2024 Kids Books for Your Summer Reading List

 

In this article, we prepared a list of books to inspire kids to embrace friendship, overcome obstacles, seek adventure, and fitness, and be outside. Like our company Fitness Finders, these books highlight the joy of staying active, encourage physical health, and foster a love for the outdoors and a spirit of adventure.

The Best Worst Camp Out Ever

A boy and his father go on a camping trip where everything goes wrong! Or does it?

Recommended for kids aged: 4 - 8

Purchase from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Target

Running in Flip Flops From the End of the World

When 12-year-old Eddie Gordon Holloway and his friends are left home from Beach Bash, aka the greatest party of the year, only to realize that everyone in town has disappeared without a trace, they do what any smart, responsible kids would do...have the best day ever!

Recommended for kids aged: 8 - 10

Purchase from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Target, Scholastic

Schnozzer & Tatertoes: Take a Hike!

Two best-friend dogs, Schnozzer (the smart one) and Tatertoes (the cheerful one), set off into the forest on a journey to visit Tatertoes’s mom. Along their adventure, they encounter bees, bears, quicksand, characters from fairy tales, something called “nose spiders,” and lots of yo-yo action.

Recommended for kids aged: 7 - 10

Purchase from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Target

A Rover’s Story

Meet Resilience, a Mars rover determined to live up to his name.

Res was built to explore Mars. He was not built to have human emotions. But as he learns new things from the NASA scientists who assemble him, he begins to develop human-like feelings. Maybe there’s a problem with his programming….

Recommended for kids aged: 8 - 12

Purchase from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Target

The BFG

The BFG is the story of a giant who isn't as swollomping as other giants. In fact, he's rather friendly. 

Recommended for kids aged: 8 - 12

Purchase from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Target

Mr. Popper’s Penguins

A humble house painter is sent a male penguin by the great Admiral Drake and, thanks to the arrival of a female penguin, soon has twelve penguins living in his house.

Recommended for kids aged: 6 - 9

Purchase from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Target

Stone Fox

Based on a Rocky Mountain legend, Stone Fox tells the story of Little Willy, who lives with his grandfather in Wyoming. When Grandfather falls ill, he is no longer able to work the farm, which is in danger of foreclosure. Little Willy is determined to win the National Dogsled Race—the prize money would save the farm and his grandfather. But he isn't the only one who desperately wants to win. 

Recommended for kids aged: 8 - 10

Purchase from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Target

The Hundred Dresses

Wanda Petronski is ridiculed by her classmates for wearing the same faded blue dress every day. She claims she has one hundred dresses at home, but everyone knows she doesn’t. When Wanda is pulled out of school one day, the class feels terrible, and classmate Maddie decides that she is "never going to stand by and say nothing again."

Recommended for kids aged: 7 - 10

Purchase from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Target

Journey to the Centre of the Earth

An ancient book is opened by the eccentric Professor Lidenbrock and his life - and the life of his nephew Axel - is changed for ever. An old piece of paper has tumbled from the book, a priceless parchment that will lead them on a terrifying journey to find what lies at the center of the Earth.

Recommended for kids aged: 11 - 13

Purchase from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Target

11 Hydration Tips for Kids

Your body loses water throughout the day when you sweat, breathe, and urinate.

Water is absolutely essential for a healthy, functioning body. It helps to keep body temperature in check, transports nutrients and oxygen, carries away waste, and lubricates joints and body tissue. It is important to replace the water you have lost to prevent yourself from becoming dehydrated.

How Much Water Should Kids Drink?

The recommended daily intake of water for children is:

4 to 8 years old: 4 - 5 cups

9 to 13 years old: 5 to 7 cups

14 to 18 years old: 6 to 8 cups

Children should aim to drink the daily recommended value every day no matter what season it is. even in winter. During summer months it becomes even more important and likely kids will need to consume more water if they are exercising in hot climates. 

Encourage drinking water before, during and after physical activity even if they aren't thirsty, to prevent dehydration.

11 Tips To Encourage Kids to Stay Hydrated

• Offer water in colorful cups or with silly, curly straws.

• Turn a plain reusable water bottle into a DIY with your kid.

• Add some flavor and make homemade infused water - freeze citrus slices, strawberries, or watermelon chunks, Infusing it with cucumber slices and even herbs like mint, basil, or anything from the garden.

• Encourage eating water-rich fruit and vegetables - tomato, cucumber, carrots, watermelon, cucumber slices, zucchini, zucchini noodles, strawberries, pineapple, oranges, and kiwi.

• Freeze small batches of sliced fruit for an on-the-go refreshing snack.

• Fruit Popsicles.

• Avoid sugary drinks like soda/pop or juice.

• Make sure they always pack a water bottle.

• Mark lines on the water bottle - create a goal and encourage your kid to drink a certain amount of water throughout the day.

• Encourage drinking water before, during, and after activities to make up for sweat loss, especially during the summer. 

• Be a good example and drink water with them - create a game or little competitions throughout the day to drink water.

10 Outdoor Games for Kids

1. Tug of War

Create two teams. One team on each side of the rope. Depending on the size of the teams, Use a rope that's 25–120 ft long, depending on your team size. Have a marker to designate the center of the playing field. Then, mark 13–15 ft on either side from the center mark The idea of the game is that each team will pull the rope, and the first team to get their mark over the center mark wins the game.

2. Red Light Green Light

One person (either a camp counselor or one of the players) stands at the front of the playing field, playing the role of the “traffic light.” The rest of the players stand a certain distance away from the traffic light, but close enough to hear the commands. The traffic light will have their back turned to the players (or hands over their eyes). The traffic light will shout “green light,” or “red light”. Green light means the players can move closer either walking or running. “Red light” means that the players must stop. When the traffic light shouts “red light” they can look and anyone caught still moving during “red light” will be eliminated. The object of the game is to reach the traffic light without being caught.

3. Land, Air, Sea

Have three parallel lines of equal distance apart - if you're playing in a gym you can use the boundary lines and mid court line. If you're playing outside you can make your own lines and designate each line to either be “land”, “air”, or “sea”. All players will start at the middle line. 

One person will stand in front of the middle line calling out commands. That person can call out “land” and all the players will have to run to that designated line labeled “land”. If any players go to the wrong line they are out. If the person calls out “land” and the players are already there and their feet leave the line, they are out. The person calling out the commands can also call out multiple commands such as, “land, air, land, sea,” and the players must listen for the last command - that's the one that matters.

4. Musical Chairs

Set up the chairs in two rows back-to-back. There should be one less chair for the number of people playing - if you have 15 people playing you would set up 14 chairs. The game will start with everyone circling the chairs as the music plays. Once the music stops, it’s a dash to see who can sit down first to avoid elimination. As the game continues and people are eliminated, chairs will continue to be taken away until only one chair remains to crown a winner.

5. Balloon Toss

Fill one gigantic balloon with water, glitter, sparkles, and/or confetti. Space everyone out in a large circle, roughly one or two feet away from each other. Then, the players will pass or throw the balloon around the circle, trying not to pop it. Have backup balloons in case the game goes quick cause who doesn’t want to pop a balloon filled with glitter and sparkles

6. Water Balloon Fight

Fill up plenty of water balloons for both teams to throw at each other. For some added fun you can add coloring or glitter that easily washes off. The team least covered in color or glitter wins.

7. Steal the Bacon

Split the group evenly into two groups and sit them with their backs turned towards the center line, approximately 20 feet apart. Assign numbers to each player on both sides from one to the final person. At the end, each team will have a number 1, 2, etc. In the center place a ball. When you call out a number, the goal is to be the first to reach the ball and bring it back to your side without being tagged by the other person. If you make it back safely, your team scores a point, if you are tagged, the ball goes back in the middle, and a new number is called.

8. ABC Basketball

Children sit in a large circle and pass the basketball around the circle (like a hot potato) while singing the alphabet. Whoever has the ball when the group gets to the letter Z must go to the basket and try to make a shot. If a player makes the shot, he/she takes their seat in the circle. If they miss it, they are out.

9. Crab Walk Soccer

Two teams sit on lines a short distance apart. Players on both teams are assigned a number, starting with one on each team. Place the soccer ball in the center. Someone calls out a number. The player from each team who is assigned that number crab walks to the center and attempts to get the ball over the opponent’s goal line. When a point is scored, the ball is returned to the center and another number is called. Team members may help but not score.

10 Sponge Relay

Create two teams and have them line up behind a starting line. Each team gets a small empty bucket and a large sponge. At the finish line, place two larger buckets filled with water. On the word go, the first person in line must run to their team’s water bucket, dunk the sponge in, run back with it, and squeeze all the water from the sponge into the team’s empty bucket. The wet sponges must be carried above their heads as they run back from the water buckets. They then pass the sponge to the next person, and so on until one team fills up their empty bucket with water. That team wins.

EZ Scan for Fun Runs - Fund Run Program

 Trade in the old clipboard and pencil for the EZ Scan App to track, time, and report your data for your fun runs.

What is a Fun Run?

A fun run is a way to raise money for your school through sponsors and parents. Sponsors will donate a certain amount of money for each lap or specified distance completed by the participant. Participants can walk or run completing as many laps as they can to raise money. This money can be used to pay for school needs including next year’s EZ Scan and Mileage Club costs.

Types of Fun Runs

Fun Runs are not just a great way to raise money, but they are about community and creativity too! Themed fun runs can be a great way to encourage kids to participate.

Fun runs can be seasonal embracing the holidays, Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, Christmas or Hanukkah Run, Halloween, or Running into the New Year's Run.

Create a Themed Run to engage everyone like having a glow-in-the-dark run, colored run, bubble party run, superhero run, etc. Fitness Finders has a great selection of themed awards to coincide with your creative ideas and inspire kids to be active.

Have a run based around a special event like supporting a charity, kids against teachers or parents, including obstacles or a scavenger hunt, etc.

How to Have a Fun Run?

1. Decide when and where your fun run will be and what you’re raising money for.

2. Create a form to send home to ask for pledges, depending on how many laps or miles students will run within a certain time frame. Make sure they’re realistic goals!

3. Create a fund program using EZ Scan to accurately track your laps.

4. Host your fun run.

5. Print out reports to show your sponsors exactly how many laps or miles were completed and let them know how well your students did.

6. Make sure you thank your sponsors!

It’s as simple as that. Your students will love the challenge and your sponsors will appreciate knowing their pledges were fulfilled. Let us know how your fund run goes!

Use EZ Scan to Track and Collect Money for a Fun Run

Create a fund-run program within EZ Scan. To ensure your counts are accurate, the program needs to be separate from any other program you are running. On the day of the run have your students run and scan like normal, but be sure you're using the fund run program. When the run is complete EZ Scan will quickly and accurately count the laps your students finish, ensuring the pledges are complete.

Check out how Atlanta Track Club uses EZ Scan.