Books

Summer is a great time to keep reading books with your kids! Between playing outside all day long, friends, vacations, popsicles and picnics, I’ve noticed books are a great way to wind down, take a break and relax. Here are some of the things we do to keep reading all summer long:

• Summer Reading Programs
  1. Sign up at your local library! Check online or ask a librarian how to get started. We have loved these. The kids read books, keep track of them and get a stamp or a sticker or even a free book!
  2. Borders and Barnes & Noble each have great summer reading programs. Click on their link to print out their reading logs, take the finished log to the store and they give the kids a free book. I love it! We have ours up on the fridge ready to go.

• Going on vacation?
  1. We always bring books on CD to listen to in the car. The kids love it. My kids are younger so some of their favorites have been the Disney Tinkerbell stories, tall tales, Magic Tree House, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and Charlotte’s Web. Our library has a wall full of books on CD. They keep me awake while we drive too
  2. Keep a bucket of books in the car and switch them out on trips. I found this metal bucket years ago at Target (I’d recommend something pretty sturdy and easy to clean out, they do get icky). I like to stick hardcover books, board books, activity-type books, talking/sound books … and a travel magnadoodle has magnets on the back and sticks right on the front of the bucket.

• Shelves!  Last, if you’re feeling ambitious, make a new home for your books. I made these pallet shelves from ana-white.com. They are seriously so easy to make and free! A few cuts, a few nails and you have new shelves that showcase lots of books your kids can reach.

Add a comfy chair, a couple of pillows and a light and you have a nice, cozy reading spot to wind down and relax with a good summer book.