Summer Reading for Preschoolers
Play your way! Grab your friends and grab a book becaue it's time for Summer Reading at The Indianapolis Public Library! The Library is your ultimate playground for creativity, imagination, and discovery whether you're a beginning reader or a bookworm. Join the adventure, learn something new, and become a lifelong reader!
1. Register
Register Learn how to get registered and see the full list of rules.
2. Track Reading Time
Download and print the Early Literacy Reading Tracker (.pdf) or pick one up at any Library location. Use this sheet to track the time you spend reading, writing, talking, singing, and playing with your child. In each block, write what activity you did with your child to count toward your goal for the summer. Each block is 20 minutes.
3. Earn Prizes
When you reach the 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 hour markers, visit any Library to claim your prize! Prizes are subject to change and while supplies last.
Claim prizes between May 30 and August 1, 2026.
Please note: participants registered as a group (daycare, camp, summer schools) complete the program at 10 hours of total reading. But you can certainly read more!
Read your way to these prizes!
Play your way to another prize!
Complete 7 of the 11 activiy challenges to win a prize. Visit your local Library to collect special stamps along the way. Prizes available while supplies last, must visit a Library to claim. Download and print the Early Literacy Activity Challenges (.pdf) or pick one up at any Library location.
- Play by Giving
Donate a new or used book at your local Library. Books will be donated to Listen to Our Future. What book did you donate? What do you hope someone enjoys about the book? - Play with Your Imagination
Pretend to drive a city bus. Take turns driving and being the passenger. Call out the stops! Where did you go? Who did you meet? - Play with Art
Make art outside! Use a paintbrush with water on the sidewalk. What did you create? - Play at the Library
Your Library has fun things to play with! See what fun you can find. What did you play with? - Play with Reading
Read a book and then act out the story together. What story did you act out? - Play with Food
Use crackers, fruit slices, or veggies to make shapes before eating them. What did you eat? Wht shapes did you make? - Play with Music
Have a parade! Put on music and march around. Pretend to play instruments or use pots, containers, or your body to make sound. What music did you listen to? - Play with Writing
Draw a picture about a favorite book you've read this summer. Complete at your local Library with special stationery! What's your favorite book you've read this summer? - Play in Your Neighborhood
Take an alphabet walk outside. Talk about things that begin with different letter sounds. What did you see? what letters did you find? - Play with Storytielling
Have a family storytime. Each person brings a book to share. What book did you share? What was your favorite story? - Play with Kindness
Ask your child to dictate a letter to a special person they are grateful for. Show how to address an enevelope and add a stamp, then mail the letter together. Who did you write to? Who are you grateful for?
...and more prizes!
Play with the Survey
Have your grown-up complete the Summer Reading feedback survey to be entered to win a gift card!
Grand Prize Drawing
All readers who log reading time will be eligible for grand prizes at the end of the summer if all age groups in the Summer Reading Program together reach a total of 22 million minutes read. Every branch will have a winner. Winners are chosen at random and contacted in August.
Summer Reading Workshops
Animal Meet & Greets with Silly Safaris
All Ages
Multiple Dates & Locations
Schedule for Animal Meet & Greets with Silly Safaris
Birds of Prey with Take Flight Wildlife Education
All Ages
Multiple Dates & Locations
Schedule for Birds of Prey
Cardboard Creations
Ages 4-8
Multiple Dates & Locations
Schedule & Register for Cardboard Creations
Meet & Play
Ages 0-5
Multiple Dates & Locations
Schedule & Register for Meet & Play
Zoo Explorers with the Indianapolis Zoo
Ages 3-5
Multiple Dates & Locations
Schedule & Register for Zoo Explorers
Get your child ready to read!
- Reading together develops vocabulary, comprehension, and nurtures a love of reading. Count time spent reading to your child and time they spend interacting with books.
- Writing and reading go together. Scribbling and writing helps children learn that written words stand for spoken language. Fingerplay and grasping toys builds hand muscles to help children hold writing implements. Count time spent grasping toys, scribbling, coloring, or writing.
- Talking with children helps them learn what words mean, how words sound, and how to put words together to start talking. Count the time spent talking to or with your child.
- Singing helps children develop language skills by slowing down the syllables in words to hear different sounds. Count time spent singing to or with your child.
- Playing helps children express themselves, put thoughts into words, and think symbolically by learning about objects and experiences. Count any play time toward this goal.
Have fun with these daily literacy-building activities!
You have been your child's teacher from the day they were born. Whether your child is four days old or four years old, it's not too early or late to help them develop pre-reading skills. You can help your child with language and literacy skills using simple and fun activities like those in these printable calendars. See the list of activities by month or download and print each month's calendar.