Here’s some hands-on educational ideas for summer break to keep your kids learning and having fun all summer long!
Hey there momma, are you looking for fun ideas for summer break?
It’s hard to keep your kids entertained all day at home – I know!
But if you don’t keep them busy, they either become totally entranced by their screens, or they pick on each other constantly and continuously drive you nuts, don’t they? 🙋🏻♀️
No worries though! I’ve got a great round-up for you of tons of stimulating educational summer activities for family fun! Your kids will be so busy enjoying themselves that they won’t even know they are learning! 😉
And the best part? You don’t even have to leave your house to do these hands-on learning activities!
Educational Ideas for Summer Break Key Takeaways
But…if you need the short and sweet version right now, because the noodles are boiling, the baby is whining, and you really gotta pee…. No worries! I’ve got ya covered. 😉
Here are my favorite educational summer break activities to do at home:
Easiest – Read a chapter book together.
Most fun – Make a volcano.
Most intriguing – Interview a relative.
Most challenging – Create a family YouTube channel.
Best overall – Host your own summer camp.
There you go! My favorites. Go ahead and pin this post for later. You can come back and read all the great ideas when you have more time. 😉
How can I make summer break fun?
Boy oh boy do I have loads of fun things to do on summer break at home!!
So much so, that I had to break this post down into multiple posts:
- Arts & Craft Ideas
- Educational Ideas
- Rainy Summer Day Ideas
- Hot Summer Day Ideas
- Backyard Fun Ideas
- Water Play Ideas
- Outdoor Game Ideas
- Outside Nighttime Ideas
- Ideas for Playing in the Rain
All in all, that’s a lot of ideas! You’ll never get them all done this year, momma! 🤣😂 But pin this post – and all of them, for tha matter – for next year, too!
Make it a challenge to get all these ideas checked off before your oldest turns 12!! 😆
What are some good, educational summer activities at home?
If you’re looking to keep the learning rolling this summer, here’s a few great ideas, that are a fantastic combination of fun and learning!
1. Interview a relative.
Pick an older relative and FaceTime him or her with your kids. Ask them tons of questions about their life, and then type it up as a biography!
Britni over at Play Party Plan has a free set of interview questions to get you started!
2. Spruce up Story Time.
Turn your regular afternoon story time into something magical. Create a unique place to read together, such as in a tree house, in a hammock, or in a tent in the backyard. Angela from About a Mom has ten awesome ideas for outdoor reading nooks!
You can also add in educational, theme-based activities, that go along with the book. The Stratford Library has a great list of stories and educational activities to go along with it.
3. Read a chapter book together.
The summer is a great time to read together with your kids. Christie from Childhood 101 has 50 great books to choose from if you have kids between 6 and 12!
4. Keep a summer journal together.
Keri over at Back Yard Summer Camp has a great tutorial on how to make a summer journal, along with a few journaling prompts for you guys to get started!
5. Create a family YouTube channel.
Wanna document your backyard adventures this summer? Start a survivor’s challenge? If you’re up to the challenge, Hear Me Folks has a step-by-step 2023 quick start guide for getting your YouTube channel off and running.
6. Make your own musical instruments.
Shruti over at Artsy Craftsy Mom, has a 20 awesome DIY musical instruments your kids can make this summer!
7. Press flowers.
Mia has 15 stunning pressed flower crafts you can do with your kiddos over at Sow and Sow.
8. Put on a skit.
Ice Breakers Ideas has a great list of 20 different skit ideas you could try, for kids of all ages. Or turn your child’s favorite story into a skit with these tips from Manas over at Madman’s Journey.
9. Make a music video.
Have a child who loves to sing and dance? Or lip sync? Get that camera set up!
Lego actually has a fun little post all about making a music video at home! Check it out!
10. Raise and release butterflies.
Melissa from Fireflies & Mudpies has everything you need to know about raising butterflies! You could even pair this idea with your story time lesson plans for tons of summer fun!
11. Start an ant farm.
What little boy (or girl!) doesn’t like to collect bugs?!? 😂🤣 Riley, from Homesteading, will show you how to start your own ant farm!
12. Host your own summer camp.
Love this idea!
Steamsational has a great tutorial on how to host your own summer camp, complete with ten fantastic summer camp themes!
13. Make a volcano.
Summertime is a great time for this activity, simply because you can do it outside!! Osmo not only has step by step instructions for you, but they also explain the science behind the volcano, so even if science was never your thing, you can still sound super smart to your kids. 😉
14. Make a bird feeder.
This one’s kinda a summer right of passage, don’t ‘cha think? 😁 Beth over at 123 Homeschool 4 Me has 30 different birdfeeder ideas for you!
15. Create a summertime scrapbook.
I absolutely love looking back at the scrapbooks my boys made when they were little. 😆 The chaotic pages and upside down pictures are absolutely priceless. 🥰
Valerie, over at Inner Child Fun, has a great post on summer scrapbooks for kids. Go check it out!
16. Write a story together.
There’s a million different ways you can do this.
You can totally make something up, or you can make your child the hero of the story. Or you could even take one of your child’s favorite stories and rewrite it!
PBS has a great post on how to write a story with your child based on a real experience. And Reading Eggs has a step by step guide to helping your child write a story.
Have fun with it! (And send me a copy when you’re done!! 😁)
At the end of the day…
At the end of the day, momma, keeping your kids learning and busy at home is all about building memories and strengthening your relationship with them.
Sure, everyone likes smart kids. 😉 And doing a few educational activities this summer will help make sure your kids don’t experience that dreaded summer slide.
But the absolute best way to set your child up for a successful future is to establish a good, healthy relationship now.
Your relationship is the foundation to everything parenting. But, of course, you know this, or you wouldn’t be a sahm in the first place!! 🥰
So, kick back, relax, and enjoy this summer with your kiddos, momma!
More summer activities for kids
Fun Ideas for Playing in the Summer Rain
Fun Ideas for Playing Outside in the Dark
Classic Backyard Games to Play with Your Kids
