Simon Malls Bring Books to Life Through Simon Kidgits Club Book Blast Event at Woodfield Mall

Simon Malls® are welcoming families to experience the magic of reading at the mall.  On Sat., Feb. 22, Simon Kidgits Club® at Woodfield Mall is hosting its free annual Book Blast event and inviting parents and children to bring books to life through special read-aloud sessions, giveaways and story-inspired activities.

Simon Kidgits Club’s Book Blast will provide families the chance to make reading a fun, social experience with various kid-focused offerings.  Book Blast event activities will run from noon to 2 pm, which will feature special guest readers, including the Schaumburg Police Department reading Clifford The Big Red Dog, the Schaumburg Fire Department reading The Cat and The Hat, Chicago Wolves mascot Skates reading Little Red Riding Hood, Build-A-Bear mascot Bearemy reading Brown Bear Brown Bear, Red Robin Mascot, Red reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Schaumburg Boomers mascot Coop reading Where the Wild Things Are.  Each book reading will be accompanied with a fun, hands-on activity, including paper bag puppet making, crown decorating, caterpillar paper crafts and more.  Children are also invited to bring a new or gently used book to the event to be donated to Bernie’s Book Bank, helping families give back to their own communities.

“Because Simon Malls are destinations for families and friends to do more than just shop, Simon Kidgits Club is giving children the chance to experience all that books have to offer in a social setting,” said Jayne Stilson, assistant vice president of business development for Simon Brand Ventures, the business-to-consumer division of Simon Property Group.  “We’re combining education with fun and allowing kids to simply have a blast with reading.”

Additionally, Simon is teaming up with Better World Books to provide each child that attends the event a pre-loved book and bookmark to take home.

The Simon Kidgits Club is a fun and informative program that focuses on health, wellness, education, safety and entertainment for children ages 3-8. Since 2003, the Simon Kidgits Club has kept children and parents alike amused with various events and activities while providing incentives for club members, such as special offers, rewards and games.

Simon Kidgits Club members receive a variety of goodies, including a Simon Kidgits Club T-shirt, membership card, birthday card and gift, discounts and scheduled activities. For more information about the Simon Kidgits Club, visit http://www.simon.com/kidgits/.

About Woodfield Mall
Woodfield Mall, one of the largest shopping destinations in the United States, provides Chicago area residents and visitors with a distinctive collection of nearly 300 retail stores. The mega mall showcases five major anchors, including Lord & Taylor, Macy’s, Nordstrom,  jcpenney and Sears, plus popular stores Michael Kors, COACH, Apple, White House/Black Market, BOSS Hugo Boss, Anthropologie, Tumi, Lacoste, AIX Armani Exchange and J.Crew. Shoppers enjoy a delicious array of dining options such as Texas de Brazil, The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang’s and Stir Crazy. Woodfield Mall, at 5 Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Illinois, is located about 25 miles from downtown Chicago and in close proximity to O’Hare International Airport. Mall hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. For additional information, please contact Woodfield Mall at (847) 330-1537 or visit www.shopwoodfield.com, www.facebook.com/woodfieldmall or www.twitter.com/woodfieldmall.

Simon Property Group

Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE: SPG) is an S&P 100 company and a global leader in the retail real estate industry.  The Company currently owns or has an interest in more than 325 retail real estate properties in North America, Asia and Europe comprising approximately 243 million square feet. We are headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employ approximately 5,500 people in the U.S.  For more information, visit the Simon Property Group website at www.simon.com.

About Simon Brand Ventures

Simon Brand Ventures (SBV), Simon's business-to-consumer arm, is pioneering the transformation of shopping centers into a medium where consumer brands can build relationships with Simon shoppers who make over 2.8 billion visits each year.  Simon's vast franchise of market-leading shopping centers nationwide provides SBV the foundation to monetize the distribution system through numerous consumer ventures. SBV and its affiliates have engaged in a number of consumer business initiatives, including the Simon Visa Giftcard® and the American Express®/Simon Giftcard; launch of Simon platform programs such as Simon dTour Live® and Simon Kidgits Club®; a national media delivery channel including static, digital and experiential marketing and advertising vehicles; and multiple national and local marketing alliances with Coca-Cola and Visa U.S.A. among others.

About Better World Books

Better World Books (www.BetterWorldBooks.com) is a for-profit social enterprise that collects and sells books online matching each purchase with a donation, book for book, and with each sale generating funds for literacy initiatives in the U.S. and around the world. One of their key programs which helps consumers contribute to supporting global literacy is through their Drop Box book collection program. By participating in the Drop Box program, both the host of each site and their non-profit literacy partner of choice will receive a portion of the sale of the collected books. Those books that can't be sold are donated or recycled. Not one book will ever see a landfill.

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