How do you encourage kids to read over the summer? Some kids pick up a book whenever they have a spare moment. Other kids need a little motivation. Whatever their reading style, every kid loves a good game or challenge, which means that reading bingo is the perfect summer reading activity!
We have three versions of reading bingo for kids with free, printable BINGO cards. Use the form at the end of the post, titled "Get the Reading Bingo Cards" to enter your email and get the pdf.
Summer Literacy BINGO
The first bingo card covers a wide range of summer literacy activities in addition to reading books.
Bingo squares prompt kids to complete a variety of literacy related takes. Examples include writing a poem, learning new vocabulary and singing songs.
Useful links for summer literacy bingo:
Book Genre BINGO
The second reading bingo card is a genre-based reading challenge which encourages kids to read a wide variety of books in different genres and themes.
This bingo game will get kids reading outside of their comfort zone. Reading prompts include genres like mysteries, realism, nonfiction, and even books from particular eras in history.
Lucky you, the genre-based book bingo game can be completed using our book lists! Find the index of all our lists here: Master Book List of Lists!
Read around the World BINGO
Each square of Read-around-the-World bingo card prompts kids to find a book set in a specific country. Several squares are more open ended, and allow them to choose a book set in any country in a particular geographic location. For example, "a book set in an African country." The middle square allows children to choose a book set in their home country!
The following lists may come in handy when looking for read-around-the-world bingo books:
Summer BINGO Tips
The goal of each reading bingo challenge is the same: complete the challenges in enough squares to reach five in a row and BINGO! Feel free to offer up a prize at the end, if your child needs some extra motivation. Maybe a day out at the arcade, or a double scoop ice cream cone or..... perhaps a gift certificate to your local, independent bookstore? (I'd choose that last one, myself.)
Fill out the form below and both BINGO cards will magically appear in your inbox so your kids don't have to waste any time getting started!
NOTE: reading should NEVER EVER EVER feel like a chore. Use these bingo cards wisely. If a child doesn't want to complete them in the traditional way, or wants to abandon them altogether, that's okay! Find a gentle solution that works for your child.
** The first two bingo cards contain an #ownvoices book square. Just after I wrote this post, We Need Diverse Books came out with a statement as to why they are retiring this term. Going forward, I will be following their example.
Other fun summer literacy ideas:
Jane Taylor says
Hi there! I love your ideas and resources, but I’m finding them really hard to access. I keep clicking on ads by accident. I’m scared that I’m now opening myself up to clicking on dodgy content. Is it possible to make it clearer where to download your resources? They’re incredible! Many thanks.
Elizabeth Robertson says
Get the Reading Bingo cards!