After BeBe’s first year of elementary school, I’m loving the relaxed summer schedule. But, I want to prevent the summer slide. This is when kids lose literacy skills during the summer because they don’t have a chance to practice their academic skills. With that in mind, and because we love books, I wanted to do something fun for our summer reading. Here’s the what we are enjoying:

Library Summer Reading Program:

At the beginning of summer, our library held a fun outdoor event with bubbles and popsicles, and handed out summer reading boards to kids. The board is based loosely on the game Bingo. It has thirty squares, and each one has an activity listed. Many of the squares are “Read for 20 minutes,” and there are spattering of fun activities like, “Read in a fort,” “Read outside,” “Make a craft,” “Go for a nature walk.” The idea is to avoid screen time, read, and just have fun.

Once your kiddo completes 20 out of the 30 squares on the sheet, they earn a prize packet. The packet has coupons for a free ice cream cone, free pass to a museum, free pass to skating, and a free book. BeBe finished her first board and loved it! She’s working on her second board for the summer. Most libraries and schools have a summer reading program, but you can also DIY.

Mom and Me Book Club:

I love to read, and this year BeBe has become interested in the books I chose, asking tons of questions.  So we created our own little book club by finding books on the same topic, just adult and kid versions.  I read the biography, Einstein, by Walter Isaacson, (which I recommend). And she found a few children’s books about Einstein like, I am Albert Einstein, by Brad Meltzer, which she loved. Then we talk about the same stories in our books together. It’s been a fun way for us both to learn. And bonus, I don’t have to stop every minute to answer her question, “Whatcha readin’?”

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Create a Summer Fun Book:

You’ve probably seen the Summer Fun List. It’s where you write your list of fun adventures you hope to have over the summer. We are doing something a little different this year. We’re making a Summer Fun Book.

The book consists of some construction paper folded in half and stapled. Sometimes, we add in crazy pop-ups and lift tabs, but it’s nothing fancy. We keep the book in the craft drawer, and work on it when little brother is napping. There’s no pressure, and we don’t do every adventure. A page may just have a picture BeBe drew, and other days we sit down and write a story. I can’t take credit for this idea – this one was all BeBe! But it’s been fun watching her write and draw about camp, the splash pad, library events, playdates, or finding a praying mantis in the backyard. So far we’re enjoying our summer reading.

Any fun reading activities you’re doing with the kids this summer?