How To Make Summer Reading Fun For Kids
Summer is well and truly upon us! While for most people this time of year is full of fun in the sun, it can often be a challenging time for parents. While it’s wonderful, more time with your kids also means coming up with more ways to entertain them — and keep them on track with their studies. If you’re struggling with how to encourage your children to read over the summer, don’t worry: we have some great tips on how to make summer reading fun for kids.
So what is a good summer reading goal? Well, this really depends on your child and their reading level, as well as the difficulty and length of the books they are reading. Rather than focusing on the number of books they get through this summer, why not focus on changing their mindset towards reading? Children who enjoy reading and view it as a fun activity are a lot more likely to do it more often.
Read on for some super fun summer reading activities that are sure to be a game-changer.
How can I make summer reading fun?
1. Get kids into a routine
Introducing reading into your child’s daily schedule can be a nice natural way to incorporate it without making any huge or scary changes. This doesn’t need to be a super strict routine — flexibility is often a key part of summer vacations — but perhaps you could create a set period of twenty minutes or so for reading before bed, or in the morning before starting the day.
You know your child best, so pick a time that you think suits their individual personality and try to stay consistent with this pattern. Habits are formed by repetition, so this is a great way to increase the amount your child reads, which can have important long-term effects on their behavior too.
2. Don’t make it a chore
While asking yourself “How can I help my child read over the summer?”, it can be easy to simply force your child to sit down with a book and just do it. It’s often difficult to find the balance between guiding your child and allowing them a certain amount of flexibility. However, it’s important that reading doesn’t seem like a chore to your child, or they may develop a negative association with it.
One of the best ways to encourage your child to read is to show them that it’s something to be enjoyed. If your child sees the joy that you or others get from reading a good book, they’re much more likely to read themselves.
3. Read together as a family
One of the most fun summer reading activities out there is to read together as a family. Of course, you can all read different books, or you can ask your child to read their own book to you while you listen (many children really enjoy this!).
By creating a set time as part of your summer routine to sit down and read as a family, you’re not only showing your child that reading can be fun, but embracing a great opportunity for some relaxed family bonding time as well.
4. Read outside
In the quest to find out how to make summer reading fun for kids, it’s easy to forget one simple piece of advice: read outside! Take advantage of the lovely warm weather and bring your favorite books to the park or the garden.
A great way to make this even more of an adventure is to bring a picnic and a big comfy blanket. By framing reading practice as a fun outing, you can help your child become a bit more enthusiastic about it.
5. Start a book series together
Another fun summer reading activity is to start a book series together. Book series like Harry Potter, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and more can be an excellent way to get your child stuck into reading, as they’re often quite addictive!
There are so many suggestions online for good book series for your child (depending on their age, reading level, and interests), so do some research until you find the perfect fit. Read alongside your child and discuss the plot along the way to keep them engaged.
6. Do the activities you read about
Wondering “How can I make reading more exciting for kids?” Well, why not actually do some of the activities you read about in a story with your child together? What could be more exciting than that?!
Of course, this isn’t possible with every book, but if you get the chance to re-enact some of the fun scenes from the book your child is reading, be sure to give it a go. Get as creative as you like!
7. Set a reading challenge
Some children thrive under a bit of healthy pressure! If your child is the competitive type, perhaps offering a prize or reward for the amount they read is all it takes to get them stuck into their summer reading list.
Be careful not to set the bar too high, though — ensure the results are attainable with a little bit of time and effort, and not out of your child’s reach.
As you can see, you don’t need to worry about how to make summer reading fun for kids — there are so many great options out there! We hope you and your kids have a great book-filled summer. For more tips on keeping up their learning throughout the summer break, check out the Teachers1on1 blog.
