5 Ideas for Reading Camp

Below are 5 ideas for reading camp which you can do at home. When some moms are spending half the day in their car driving kids to and fro to summer camps and shelling out $$$, I'm usually at home, making up my own entertainment to share with my kids. After all, I had kids so that they could be part of my life, not so that I could pay others to take care of them. YMMV.

5 Ideas for Reading Camp
Sometimes we descend into thinking that books are only about stories and learning to read. With these reading camp ideas you can expand your horizons and do a wide variety of activities.

#1 - Book treasure hunt - find the tallest, thickest, thinnest, smallest, longest and shortest book in your house. You can also search for specific words in the book titles. Or look for red books, green books, hardback books, and paperbacks. Do you have any spiral bound books - are they on a specific topic, like cookery?

#2 - Book I-Spy - you don't need I-Spy books to do Book I-Spy. Simply set a challenge, like counting the number of times a word is used on a page, finding a word your child can recognize, or looking for the page in the book that has a certain illustration. I'm sure you get the idea.

#3 - Lap Books, Scrap Books, and Journals - lap books, scrap books, and journals are very popular with many homeschoolers, but there's no reason they can't be great for all parents and kids. If you know of a good link to one of these topics, or if this is something you've written about, let me know. I'd like to add some links.

#4 - Library Raid and Reading Challenge - descend on your local public library and find books of as many different types as you can. What about a fun book on exercise, an I-Spy book, a pop-up book, a photo book, a field guide, a book on tape, an old-fashioned book, a brand new book, and a book which shows you how to build something. Remember to take the books home and use as many as you can! While you are there, most public libraries have summer reading programs where your kids can earn a free book or two. If your kid is not a reader yet, no worries, go ahead and read to him or her to earn the book.

#5 - Strange Reading
How many different places can you think of to read? What about in the bathroom? On the deck? Under a tree? In a tent pitched in your family room? Under the bedcovers? How about reading while upside down - many kids enjoy this one! Or you could go to the mall, take a bath book to the beach, or read in the shower. You could sit under the table, or under your desk, or maybe in the dog bed? Does it feel different reading there?

What other ideas do you have for a reading camp? How would you incorporate nature in your reading camp? Do you have any great links to share?