To help you plan for the weeks ahead, we’ve rounded up eight engaging summer projects that can support literacy development while fostering creativity and confidence in your learners.

Encourage reading for pleasure, spark imagination through creative writing, and empower students to develop their voice. From sponsored reading events and poetry competitions to storytelling projects and language exploration, there are opportunities here for every age group and setting.

1. Inspire creativity and celebrate the arts

Next week is Access All Arts Week, an opportunity to celebrate and encourage creativity across the arts. The Words module is dedicated to storytelling and poetry and provides a range of supporting resources, including artist-led video lessons, hands-on activity packs, and ideas for whole-school inspiration. Registration is free and includes access to all of the themed resources from previous years.

Suitable for primary schools.

2. Spark imagination and creativity in writing

Competitions by Young Writers offer a fantastic incentive for pupils across all age phases to write for pleasure. With a wide range of supporting resources to spark imagination and creativity, their summer competitions offer the perfect solution for a high-impact, low-prep project to keep your students engaged until the end of term. Summer competitions are open for entries until 24 July 2026 and The Big Poetry Party is open until the end of August, so there’s still plenty of time to get involved.

Suitable for pupils aged 5–18.

3. Encourage reading for pleasure and awareness of others

Readathon’s free kit makes it easy for you to organise an inclusive sponsored reading event that not only promotes reading for pleasure but also raises money to provide storytelling sessions for children in hospital and earns free books for your school. If you are considering a sponsored read for the next academic year, register now and gain access to the Readathon Summer Party on 23 June. This virtual celebration of reading features inspiration from Michael Rosen, M.G. Leonard, Sarah McIntyre and Manjeet Mann.

Suitable for primary and secondary schools.

4. Promote poetry and win prizes

Nurture budding young poets by encouraging them to enter the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award.  Poets Rachel Long and John McAuliffe will select 15 top winners and 85 commended winners with amazing prizes to be won, including mentoring opportunities, poetry goodies and membership of The Poetry Society. Entries can be submitted online or by post and there’s a wide selection of resources on the website that you can incorporate into your planning. The deadline for entries is 31 July 2026.

Suitable for pupils aged 11–17.

5. Encourage oracy and language exploration

Join the conversation and take part in national language research, giving your children the opportunity to have a say on the Oxford Children’s Word of the Year 2026. This project encourages oracy and helps develop children’s vocabulary skills by stimulating classroom discussion and exploration of language. Register to download the accompanying activity pack with ideas, suggestions and resources that you can incorporate into your lesson planning and classroom delivery. All participating schools will be entered into a draw to win some fantastic prizes so send in your Word of the Year by 31 July 2026.

Suitable for pupils aged 6–14.

6. Encourage empathy through creative writing

If you’re looking for something a little different for your writing lessons towards the end of term, this year’s Inclusive Voices Competition offers a great opportunity for pupils to explore themes of empathy and express their creativity. Entries can be poems or short stories and can be written or submitted as a video or audio. With supporting resources, including a free online workshop with author A. M. Dassu on 6 July, this project offers an easy-to-deliver yet impactful writing focus for the end of term. Submit your stories by 13 September 2026.

Suitable for pupils of all ages.

7. Celebrate reading for pleasure in the great outdoors

Escape the confines of the classroom as the weather warms up by hosting an OU Booknic. Research has shown that social reading environments matter and what better way to celebrate reading for pleasure than taking the children outdoors to share their favourite books, eat some delicious food and create special memories? You can also invite parents and carers to help promote reading for pleasure over the holidays. With character quizzes, book recommendation lists and author-led videos to launch the event, this is a really easy event to organise and can be as low-key or high profile as you want to make it.

Suitable for primary schools.

8. Bring the joy of bedtime stories into the classroom

Another lovely way to celebrate the end of the school year (and one which can be planned whatever the weather) is BookTrust’s Pyjamarama Day. On 12 June, thousands of children all around the country will spend the day reading, enjoying, and sharing stories all in the comfort of their pyjamas to raise funds to ensure every child has access to a story at bedtime. If 12 June doesn’t work for your setting, you can choose your own date for your Pyjamarama. Simply register and submit any funds raised by 6 July to be entered into a draw to win a fantastic new Book Nook for your school.

Suitable for pupils in EYFS to KS2.