5 Fun (and Rewarding) Summer Reading Challenges for Kids

Are you looking for fun ways to encourage your kids to read more this summer?  Great news, there are several programs available locally and online to reward your kids for reading.

1. The Rays have paired up with the local libraries for Reading with the Rays; if your child reads for 24 hours they get a free Rays ticket!  Plus most local libraries also have an end of summer party scheduled to celebrate your child’s summer reading accomplishments.  I know the Palm Harbor Library has a party scheduled for August 2nd.    
2. Read any 8 books and Barnes & Noble Summer Reading program will reward your child with a free book.  You can download a reading journal on their website to track your child’s goals.    
3. Once your child reads 5 books they can be entered to win prizes from the Pizza Hut Summer Book It Challenge.  Pizza Hut also has a fun Instagram contest and scavenger hunt to support their program; follow #bookitsummer online for more information.   
4. Kids who read 8 books from a recommended book list by July 31st will receive a free book from Pottery Barn Kids summer reading challenge.  You can view their book list online.    
5. Your kids can enter weekly contests and win prizes in the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge and may be able to help their school win a new Scholastic library!  Their challenge this summer is called Reading Under the Stars and encourages kids to read in unusual places; like outdoors!  Register online now and your child’s reading minutes will help set a new world record of 100 million minutes or more!  

Want to know a secret?  Your kids can participate in ALL of the programs listed above by reading the same books.  For some of the programs, the more they read the more they earn.

How are you encouraging your kids to read this summer?  Head over the Tampa Bay Moms Blog and read some fun ways that I’ll be getting my own kids to put down the remote and pick up a book.

Disclosure: My children both received a “Reading Under the Stars” packet from Scholastic with a few new books and flashlights to encourage them to join the summer reading program.