Summer is here, and that means a lot more free time with the kids. Maybe you've decided to keep them home for the summer instead of camp or vacationing, and that's totally fine! Quality family time is always important.

But what that means is you're stuck doing a lot of the same activities over and over. Swimming, the beach, bike riding, and on really hot days, watching TV.

A fun way to spice things up this summer is by doing a Summer Reading Program with your kids. A lot of libraries offer these programs for free, with a fun poster to keep track of the books you've finished or just by having a discussion about the books you read.

But if your library is not accessible, or you want to move at your own pace, you can start your own Summer Reading Program at home and it will be just as fun! You can make it really simple, or you can go all out and get the kids involved with creating a designated story corner or making a tracking poster.

These are some books we recommend to get your reading program kicked into gear. Of course, you can adjust them based on your family's reading level!

Purple, Green, And Yellow

Where The Wild Things Are

Chester

Continue reading for more book inspiration!

Corduroy

Harold and the Purple Crayon

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Suppertime for Frieda Fuzzypaws

Something From Nothing

The Little Critters Series

I Want My Hat Back

Don't forget, parents can partake as well! Make it a family time of reading each night (or whatever works for your schedule!) and I can almost guarantee it'll be a success!