Summer Reading Challenge for Kids 2026
Making sure your kids read a lot over the summer takes a conscious effort…..especially if you have reluctant readers!!
We’ve got a few ideas to make it fun!
These Summer Reading Challenges for kids get tweaked a bit every year and these have been updated for Summer 2026.
Even if you put just a little bit of effort in – participating in fun reading challenges will give your kids a leg up in the fall. And bonus – creating some routines around reading this summer will have lasting effects that go beyond just the next school year. You can create great memories and develop you child’s love of reading.
Read on for a few great ways to get your kids gobbling up books this summer.
One Thing Before We Start : Please do not bribe kids to read.
This is a warning that I share with all my students’ parents. You will find that many summer reading challenges try to entice kids to read by giving prizes for the number of books they read.
You want your kids to see reading as enjoyable in and of itself – Not something that you have to offer up prizes for them to do.
Reading, itself, is the reward!! We want our kids to be life-long readers. Many experts have proven that giving out rewards for something, actually makes kids do that activity LESS.
The most important thing you can do for your kids during these summer reading challenge is to do things that excite your kids – even just a little bit. Approach it with a light heart and join in, yourself!!
Check out these summer reading challenges and see which one will work best for your kids – and you!
Summer Challenge #1 Reading Bingo(Field Trip Bonus)
Summer reading bingo is a great way to challenge your reader over the summer because it not only gives kids a choice, it stretches kids to interact with books in new and fun ways – perfect for summer time.
Using a bingo board, kids can try to complete a row in a week or month or go for a round robin or perhaps complete the whole board by the end of the summer.
Be sure to make trips to the library or second hand book store to have plenty of reading material on hand.
Motivate kids by participating in reading bingo yourself! Keep the bingo board in a public place for all to see, make plan for certain squares and cross of activities as they are completed.
Click below for Summer Reading Bingo Challenges and Summer Field Trip Bingo
Summer Challenge #2 Reading Bucket List
Some kids are motivated by being able to check things off a list. Making a Summer Bucket List of books to read is a great idea. Collect ideas from lots of sources – Teachers, Librarians, book review site, such as Good Reads, friends and family.
You can have your kids create their own bucket list with specific titles they may gather or use a bucket list of fun ways to interact with different books, like this one, to create a challenge similar to Reading Bingo.
Kids can have fun creating a list on a big piece of poster paper with markers – and don’t forget to add to it, as the mood strikes during the summer.
Summer Reading Challenge #3 Create Your Own
Take a little from here and a little from there to customize your own reading challenge. Print out a calendar or create a big list with your kids’ ideas.
You can compile ideas to create your own summer reading challenge like:
- Challenge how many librarires you go.
- See how many books you listen to.
- Read for a certain amount of time each day or read together as a family.
- Read an entire series by one author
- Pair up with a friend and read the same books
- Read only book purchased at thrift stores or garage sales.
Keeping track is Key
No matter which type of summer reading challenge you choose, it is important to record what your child has done. Seeing the x’s or the check marks will create a sense of accomplishment.
Also, be curious about the books they read – ask them questions out of pure interest, not in a quizing sort of way. Encouraging conversations is a great way to connect over books and fuel their love of reading.
Got a reluctant Reader ?
These tips may help if you have a kiddo who is a bit reluctant to pick up a book:
Provide time to read. Designate part of your day as, “reading time”. Take trips to libraries and sit awhile to read. Listen to audio books in the car.
Have interesting books around. It’s fun to “plant” books around your house in places where your kids will notice them and pick them up. Take books out that have not been read in awhile. Find cheap books at thrift stores you think your kids might like and put them on the kitchen table to be noticed. Take lots of trips to the library and check out the maximum amount of books.
Give your kids the gift of boredom. When your kids experience boredom, magic happens. Boredom brings creativity and big ideas. If you are planning every minute of their day or if they have access to a screen whenever they want, they will never reap the BIG rewards of being bored.
Let you kids see you reading more than usual. The best way to get kids reading is for them to see you reading. Period. Be obvious about your reading, talk about your book, let your kids know how excited you are to have time to read your book, etc.
