clare Armstrong, head of guest experience at LLA, said: 'We're always looking for simple and friendly ways to make our passenger experience easier and more enjoyable. By partnering with Olaf to create this amazing graphic novel and distributing more than 2,000 free copies, we're giving families who fly from LLA this summer a free, fun and easy way to switch into holiday mode before take-off. We hope it will also help children rediscover reading as something exciting, imaginative, and full of adventure.'
The book forms part of LLA's Summer Resort, a series of fun and interactive activities for passengers travelling this summer and will be available from 27 July while stocks last.
