How to Create a Summer Reading Program Your Kids Will Actually Love

Summer reading programs at the library are great… in theory.

But if you’ve ever tried to wrangle multiple kids, different age groups, and conflicting schedules just to make it to storytime, you know the struggle is real.

Maybe your library’s program doesn’t fit your family. Maybe you just want to stay home and not run all. the. time.

Either way, you can absolutely create your own summer reading program at home. And it doesn’t have to be complicated.

Here’s exactly how to do it.

Table of Contents

• Why Bother with a Summer Reading Program?
• The 5-Step Formula for Your Own Summer Reading Program
  • 1. Pick a Theme
  • 2. Plan Your Activities
  • 3. Track the Reading
• Grab Your FREE Summer Reading Planner Pages!
  • 4. Set Up Rewards and Incentives
  • 5. Plan a Celebration
• A Sample Week (So You Can See How It All Comes Together)
• What About Teens?
• You’ve Got This, Mama

Why Bother with a Summer Reading Program?

Research shows that kids experience “summer slide.” They actually lose some of the skills they’ve worked so hard to build during the school year. I saw this firsthand when I was a teacher.

You’ve put in too much work for that. A simple reading program keeps their brains engaged, their skills sharp, and (bonus!) gives your summer some fun structure without feeling like school.

The 5-Step Formula for Your Own Summer Reading Program

1. Pick a Theme

This is the fun part! You can:

• Follow along with your local library’s theme
• Let your kids choose what they’re into right now: bugs, dinosaurs, mystery, fantasy, you name it
• Pick a new theme each week to keep it fresh

There’s no wrong answer here. The theme just gives everything a little extra spark.

2. Plan Your Activities

Think about what kind of structure works for YOUR family. A few ideas:

• One activity per day (craft, kitchen project, movement break, game, movie)
• A menu of options kids can choose from each week (great for teens who don’t want to be told what to do)
• A simple daily reading goal with a tracker to fill in

You don’t need to plan the whole summer up front. Just tackle one week at a time.

Need activity inspiration? Check out 7 Simple and Fun Summer Activities for Kids for ideas that won’t require a craft store run.

3. Track the Reading

Kids love seeing their progress, and so do you! Tracking reading keeps motivation up all summer long. You can use:

• Stickers on a chart
• A punch card
• A reading log that they fill in each day
• A bookmark they color in as they go

Want a ready-made tracker? I’ve got a free Summer Reading Planner packet (for both young kids AND teens!) waiting for you.

Grab Your FREE Summer Reading Planner Pages!

Inside the free packet, you’ll get:

• Reading time trackers for elementary kids and teens
• Weekly planning pages to map out your theme + activities
• Blank pages so you can customize it however you want

It’s everything you need to pull this together without starting from scratch.

YES, I WANT THE FREE PLANNER!

(Pop your email in, and I’ll send it straight to your inbox. Check your spam folder if you don’t see it!)

4. Set Up Rewards and Incentives

What’s going to motivate YOUR kids? Think small and consistent:

• A sticker for every 20 minutes of reading
• A bead to add to a summer necklace
• Extra screen time or a small treat
• Points toward a bigger end-of-summer reward

You know your kids best. Keep it simple enough that you’ll actually follow through.

5. Plan a Celebration

This is the part kids will talk about all summer. What’s the big payoff when they hit their goal?

Some ideas:

• A picnic in the backyard
• A trip to the ice cream shop
• A new book of their choice
• A special family movie night

Even something small feels big when they’ve earned it.

A Sample Week (So You Can See How It All Comes Together)

Here’s what a week with an Insects theme might look like for elementary kids:

Day	Activity
Monday	Read Bugs, Bugs, Bugs by Bob Barner + make clothespin butterflies
Tuesday	Kitchen time: make butterfly snacks with oranges and grapes
Wednesday	Get moving: fly around with ribbons like butterflies or make wings
Thursday	Play butterfly tag outside
Friday	Watch a nature show or episode about insects

Next week? Swap to a new insect and swap out the activities. Same framework, fresh content. Easy.

What About Teens?

Teens are not going to make little crafts and dance around with ribbons. (Ask me how I know.)

But they will respond to challenges and a little autonomy.

For teens, try:

• A summer reading challenge with different goals (read a classic, finish a series, hit a certain number of hours)
• A weekly activity menu where they pick 2-3 things to do, not all 5
• A book review or recommendation list they make for next summer

Keep it fun and simple for your teen. You want to tap into their interests as much as possible, but giving them a gentle nudge to try something new can be helpful.

You’ve Got This, Mama

A summer reading program doesn’t have to be elaborate or perfectly planned. It just needs to be doable for you and your kids.

Pick a theme. Grab the free planner pages. And go from there.

➡️DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE SUMMER READING PLANNER BELOW

(It covers elementary kids AND teens, so no matter what ages you’re working with, you’re covered.)

What do you do to motivate your kids to read in the summer? Leave a comment below. I’d love to hear what’s working for your family!

Happy Homeschooling!

Related Posts:

• Super Summer Reading Bookmark Trackers to Get Your Kids to Read
• A Printable Summer Journal for Kids to Keep Track of Summer Fun
• 7 Simple and Fun Summer Activities for Kids