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I Finally Found Reading Rewards That Got My Reluctant Daughter Hooked on Books
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items My daughter would do literally anything to avoid reading last summer. Screens always won. I started a book bingo system with small prizes and suddenly she was finishing chapter books in two days. This list is for parents of kids aged 5 to 12 who want...
Sections
9
Printable Book Bingo Supplies
Dry Erase Markers for Tracking Progress
Early Reader Books for Bingo Squares
Chapter Books That Fill Multiple Bingo Categories
Small Prizes for Completing a Row
Reading Nook Setup to Make It Cozy
Printable Book Bingo Supplies
I spent way too long drawing bingo cards by hand before I realized I could just print clean ones on cardstock. These supplies made the whole setup look legit, which honestly made my daughter take it more seriously.
Print your bingo cards on this instead of flimsy paper. My daughter's first card ripped in two days on regular printer paper. The bright colors make each card feel special and she actually keeps them on her wall now.
240 Sheets 8.5" x 11" 240P Colored Cardstock 80 Assorted Colors
Grab this if your old printer jams every third page like mine did. Printed 20 bingo cards in one sitting without a single issue. Perfect for the parent who needs something reliable without spending a fortune.
Customer reviews for HP DeskJet 2755e Wireless Color All
Laminate the bingo cards so your kid can use dry erase markers to check off squares. We reuse the same cards all summer. Wish I'd thought of this before my daughter went through a whole stack in June.
Scotch, Self-Sealing Laminating Pouches, 25 Count
Dry Erase Markers for Tracking Progress
Stickers kept falling off our bingo cards. Switching to dry erase markers on laminated cards was one of those forehead-slap moments where I wondered why I didn't do it sooner.
Use these on laminated bingo cards so your kid can wipe and restart. Fine tip works way better for small squares than the chunky ones. For any parent whose kid writes huge, the fine point actually helped mine stay in the lines.
Expo, Dry Erase Markers, Black, Fine Tip, 12 Count
Keep these around for younger kids who want bright fun colors on their cards. My 6-year-old picks a different color for every square she completes. Way more exciting than plain black checkmarks.
Crayola, Dry-Erase Markers, Chisel Tip
Toss this on the fridge to track which row your kid is working on. We write the current prize next to it and suddenly my daughter reminds ME about reading time. Never thought I'd see that day.
U Brands Magnetic Dry Erase Whiteboard, 23 x 17 Inch
Early Reader Books for Bingo Squares
Half the battle was finding books short enough that my daughter wouldn't panic when she saw the page count. These kept things manageable so she actually finished and got to mark off a square.
Pair this with a bingo square that says ‘read a graphic novel’ and watch your kid fly through it. My daughter read three Dog Man books in one weekend. She literally asked to skip a playdate to finish one.
Dav Pilkey, Dog Man Epic Collection, Dog Man #1-3 Box
Perfect for the kid who just moved past easy readers but isn't ready for thick chapter books. Each one is short enough to finish in a couple sittings. My daughter knocked out one per bingo square and felt like a champion.
Junie B. Jones Complete First Grade Collection: Books 18
Snag this before summer reading lists come out. Each book is a different adventure so it naturally fills multiple bingo categories. My daughter went from ‘I hate reading’ to begging for books 5 through 8 within a week.
Magic Tree House Books 1-4 Boxed Set
Chapter Books That Fill Multiple Bingo Categories
Once my daughter got rolling, she needed books that could count for squares like ‘read something with an animal’ or ‘read a mystery.’ These covered a ton of ground without me buying 50 separate titles.
This one knocks out ‘animal book’ and ‘adventure book’ squares in one shot. Fair warning, your kid might become completely obsessed with warrior cats. Mine now has a whole notebook of cat clan drawings.
Erin Hunter, Warriors Book, Into the Wild, Paperback
Try this for the bingo square about reading something based on a true story. My daughter cried at the end and immediately wanted to visit a zoo. It's the book that made her realize reading could actually make her feel things.
Katherine Applegate The One and Only Ivan (Hardcover)
For the older kid who thinks books are boring. Survival story, zero fluff, keeps moving. My friend's 11-year-old son finished it in two days and that kid hadn't voluntarily read anything in over a year.
Gary Paulsen Biography | Author of Hatchet - Lesson
Small Prizes for Completing a Row
The prizes don't need to be expensive. Honestly the dollar store stuff worked just as well as anything fancy. My daughter just wanted something tangible to show she accomplished it.
Keep a pack of these stashed for when your kid finishes a row. Costs almost nothing but my daughter acted like she won the lottery. Works especially well for the 5 to 7 age range who still go wild for Play-Doh.
Play-Doh Bulk Winter Colors 12-Pack 4-Ounce Cans
Save this one for the big prize when they complete the whole card. My daughter worked for three weeks to black out her entire bingo board just to get this. The motivation was unreal and the case is actually solid quality.
Crayola Inspiration Art Case, 140 Piece Art Set, Ages 3+
Toss one of these into the prize bag for the kid who doesn't care about art supplies. My neighbor's son blazed through four books to earn a car pack. Sometimes the simplest reward does the most heavy lifting.
Hot Wheels, Cars, 5-Pack of Die-Cast Vehicles, 1:64 Scale
Reading Nook Setup to Make It Cozy
My daughter used to read at the kitchen table looking miserable. Once we set up a little reading corner in her room, she started going there voluntarily. Environment matters more than I expected.
Set this up in a corner with a blanket and a clip light. My daughter calls it her book cave and disappears in there for an hour at a time. For any parent with a kid who gets distracted easily, the enclosed space really helps them focus.
Pillowfort Teepee Tents for Kids: Safe & Durable Play
Drape this over a chair or inside a reading tent. Soft enough that my daughter wraps up like a burrito while she reads. She literally won't start a book without it now, which is a problem I'm happy to have.
Bedsure
Clip this inside a tent or onto a headboard so your kid can read without overhead lights blaring. My daughter feels like she's reading with a flashlight under the covers, which makes the whole thing feel like an adventure instead of a chore.
Globe Electric Jojo 5.5" Matte White Clip-Arm Desk Lamp
Book Bingo Reward Tracking and Organization
Keeping track of which books counted for which squares turned into chaos fast. A simple notebook and some stickers solved everything and gave my daughter a record she's actually proud of.
Use one of these as a reading log where your kid writes the title and which bingo square it counts for. My daughter decorates each page after finishing a book. It doubled as a summer keepsake I didn't expect to care about, but I totally do.
Pen+Gear Composition Book, Wide Ruled
Stick one next to each completed entry in the reading log. Sounds basic but my daughter counts her stars constantly and compares week to week. For the competitive kid, this adds a layer of motivation that bingo alone doesn't cover.
Avery Foil Star Labels, 1/2" Diameter, Assorted, 715 Count
Grab a pair so your kid can cut out their own bingo cards or prize coupons. My daughter started making custom bingo cards for her little brother, which meant two kids reading instead of one. Didn't plan that but I'll take it.
Fiskars Student 7 Inch Scissors, Red
Books That Spark Bingo Conversations
Some bingo squares work better when there's a discussion after. ‘Talk about a book with someone’ became my daughter's favorite square because she got to tell me every single plot twist at dinner.
Perfect for the bingo square about reading a classic. Read it alongside your kid and talk about it at dinner. My daughter had opinions about Templeton the rat that were honestly more interesting than most adult book club discussions I've been to.
E. B. White, Charlotte's Web, Paperback, Children's Classic
Use this for a ‘read something that teaches a lesson’ square. My daughter brought it up at school and her teacher was impressed she'd read it on her own. That little confidence boost kept her motivated for weeks.
Wonder by R.J Palacio Word Search
For the kid who insists they only like funny books, this checks that box and fills a bingo square fast. My daughter's friend borrowed it after hearing her talk about it, so now we accidentally started a tiny neighborhood book club.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway Book 12 by Kinney Jeff
Blackout Bingo Grand Prize Ideas
When my daughter finally filled every single square on her card, she needed something bigger than a sticker. These worked as the grand finale prizes that made the whole month of reading feel worth celebrating.
Save this for the full blackout prize. My daughter knew it was waiting and powered through her last three books in five days. The anticipation alone was worth it. For any parent struggling with reading motivation, a visible big prize on a shelf works...
LEGO, Heartlake City Cafe Building Toy, 42618, 426 Pieces
Splurge on this if your kid completes the entire card. My daughter takes a photo of every book she finishes now and pins them on her wall. It turned reading into something she documents and shows off, which was never the plan but honestly the best ou...
Fujifilm, Instax Mini 12 Instant Film Camera, Blue
Toss this in as a surprise grand prize if you want something the whole family plays together. My daughter earned it after a full blackout and we played it that same night. Felt like a real celebration instead of just handing over another toy.
Melissa & Doug Suspend Family Game (31 pcs)