Summer is almost here, and one thing we all seem to want for our children is for them to read for pleasure over the next few months. In our experience, we have found that when schools set forth a summer reading requirement, like reading for a certain number of minutes, it often backfires. Children become preoccupied with watching the clock, are not truly engaged with their book, and far worse, see reading as something that needs to be completed as quickly as possible. The clock becomes the focal point rather than the book at hand, and eventually for some children their innate desire to read disappears.

To nurture a love of reading, it’s far more beneficial to give children reading experiences—a variety of special, shared moments that highlight the joy of reading.

One playful approach to encouraging summer reading is to turn it into a game! While many older children have their own summer reading programs and incentives, we think it’s just as important to offer these same types of experiences for toddlers and preschoolers. So, in the spirit of Playful Learning we have created our own version of Summer Reads Bingo and adapted it for early childhood.

We hope it ignites a literary journey, leads you on a few adventures, and inspires you and your budding young reader to have a playful summer!