Host a Summer Reading Party - PBSKids and iVillage Summer Reading Challenge

Author:: Amy Allen Johnson
Publish date:: Jul 6, 2012

How's your summer reading going? If you need a boost, why not host a summer reading party? We invited all the Pre-Readers (ages 2-5) in our neighborhood over to be part of the iVillage PBSKids Summer Reading Challenge.

iVillage PBSKids Summer Reading Challenge

You can sign up for daily tips and activities for your kids. You'll also find book suggestions and a discounts. Here are a few activities you can try at your party:

Game Ideas for Pre-Readers

Name Scavenger Hunt: Tape up letters all over your room. Give each child a paper printed with the letters of their name. Let them hunt around the room and find the matching letters until they spell their name.

Reading Corner: We piled up pillows and cushions next to baskets of books. Having a cozy place to read makes it more fun!

Letter Block Spelling: Use letter blocks to help kids spell out basic words, such as 'cat' and 'bat'. We picked up some scrap foam pieces from a local upholstery store and wrote letters on them, but any alphabet blocks will work.

Mad Libs Game: Write a story and leave blanks for words. Help the kids pick a noun, verb or adjective to fill in the blanks. Read the story out loud and the giggles will start!

Story Time: Spread out a blanket and gather the kids to listen to a favorite story. Stories with a repetitive phrase help get the kids involved as they learn to anticipate what comes next. Be sure and ask questions about the story.

Make a bookmark: Create a station for crafts and let your guests customize a bookmark with crayons and stickers.

Decorate a library tote bag: We pulled out some fabric markers and plain canvas totes and challenged each family to design a bag. It was hard to keep the kids still when they wanted to fill their bags with books.

Still looking for more ways to get your kids reading? Scholastic has a free eReader called Storia. You can pick 5 eBooks to get you started. AND The Scholastic Store is offering an extra 10% off the Summer Reading Challenge titles. Use code READ10 through August 31st.