Does your kiddo need a little extra incentive to practice their reading skills? Lucky for them, there are several places in Chicagoland that offer just enough freebies to get your little bookworm making reading a habit that they’ll grow to enjoy.
Please note: While many of these programs are completed by public or private school teachers, parents who homeschool their children may also sign up.
Chicago Dogs Squeeze Scholars
Young readers (pre-K through eighth grade) can score big by earning a baseball cap and free ticket to a Chicago Dogs home game this summer. This brand-new program is designed to promote reading as a hobby, and simply asks parents and teachers to come up with a reading plan for a child and ensure they stick to it.
Chuck E. Cheese Reading Rewards
Head over to Chuck E. Cheese and download a Reading Rewards Calendar, a printable 2-week chart that lets kids mark off the days in which they read with a pen or sticker. Once they’ve read for 14 days, they can bring in a printed copy of the chart to any Chuck E. Cheese location and receive ten free play points or tokens as a reward.
Meatheads Voracious Readers
If your little one’s appetite for reading also leaves them hungry (who can blame them?), Meatheads has the perfect reward. As part of their Voracious Reading Program, every kid (ages 13 and younger) who reads five books will be rewarded with a free Little Meatheads Burger and a certificate of completion. A parent signature is required on a downloadable book log for each reward.
Pizza Hut Book It
Food is always great motivation when getting kids to do something, especially when it involves pizza! Pizza Hut awards free personal pan pizzas to school children who meet their reading goals with its long-standing Book It program. Their website also features suggested books and activities for kiddos.
Six Flags Read to Succeed
If your child is dreaming of roller coasters and water slides, they’ll probably love the idea of working towards a free ticket to Six Flags this summer. Read to succeed is a free educational program sponsored by Six Flags Theme Park, encouraging students (kindergarten through sixth grade) to engage in recreational reading for at least six hours.
What goes well with books? Burritos! Chipotle encourages young readers to log at least 15 to 20 minutes of reading each weekday. At the end of the year, kids who turn in their calendars can earn Reading Rewards — special bookmarks that include free kid’s meal cards or buy one, get one free entree cards.
Chipotle Reading Rewards
What goes well with books? Burritos! Chipotle encourages young readers to log at least 15 to 20 minutes of reading each weekday. At the end of the year, kids who turn in their calendars can earn Reading Rewards—special bookmarks that include free kid’s meal cards or buy one, get one free entree cards.
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