There are so many fun FREE Summer Reading Programs for Kids this year!
Once school is out for the summer, it’s easy for kids to lose the habit of reading.
Regular daily reading is essential for kids to hone their reading skills, especially during the slower days of summer, when they’re not in school and reading every day.
You’ll find it’s so much easier to encourage your kids to keep reading when they know they’re working for fun reading rewards.
I’ve gathered up all of the FREE Summer Reading Programs available this year.
More Free Summer Programs for Kids
- Free Bowling Program
- Free Skating Program
- Free Apple Summer Camp
- Free Theater Movies
- Free Microsoft Summer Camp
- Free Fishing Days
Summer Reading Programs for Kids
If you like this, then you might also be interested in this list of Good Report Card Freebies.
There are many great programs that your children can take advantage of to earn FREE books, prizes, and cash!
Need some kid’s book recommendations? Check out this Kids Summer Reading Book List for lots of great ideas for the best books for kids to read this summer, including books for all ages and all reading levels.
Barnes & Noble Book Your Summer
This summer reading program through Barnes & Noble gives your child the ability to earn a FREE book after reading books and keeping track of them in a reading log.
Participation is a fun and easy way for kids to earn free books.
They simply read a designated number of books – library books, books borrowed from friends, or books bought at Barnes & Noble – write about their favorite part in the Reading Journal, and bring a completed Reading Journal to a Barnes & Noble bookstore.
Children then choose their free books from the books listed in the Reading Journal and collect them from a store near them during July and August.
Book Adventure
Sylvan offers this reading incentive program.
Basically, your child reads books and then takes a simple comprehension quiz to make sure they understand what they read.
The quiz is usually about 10 questions long.
They earn points based on how much they remember from reading the book.
There are hundreds of books to choose from in all reading levels.
These are common books that can be found at your local library.
Once they have earned enough points, they can trade them for some really neat prizes!
Chuck E. Cheese
Kids can earn ten free game tokens every day for two weeks when they read.
Fill out the Reading Rewards Calendar each day and bring it to your local Chuck E. Cheese to redeem for ten free tokens.
Junie B Jones Reading Club
Sign up and get a FREE starter Kit that includes a copy of Junie B Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus, Activity sheets, and a membership ID card while supplies last.
Local Public Library
Don’t forget to check out your local libraries to find out which programs they’ll be offering this summer.
My kids have participated in several Summer Reading Programs through the library, and it always includes FREE books & prizes.
Pizza Hut Book It Program
BOOK IT! is a reading incentive program created by Pizza Hut in 1984. We empower teachers and parents to motivate their students to read by providing digital Reading Award Certificates®, good for a free, one-topping Personal Pan Pizza® from Pizza Hut®. This program is free to schools and parents homeschooling their own children.
Who is eligible to participate?
- Teachers at accredited public, private, and charter schools who teach English Language Arts curriculum for PreK* – 6th grade students (ages 4-12), and enroll individually for their classrooms using their school issued email
- Students may only participate through their primary classroom teacher and may only earn one certificate per month
- Parents homeschooling their own children may enroll in the BOOK IT! homeschool program
- *PreK requirements: School must be accredited and have an approved PreK curriculum. Eligible students must be age 4 by September 1st
Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge
Log in your reading minutes to the Scholastic site and your child will be able to participate in a World Record challenge as well as earn digital prizes!
From May 4 through September 7th, kids can visit the summer zone in Scholastic Home Base, a completely free digital destination that offers stories, characters, games, and a community of readers. Home Base is moderated for safety 24/7.
Showcase Cinemas Bookworm Wednesdays
Your child can earn a FREE movie ticket from National Amusements Theaters when they read a book and complete a book report.
A fun and rewarding summer reading program developed to encourage young children to read during the summer months, Bookworm Wednesdays entitles kids to free admission to a select children’s film when they present a book report at a participating Showcase Cinemas box office.
Tickets must be reserved in advance online or on the app, and seating is limited. Tickets will not be available at the box office, for large parties, or for camp groups.
Accompanying parents or guardians and children under six years of age receive free admission and do not need to submit a book report.
Bookworm Wednesday Movie Schedule:
- To be announced…
Six Flags Read to Succeed
K-6 students who complete six hours of non-school-related reading approved by their parents and teachers are eligible for free admission to their nearest theme park.
(This one has been suspended temporarily)
TD Bank Summer Reading Program
Your child will get $10 added to their Young Saver Account FREE when they read ten books, fill out the Summer Reading form and turn it into their local TD Bank.
Programs like these are a great way to encourage our children to continue reading throughout the summer months.
If you know of other programs that aren’t listed here, please feel free to leave the information in a comment below.
Teresa says
Thanks for all the information. I will be using some of these with my son this summer. Especially the Barnes and Noble Summer Reading. He loves books and free is great.
HilLesha @To the Motherhood says
What a great list!
Katherine Bartlett says
That’s awesome!
Tori Evans says
We Give Books is also doing a summer reading program and it’s for babies through age 10!
audria says
pizza hut also has a reading incentive program but it does not start until September.
Courtney says
Last year my girls participated in Pottery Barn Kids’ Summer Reading Challenge. They don’t have their list of books up yet, but you just read every book on the list and then turn it in to pick out a free book. This is a great option for little kids who aren’t in school yet, since many of these book programs are for school-aged kids. (My twins were 3 when we did it last year.)
Sarah says
Thank you for the list! I had no idea about these, we usually just do the program at our local library.
We also do Discovery Education’s Read to Succeed program. It runs January and February and then we get a ticket to the Six Flags park of our choice at the end! While it’s not a “summer” program, we certainly enjoy the park in the summer 🙂
http://readtosucceed.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm
sheeba m @DesiSavingMom.com says
I am a huge fan of summer reading programs…thanks for this great list of them all..
MomHomeGuide.com says
My girls and I LOVE bookworm Wednesdays. We have participated several summers so far. A free movie on a hot summer day (and encouragement to read a book and write a book report) is great!
gg says
Barnes and Noble you mntioned was last year’s. 2011.
Saving Dollars and Sense via Facebook says
Thanks Jennifer Martin Rappold I’ll update it now
Jennifer Martin Rappold via Facebook says
The Borders program does not exist any longer. They went out of business last year
Saving Dollars and Sense via Facebook says
Most of the programs are still good =)
Vicki Potts Medvick via Facebook says
This is last summer’s list. I don’t think it’s up-to-date for this year!
Tired Mom Tésa says
Love this! What great incentives to get kids to read and hopefully learn to love it if they don’t already.
Ellisa Kobylak says
As the librarian at a local Michigan school, I just shared this information with our entire student body! THANK YOU!
Emily faliLV says
Tweeting from Social Fabric!! I love love this post! Great info!!
Christie Jarvis says
Great list! I am reposting.
Kristie says
I’m glad you can use it, thanks for sharing!
Janice - The Fitness Cheerleader says
Wow! Makes me wish I was a US resident! I’ll have to share this list with a few of my twitter friends.
Pam says
Awesome! Summer reading is the best, we have a great library program for kids. Great resource you’ve put together here.
Candace @ NaturallyEducational says
Great list! We usually just use the local library but now that my eldest is reading more independently, I will check out these national programs, too. I tweeted and shared on facebook. Stopping by from CB.
Jessica @FoundtheMarbles says
Terrific information in this post. Thanks!