Summer Reading Programs for 2017 are here! Whoever invented the idea behind a Summer Reading Program is so smart! Seriously, it caught a firestorm and companies of all kinds are now rewarding kids across the nation with free books, free goodies, free activities and even free CASH.
Yesterday we posted a list of 50+ ideas and activities for free and cheap for your kids this summer. As one of those 50 ideas, we mentioned the Summer Reading Programs for 2017. Since this list of 50+ was already getting quite lengthy, we figured we should make a separate list of the summer reading programs for 2017 in a separate post.
We also want to highlight this on it’s own because reading is such a great, fundamental and developmental activity for kids (and adults) and so it makes total sense the summer break is a perfect time to nurture and encourage this skill and should be a prime idea for summer boredom cures.
What makes it even more fun is if you also “match” these summer reading programs in some way. It makes the rewards of reading that much more fun. For example, we are doing many of these, but with the Barnes and Noble one, kids can get a free book when they read 8. We’ve upped the ante by giving telling them that they can select a second book that we will purchase for them.
Now here’s 14 Summer Reading Programs for 2017:
- Barnes and Noble Summer Reading: earn a free book between May 16 and September 5 when you read 8 books. Download the journal and see the list of free books you can pick from in the list.
- Chuck E. Cheese – Earn 10 FREE tokens every time your child reads for 2 weeks in a row. Just fill out the form and bring it in to claim your free token. There are also lots of other free rewards charts for more free tokens.
- Half Price Books Feed Your Brain: During the months of June and July, if a child reads or a young child read to for 300 total minutes, they earn Bookworm Bucks. Just download and complete the form.
- Showcase Theatre Bookworm Wednesdays: Kid earn free admission to a movie just by reading and completing a short book report. The movies are on Wednesdays throughout the summer at participating locations.
- Pottery Barn Kids– Receive a free gift when your child attends 5 out-loud story times. This is perfect for those little ones that can’t quite read!
- Scholastic Summer Challenge: Offers a chance for kids to log their reading times into their system to compete for the World Record and earn points to redeem for rewards from May 8 – Sept. 8, 2017.
- Sylvan: Sylvan Reading Adventure is ongoing, so it’s not specifically a summer program, but it’s worth mentioning if it will get your kids motivated. Reading Adventure lists books to read, and when kids take short quizzes about the books, they earn points. The points can then be traded for small prizes, like temporary tattoos or eBook downloads.
- TD Bank: Young readers can earn a $10 deposit into a savings account after they read 10 books, May 15 – August 31, 2017.
- Pizza Hut BookIT program is a program that rewards readers with pizza during the school year. So although they can’t earn free pizza in the summer, they do have a fun summer reading program with free downloadable activities in partnership with Candlewick Press.
- Books A Million is running a free summer reading program. If your child reads four books from their summer reading list, they will receive a free Maze Runner water bottle.
- H.E.Buddy Summer Reading Club will give a free t-shirt to kids for reading 10 books by October 1st.
- Sync is offering a free audiobook program for teens this summer. Each week through August 16 2017, teens can download two free audiobooks each week.
- Check with your local library for region/area specific programs offered either through the library or local businesses. We have found another 4-6 just in our small local area!
- ABCMouse -If you have young kids and/or beginning readers, use the FREE 30-day trial from ABCmouse so they can develop their reading skills even more during the summer without all of the other distractions! It’s a perfect time to teach reading or to develop better reading skills.
To continue with the idea above (about meeting the rewards from these reading programs), start your own summer reading program and challenge your kids (and yourself) or even include other families/groups and set-up a summer end reward when all meet their goal. This could be a day at the zoo, swimming, amusement park…whatever incentive you can create and motivates all!
A picture of us reading at home out loud with all 5 kids snuggled around on the couch!
Of course, just sit down and read out loud to your kids! It is so rewarding for both you and them! It is also increasingly important to their development and your relationship with your child!
See more Thrifty Kids ideas!
See the 2017 Summer ideas for FREE or CHEAP!
Sharon
This is a great resource for Summer Reading Programs for children. Do you have any information on Summer Reading Programs for adults? Wouldn’t that be a fantastic concept – adults reading more and receiving “prizes” or “rewards”? :o)
Also, I entered your Kroger Gift Card Giveaway and was wondering when the winners will be announced? I can’t remember!