Ah, summer. Nothing really beats it. Remember being a kid, and you FINALLY have some freedom and time to relax, sleep in, watch cartoons, and run rampant through the neighborhoods? We would play Ghost in the Graveyard and Sardines and be up to all kinds of shenanigans. Summer can be wonderful for children’s development. As I talked about in my post What Do Kids REALLY Need, I am a believer that books and outside exploration give kids everything they need to thrive in school and life. It gives them food for imagination and a window into this great world we live in. Books give them the tools they need to embark on their adventures, and outside gives them space to explore.
Reading is a natural part of our life. We read often throughout the day, including as part of our bedtime routine. When the kids are acting crazy and I am cooking or otherwise engaged, I send even our toddler off to get a book. It’s one of my favorite parenting tools, quickly calming everyone down and preventing many fights.
We’ve been home bound for a few months now, and next school year will look quite different. Summer reading programs are so perfect to help us on our parenting journey. My oldest has gotten kind of complainy lately when I have asked her to read, breaking my little heart. What’s a bookworm mama to do? If you are experiencing my pain with your own kids, join us with some great FREE programs to help spark motivation and excitement for reading this summer.
Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program My oldest is finally big enough to participate! It’s for kids grades 1-6, and they simply fill out this form with 8 books they have read and their favorite part. They get a free book as a prize!
FREE PIZZA! I just found out about Book It, and am all signed up! For grades K-6, kids can earn a free personal pizza from Pizza Hut each month through the summer. What a great motivator!
Scholastic Read a Palooza Kids can create and avatar and go through a reading adventure all summer long. They also have some great resources of animated books free and available for anyone. It looks like a great and fun academic use of screen time. I was so excited to find this, and can already feel my teacher brain at work. More to come!
Local Library Reading Program Ours has a great program every summer, and it continues this year through the pandemic! Libraries are the best because they can couple with local businesses to give great prizes in your neighborhood. Our San Diego County Library program includes tickets to local museums along with a free book, and they have expanded their program to adults! 🙂
I admit, I went a little crazy and signed up for all of these programs. At the end of the day it will be tricky for me to log all the reading into each of the accounts, and I likely won’t be diligent about it. It might be helpful to write down on a calendar or chart and fill it in once a week, or pick your favorite program and put your focus there. It’s great that these organizations are providing excellent motivations to keep our kids (and us!) reading all summer, and I am excited to take advantage!
Have a great time reading all summer!
What are some other great reading programs you have come across? Do you have any great suggestions for motivating your kids to read?