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For most of us, summer is officially in full swing and the kids are home full-time. If you’re like most people with kids this means summer probably looks like a patchwork quilt: childcare pieced together with camps, days—if not a few weeks—at home, vacations, and miscellaneous outings—and this is just the weekdays! This means you’re careening from one week to the next, from a slew of jam-packed activities to low-paced, easygoing days at home. Either way, no two weeks in the summer will look alike. I should know—we’ve been plagued by illnesses the last few weeks and it’s been fun slapping together childcare and participating in the usual summer activities.
I’ll be the first to say our reading routine has become completely undone. Throughout the year, the days are predictable enough that there’s an expected cadence to when we read—as individuals, as a family, as one parent reads to the child. But summer? Nope! Reading in the summer can be as wild and crazy as summer itself.
Just because we don’t fall into our typical reading pattern doesn’t mean reading doesn’t happen or is less valid somehow. Reading is still alive and well! It just looks a little (a lot) different.
For example, given the latest wave of sickness we’ve been riding, I recently decided to hold storytime for my kid during the interminable wait at the pediatrician’s office. Without looking, I grabbed the first book I could get my hands on and stuffed it into my bag. Just as we were settling into the chairs, I reached into my bag to pull out… A Sick Day for Amos McGee*. Coincidence, much? The universe has a cute sense of humor.
So what does reading look like in the summer? It’s moved to the background. Little margins and nooks and crannies to cram a story or two into. And you know what? That’s okay!
I embrace these little reading breaks. They’re semblances of the normal and order that define most of our year. In the frenzy of summer, these 5-10 minute reading breaks are a necessary breather—opportunities for connection and rest to share with my daughter.
As long as reading happens in any way, shape, or format, you’re gold! My super simple tip to make reading accessible anywhere at any time? Keep books in your car (or your bag). If you go to the library, leave some of your haul in the trunk. Call them out-and-about-books to keep them fresh and exciting. This tip applies all year round to kids of all ages (even the ones now called adults!).
Now if you’d like some more ideas to help keep reading on the radar, I thought it was time for Readable Moments’ very first—drum roll, please—
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🌞Summer Reading Challenge📚
Woot woot!
The Summer Reading Challenge will be an easy, fun way to incorporate books, storytelling, and language development into 8 weeks with minimal effort on your part.
Since I consider myself a low-effort mom (ahem—lazy), it’s important to me that these reading challenges don’t become a tedious chore on your to-do list but something fun and low-key for you and your kids to enjoy and bond over.
At the beginning of the week, I will send you a reading challenge for you to complete with your kids. Once you’ve completed the week’s challenge, you’ll be able to share how it went on the challenge thread. Each challenge is adaptable and I’ll share ideas so you can flex it up or down to make it appropriate for all ages.
The Summer Reading Challenge will begin the week of July 8th until the week of August 26th which means 8 weeks of fun reading-related activities!
Summer Reading Challenge Recap
Weekly challenge running for 8 weeks
Starts the week of July 8th
Last week is the week of August 26th
You don’t have to sign up or do anything at all—it’s all delivered to your inbox!
Sent out on Mondays — once you’re done, share how it went
Adaptable to all ages (and I’ll share how)
Let’s Talk…
What does reading over the summer look like for you and the kids in your life?
Do you find it easier to read over the summer than in the other seasons?
Do you or your kids plan to participate in your library’s summer reading challenge?
*Thank you for using (at no additional cost to you) the affiliate links in this post! :-)
We have 2 weeks at my parents and I suspect we’ll read loads and loads on the porch (they live in Portugal), and always read at bedtime.
I'm in! Although it's winter here, and we homeschool, so our rhythm never gets that out of whack...