22 Summer Learning Activities
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Summer learning shouldn’t be boring, and it doesn’t need to take up a huge chunk of the days! Summer learning is all about connecting with each other, keeping everyone’s minds engaged, and having fun. It’s not about drilling facts or trying to cram kids with a bunch of information.
The 3 Primary Categories of Summer Learning
To keep it simple, it helps to think of summer learning for kids in three primary categories: practical skills, STEM/STEAM, and literacy. If you pick just two activities off of this list every week of summer, you and your child will have a very well-rounded (and super FUN!) summer learning experience!
Practical Skills Learning Activities
Summer is a great time to work on practical skills that sometimes fall through the cracks during a busy school year.
Teaching Knife Skills To Kids
It might sound scary at first, but really – getting your kids comfortable in the kitchen is actually the best summer learning activity you can engage with them in!
Cooking For Kids: Sandwiches
It’s amazing how many things kids are capable of! Teaching your kids to make something as simple as a sandwich might just change your life!
How To Make Butter With Kids
Summer learning in the kitchen is fun. Cooking together is great, but making butter together is the best! Honestly, this is as much of a science experiment as it is a practical skill!
Teaching Left & Right With Simple Games
For younger kids, summer is a great time for practicing left & right! Sometimes when you’re really busy, it’s easy to skip this one, but you’ll be surprised how just a few minutes will help your child pick this skill up.
Teaching Left & Right With Simple Games
Pro Tips For Teaching Scissor Skills
Get young kids ready for kindergarten, or help big kids hone their scissor skills – this summer learning activity is just as helpful for art class as it is for free play.
Pro Tips For Teaching Scissor Skills
STEM & STEAM Summer Learning
STEM/STEAM cover a lot of “subjects,” but many of these summer learning activities touch on multiple subjects all in one project!
Capillary Action STEAM Activity for Kids
If you have a kid who is interested in observing scientific processes happen in real time, this is a great summer learning activity for your family!
Capillary Action STEM Activity for Kids
8 Amazing Kids’ Slime Recipes
SLIME!! It’s a science experiment and sensory play experience all in one, and the measure counts as a math skill too – don’t let this summer go by without making at least one of these amazing slime recipes!
Packing Peanut Fun Science
If you happen to receive a package with packing peanuts, you really need to do this awesome fun science activity with your kids!
DIY School Bus Cool Math Game
Math practice doesn’t have to be boring or intimidating. This friendly and fun printable is just right for summer learning!
Dancing Popcorn Science Project
It’s popcorn. It dances. It’s always a hit!
Dancing Popcorn Science Project
Magnet Science: STEM Activity for Kids
This magnet science STEM activity is a really fun way for kids to begin explore the powers of magnetism. It doesn’t take too long to set up, it’s not messy, and kids tend to enjoy the mystery of it for quite a while!
Magnet Science: STEM Activity for Kids
Hovercraft Recycling Project for Kids
This project is pretty fun, and it’s great for summer learning! Recycle a few key components and turn them into a hovercraft – it’s not every day your kids get a chance to make something fly!
Hovercraft Recycling Project for Kids
Tin Can Phone Science Project
Hello, nostalgia! Make this tin can phone just for the sake of the memories, but be sure to marvel about how crazy it is that the sounds travel through the string!
Very Simple Apple Volcano Science Experiment
Anytime you want to make a volcano, but don’t have the time, space, or energy to make a giant one, this summer learning science experiment makes a pretty satisfying fizz!
Very Simple Apple Volcano Science Experiment
Summer Learning Literacy Activities
Reading is an important part of summer learning! Sharing a story together is so special and learning to read is a magical time in a child’s life!
Lemonade Letter Matching Game
Practice uppercase and lowercase letters with this sweet lemonade letter matching game! For bonus fun, serve lemonade while you play and sip away!
Phonics Worksheets for Beginning Sounds
Emerging readers will enjoy reinforcing their skills with these simple worksheets!
Phonics Worksheets For Beginning Sounds
Phonics Worksheets for Vowel Sounds
Practice mastering vowels with emerging readers when you download and print these phonics worksheets for vowel sounds.
Phonics Worksheets for Vowel Sounds
The Slap Game for Learning Letters
Kids like to move! Help them learn their letters (and numbers too, if desired) with this fun and silly slapping game – no person gets slapped, don’t worry!
The Slap Game: An Energetic Way to Learn!
Classic Books for Early Readers
Wondering which books your kids should read this summer? This list is the perfect place to start.
Classic Books for Early Readers
If You Give A Pig A Pancake Literacy Activities
If You Give A Pig A Pancake is hilarious and these actives bring the story to life!
If You Give A Pig A Pancake Activities
Blueberries for Sal Pretend Play Literacy Activity
Blueberries for Sal is a classic story, and this pretend play activity helps kids to get into the story and feel like they’re a part of it!
Blueberries for Sal Pretend Play Activity
Corduroy Book Reading and Questions
Enjoy reading and discussing the classic story, Corduroy, with your child. These questions will help with reading comprehension and determining if there’s a call to action when we read books!
Corduroy Book Reading and Questions
Have fun playing together AND enjoy learning all summer long – which activities will your kids be most excited about?!
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