Read, learn and grow with the Library’s 106th Summer of Learning
release date: June 16, 2025
School’s almost out, but reading, learning and growing are in! The Seattle Public Library’s 106th annual Summer of Learning kicks off today with free activities, programs, and challenges designed to keep kids curious, creative and engaged all summer long.
Get started by visiting your closest Library location (www.spl.org/Hours) to pick up a Summer of Learning activity sheet that includes a gameboard for kids to track their reading, learning and growing day by day. Once they’ve filled 15 gameboard spots, they can pick up a small prize from their neighborhood library and their name will go up on the Wall of Fame.
Kids can pick a suggested activity from the sheet or make up their own. A reading activity might include reading for 20 minutes a day to keep your reading muscles strong, or writing and drawing your own comic book. Suggested learning activities include playing a board or video game, visiting a museum or cultural center, or attending a fun Library program. Growing activities might include sharing a recipe with loved ones or learning about local plants.
The activity sheet also connects kids to free Library resources, such as one-on-one tutoring through tutor.com; language learning using Mango Languages; and animated talking picture books through TumbleBook.
You can also download the Summer of Learning activity sheet at www.spl.org/SummerofLearning in eight languages: Amharic, Chinese, English, Oromo, Somali, Spanish, Tigrinya and Vietnamese.
The Summer of Learning is generously supported by The Seattle Public Library Foundation.
Free summer programs at the Library
The Library will host a range of Summer of Learning programs including magic shows, music performances, filmmaking workshops, artmaking, dance classes and more. On Thursday, August 7, the Burke Museum is holding a free Summer of Learning party. Join us to explore the Burke Museum and enjoy free activities. In August, many branches will also host end-of-summer parties.
The Library also regularly holds programs such as story times in different languages, board game nights, Play and Learn sessions, drop-in chess and more.
Find all programs listed at www.spl.org/calendar. All Library programs are free and open to the public.
Book Bingo for teens and adults
Teens and adults can join the summer reading fun by playing Summer Book Bingo: Read books in fun categories, fill in your squares and submit your card by Tuesday, Sept. 6, to be entered in a drawing for prizes. Pick up a card at any location or download a card at www.spl.org/BookBingo.
Other cool reasons to visit the Library this summer
The Library is a great place to cool off while browsing books and using the public computers or other resources. Twenty-two of the Library’s 27 locations are air-conditioned, including the Green Lake Branch, which added air conditioning as part of levy-supported renovations completed in October 2024. You can find a complete list of air-conditioned Library locations at www.spl.org/Shelter.
Need book ideas? Find librarian-created book lists for kids at the Library’s website, or stop by your local branch to find a book list, talk to a librarian or browse.
More information
The Library and three local artists – Katana Sol, Victoria Urrutia and Yolanda Galery – collaborated on artwork for the Summer of Learning. Find information about the artists on our Summer of Learning page.