There are so many things to love about summer! One of my absolute favorite things to do in the summer is have a picnic. You can often find me eating lunch on the lawn with my class during the last month of school or with my kids at home. There is something about a picnic blanket and sunshine that transforms an ordinary lunch into a memorable event! It's not a fancy affair, but it certainly is a lot of fun.
My love of summer picnics was the inspiration for a Summer Reading Book Picnic that is perfect for young readers! Parents and teachers often worry about the infamous "summer slide" that some children experience when they are out of the classroom. It can be difficult to persuade reluctant readers to pick up a book when school is out. A Summer Reading Book Picnic is a great way to encourage kids to read in the summer and create memories! It is ideal for summer reading programs, tutoring sessions, and families at home!
A Book Picnic can be fun anywhere! If it's raining outside, you could easily move this event to an indoor space. Luckily, we had some sunshine so I covered a table with a cheerful Red Gingham Round Plastic Tablecloth. You could also put table cloths on the grass or floor to create different seating choices. I hung up a bright Large Red Gingham Vinyl Pennant Banner and colorful red gingham hanging fans. Just a few decorations really givethe space an authentic picnic look. Adding a few chairs and pillows makes the table even more inviting for readers. 
The table was set with galvanized buckets and baskets of books. I put an assortment of books in each bucket. You could use the buckets to differentiate your book selections if your kids need different levels of books. I used an adorable wicker utensil caddy basket to hold all of our writing utensils and plates. It was perfect for organizing all of the crayons and markers I wanted to have on the table. 
It was no surprise that the kids liked the table, but they LOVED these inflatable red gingham buffets! I blew them up like a raft and set them in the grass with a couple pillows inside. They are big enough to fit two or three kids and make an awesome reading spot! I set some books close by so they could choose a few without having to walk over to the table again and again. 
After the kids had time to read, they chose one book for a Book Picnic Report. To make this activity fun, the reports were actually written on Red Gingham Paper Dinner Plates. I attached comprehension printables to each plate with flaps for all the different story elements. Kids wrote words or drew pictures on each flap to show their understanding of the book. You can download the Book Picnic Comprehension Printable for free. 
No picnic is complete without food! For this Summer Reading Book Picnic, the kids painted and created their own edible book sandwiches! They were really fun and easy to make! 
To get started, each child needed two slices of bread. I trimmed the slices on one side so they became rectangles. The pieces of bread were used as the front and back of the book. Making the edible paint was simple. I mixed a small amount of milk and food coloring in little bowls. You will need one bowl for each color. The kids used small paintbrushes to paint pictures on the cover of their book sandwiches. (I used new paintbrushes and washed them with dish soap before we got started.) 
Once the kids finished painting their books, they added some cheese pages on the inside. You could get creative and make bookmarks using slices of peppers or deli meat, but we just stuck with cheese. After we enjoyed our snack, we spent more time reading outside! Creating a Summer Reading Book Picnic is a fun way to make memories together and ensure that little readers develop a love of reading that lasts throughout every season!
