Summer is quickly approaching as school is winding down. It’s time to put your sun hat on and get your hands dirty. Stay busy all summer long with these fun activities for kids Prek-3. Some activities are suitable for older children as well.
Our first suggestion is a free summer license to Rainforest Journey, our K-5 theme-based life sciences online program, featuring vibrant photographs and video. Keep your child in touch with learning in a a fun and engaging way. This special offer gives you full access to the content currently available, until September 1, 2015. Sign up now!
Spring to Summer
Use this printable list from One Perfect Day, or create your own spring/summer scavenger hunt and head outside to see if you can find all the items on the list.
http://www.oneperfectdayblog.net/2013/11/11/free-printable-for-a-spring-scavenger-hunt-for-kids/
Nature
PreKinders.com shows you how to raise butterflies.
http://www.prekinders.com/raising-butterflies/
Build a butterfly house with a few recycled materials and some tools lying around the house. Willow Day guides you through the process.
http://www.willowday.com/2013/05/diy-butterfly-houses-with-chalk-lids.html
Lure in beautiful butterflies with a homemade butterfly feeder by Reading Confetti.
http://www.readingconfetti.com/2013/07/easy-butterfly-feeder.html
With a rapid decline in bee populations, it is a good idea to preserve their homes. Play a part in their security by making a bee garden.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/make-a-bee-garden/
Make a worm farm and watch the worms wiggle in their new home. A Mom with a Lesson Plan breaks down the steps for you.
http://amomwithalessonplan.com/worm-farm/
Play in dirt and make art at the same time with dirt paint. Follow the recipe by Fit Kids Clubhouse to make your own.
http://fitkidsclub.blogspot.com/2012/04/clubhouse-worm-diary-day-2.html
It’s not sand; it’s not playdough. It’s kinetic sand! Follow the recipe from Kids Activities Blog to make your own.
http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/69279/how-to-make-kinetic-sand
Keep track of which plants are which by making plant markers from What Do We Do All Day.
http://www.whatdowedoallday.com/2014/03/indoor-gardening-activity-kid-made-plant-markers.html
If you’re a tree hugger, these 45 tree activities from Fantastic and Fun Learning are right up your alley.
http://www.fantasticfunandlearning.com/tree-activities-for-kids.html
Going on a hike? Make a walking stick to keep your balance throughout your adventure. Hideous Dreadful Stinky walks you through the tutorial.
http://hideousdreadfulstinky.com/2014/06/animal-jam-walking-stick-tutorial.html
Share your love of books and nature by writing a homemade book about nature. You don’t even need a printing press. B-Inspired Mama shows you the process.
http://b-inspiredmama.com/2013/05/homemade-book-about-nature/?_szp=439184
Miscellaneous
Think of all the things you’d like to accomplish this summer. Create a summer bucket list and try to fulfill each goal before school is back in session. Best Activities for Kids has a free printable template.
http://bestactivitiesforkids.com/summer-bucket-list-free-printable/
Looking for fun for the whole family? These 18 summer fun activities listed by Craft-O-Maniac should do the trick.
http://www.craft-o-maniac.com/2013/05/18-summer-fun-ideas.html
No Time For Flash Cards lists 50 simple outdoor activities. This should keep you occupied until mid July.
http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2012/03/50-simple-outdoor-activities-for-kids.html/
Never get bored with this extensive list of activities. 101 fun things to do with kids this summer provided by Care.com.
http://www.care.com/child-care-101-fun-things-to-do-with-kids-this-summer-p1017-q27919161.html
Learn about culture by holding a film festival at camp or summer school, suggested by Edutopia. You could even host one on your own.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/summer-learning-through-film-eileen-mattingly
Can’t make it to the beach? No worries! Mamas Like Me has ocean and beach themed activities will make you feel like you’re already in paradise.
http://www.mamaslikeme.com/2014/06/ocean-and-beach-themed-activities-for.html
Don’t have the means to travel? Take a virtual trip; a great source provided by The Teachers Guide.
http://www.theteachersguide.com/virtualtours.html
Activities from one of our favorite sites, education.com
Sorting through the seeds of a fresh juicy watermelon is annoying. Make it fun by hosting a watermelon seed spitting contest.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/watermelon-seed-spitting/
Who doesn’t like lemonade on a hot summer’s day? These recipes are a twist on a classic. Try them when you open your next lemonade stand.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/summer-lemonade/
Don’t wait for the ice cream truck to arrive to enjoy a cool treat. Make your own refreshing popsicles.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/peaches-cream-popsicles/
Turn your kitchen into a creamery and make homemade ice cream.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/Homemade_Ice_Cream_Maker/
Host a raft relay race at your next pool party. Minimal materials required.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/Raft_Relay/
Take the classic game of tic tac toe outside and use fun decorative pieces in place of X’s and O’s.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/rock-tictactoe/
Create an artistic masterpiece using frozen paint.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/paint-with-ice/
Kids love to travel. Let them share all the places they have been to, or show where they’d like to go by making a travel picture suitcase.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/Make_passport_suitcase/
Arts and Crafts
Take piece of the beach home with you and make a seashell necklace with a pretty seashell found on the shore. Download the activity from education.com
http://www.education.com/activity/article/seashell-necklace/
Make and Takes shows you how to display your love for fish by making tropical fish out of paper plates.
http://www.makeandtakes.com/paper-plate-tropical-fish
Play with jellyfish without getting zapped. Make jellyfish from a paper bag. No Time for Flash Cards shares how they did it.
http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2013/07/paper-bag-jellyfish-craft.html
Put on a bee show with bee puppets from Housing Forest.
http://www.housingaforest.com/yarn-wrapped-bee-craft/
Do you like ladybugs? Make a ladybug out of construction paper demonstrated by My Artful Self.
http://myartfulself.com/make-a-lady-bug/
Ditch the small paint brushes, and swap them for a broom and a scrub brush to get swept up in street art with big art broom painting. Activity by B-Inspired Mama.
http://b-inspiredmama.com/2013/08/broom-painting/
No one thinks about school once summer break has started. But education.com challenges you to think ahead and put together a back-to-school scrapbook to show your teachers and classmates what you did all summer long.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/Back_to_School_Before_This_School_Year_Scrapbook/
Science
20 Must-Try Summer Science Activities for Kids collected by Lemon Lime Adventures.
http://lemonlimeadventures.com/must-try-summer-science-activities-for-kids/
Science Sparks lists 50 summer science ideas that are bound to be a blast.
http://www.science-sparks.com/2013/05/19/summer-science/
Activities from education.com
Laying on the grass, gazing up at the night sky and studying the stars is a favorite pastime for many. Make a telescope to see the stars better.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/Backyard_Astronomy_Kindergarten/
Become Indiana Jones and go on an archaeological dig in your own backyard to find amazing things upon excavation.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/backyard-archaeology/
Understand what it’s like to be a paleontologist by making your own fossils and burying them for excavation.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/fossils/
Educational
There will be days when you need some quiet time. Sign up for a free summer enrichment license to Rainforest Journey, our theme-based life sciences online curriculum! Stunning photos and video enrich the lessons depicting a fascinating part of the world. Sign up today!
Too hot to enjoy a book outside? Bring your reading inside and construct a cozy summer reading nook. The Good Long Road tells you how.
http://jennifischer.blogspot.com/2013/06/summer-reading-our-special-summer-book.html
Learning vocabulary is brighter with this vocabulary sun craft from education.com
http://www.education.com/activity/article/summer-words/
Quantify how much fun you had this summer and draw a summer fun bar graph.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/summer-bar-graph/
Just because school is out doesn’t mean you can’t continue the learning. Do a little bit of homework each day from a summer learning binder and you’ll be one step ahead of everyone in the class by the time school starts up again. Thirty Homemade Days gets you started.
http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/2014/06/printable-summer-binder-activity-sheets/#_a5y_p=1821372
Our first suggestion is a free summer license to Rainforest Journey, our K-5 theme-based life sciences online program, featuring vibrant photographs and video. Keep your child in touch with learning in a a fun and engaging way. This special offer gives you full access to the content currently available, until September 1, 2015. Sign up now!
Spring to Summer
Use this printable list from One Perfect Day, or create your own spring/summer scavenger hunt and head outside to see if you can find all the items on the list.
http://www.oneperfectdayblog.net/2013/11/11/free-printable-for-a-spring-scavenger-hunt-for-kids/
Nature
PreKinders.com shows you how to raise butterflies.
http://www.prekinders.com/raising-butterflies/
Build a butterfly house with a few recycled materials and some tools lying around the house. Willow Day guides you through the process.
http://www.willowday.com/2013/05/diy-butterfly-houses-with-chalk-lids.html
Lure in beautiful butterflies with a homemade butterfly feeder by Reading Confetti.
http://www.readingconfetti.com/2013/07/easy-butterfly-feeder.html
With a rapid decline in bee populations, it is a good idea to preserve their homes. Play a part in their security by making a bee garden.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/make-a-bee-garden/
Make a worm farm and watch the worms wiggle in their new home. A Mom with a Lesson Plan breaks down the steps for you.
http://amomwithalessonplan.com/worm-farm/
Play in dirt and make art at the same time with dirt paint. Follow the recipe by Fit Kids Clubhouse to make your own.
http://fitkidsclub.blogspot.com/2012/04/clubhouse-worm-diary-day-2.html
It’s not sand; it’s not playdough. It’s kinetic sand! Follow the recipe from Kids Activities Blog to make your own.
http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/69279/how-to-make-kinetic-sand
Keep track of which plants are which by making plant markers from What Do We Do All Day.
http://www.whatdowedoallday.com/2014/03/indoor-gardening-activity-kid-made-plant-markers.html
If you’re a tree hugger, these 45 tree activities from Fantastic and Fun Learning are right up your alley.
http://www.fantasticfunandlearning.com/tree-activities-for-kids.html
Going on a hike? Make a walking stick to keep your balance throughout your adventure. Hideous Dreadful Stinky walks you through the tutorial.
http://hideousdreadfulstinky.com/2014/06/animal-jam-walking-stick-tutorial.html
Share your love of books and nature by writing a homemade book about nature. You don’t even need a printing press. B-Inspired Mama shows you the process.
http://b-inspiredmama.com/2013/05/homemade-book-about-nature/?_szp=439184
Miscellaneous
Think of all the things you’d like to accomplish this summer. Create a summer bucket list and try to fulfill each goal before school is back in session. Best Activities for Kids has a free printable template.
http://bestactivitiesforkids.com/summer-bucket-list-free-printable/
Looking for fun for the whole family? These 18 summer fun activities listed by Craft-O-Maniac should do the trick.
http://www.craft-o-maniac.com/2013/05/18-summer-fun-ideas.html
No Time For Flash Cards lists 50 simple outdoor activities. This should keep you occupied until mid July.
http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2012/03/50-simple-outdoor-activities-for-kids.html/
Never get bored with this extensive list of activities. 101 fun things to do with kids this summer provided by Care.com.
http://www.care.com/child-care-101-fun-things-to-do-with-kids-this-summer-p1017-q27919161.html
Learn about culture by holding a film festival at camp or summer school, suggested by Edutopia. You could even host one on your own.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/summer-learning-through-film-eileen-mattingly
Can’t make it to the beach? No worries! Mamas Like Me has ocean and beach themed activities will make you feel like you’re already in paradise.
http://www.mamaslikeme.com/2014/06/ocean-and-beach-themed-activities-for.html
Don’t have the means to travel? Take a virtual trip; a great source provided by The Teachers Guide.
http://www.theteachersguide.com/virtualtours.html
Activities from one of our favorite sites, education.com
Sorting through the seeds of a fresh juicy watermelon is annoying. Make it fun by hosting a watermelon seed spitting contest.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/watermelon-seed-spitting/
Who doesn’t like lemonade on a hot summer’s day? These recipes are a twist on a classic. Try them when you open your next lemonade stand.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/summer-lemonade/
Don’t wait for the ice cream truck to arrive to enjoy a cool treat. Make your own refreshing popsicles.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/peaches-cream-popsicles/
Turn your kitchen into a creamery and make homemade ice cream.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/Homemade_Ice_Cream_Maker/
Host a raft relay race at your next pool party. Minimal materials required.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/Raft_Relay/
Take the classic game of tic tac toe outside and use fun decorative pieces in place of X’s and O’s.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/rock-tictactoe/
Create an artistic masterpiece using frozen paint.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/paint-with-ice/
Kids love to travel. Let them share all the places they have been to, or show where they’d like to go by making a travel picture suitcase.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/Make_passport_suitcase/
Arts and Crafts
Take piece of the beach home with you and make a seashell necklace with a pretty seashell found on the shore. Download the activity from education.com
http://www.education.com/activity/article/seashell-necklace/
Make and Takes shows you how to display your love for fish by making tropical fish out of paper plates.
http://www.makeandtakes.com/paper-plate-tropical-fish
Play with jellyfish without getting zapped. Make jellyfish from a paper bag. No Time for Flash Cards shares how they did it.
http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2013/07/paper-bag-jellyfish-craft.html
Put on a bee show with bee puppets from Housing Forest.
http://www.housingaforest.com/yarn-wrapped-bee-craft/
Do you like ladybugs? Make a ladybug out of construction paper demonstrated by My Artful Self.
http://myartfulself.com/make-a-lady-bug/
Ditch the small paint brushes, and swap them for a broom and a scrub brush to get swept up in street art with big art broom painting. Activity by B-Inspired Mama.
http://b-inspiredmama.com/2013/08/broom-painting/
No one thinks about school once summer break has started. But education.com challenges you to think ahead and put together a back-to-school scrapbook to show your teachers and classmates what you did all summer long.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/Back_to_School_Before_This_School_Year_Scrapbook/
Science
20 Must-Try Summer Science Activities for Kids collected by Lemon Lime Adventures.
http://lemonlimeadventures.com/must-try-summer-science-activities-for-kids/
Science Sparks lists 50 summer science ideas that are bound to be a blast.
http://www.science-sparks.com/2013/05/19/summer-science/
Activities from education.com
Laying on the grass, gazing up at the night sky and studying the stars is a favorite pastime for many. Make a telescope to see the stars better.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/Backyard_Astronomy_Kindergarten/
Become Indiana Jones and go on an archaeological dig in your own backyard to find amazing things upon excavation.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/backyard-archaeology/
Understand what it’s like to be a paleontologist by making your own fossils and burying them for excavation.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/fossils/
Educational
There will be days when you need some quiet time. Sign up for a free summer enrichment license to Rainforest Journey, our theme-based life sciences online curriculum! Stunning photos and video enrich the lessons depicting a fascinating part of the world. Sign up today!
Too hot to enjoy a book outside? Bring your reading inside and construct a cozy summer reading nook. The Good Long Road tells you how.
http://jennifischer.blogspot.com/2013/06/summer-reading-our-special-summer-book.html
Learning vocabulary is brighter with this vocabulary sun craft from education.com
http://www.education.com/activity/article/summer-words/
Quantify how much fun you had this summer and draw a summer fun bar graph.
http://www.education.com/activity/article/summer-bar-graph/
Just because school is out doesn’t mean you can’t continue the learning. Do a little bit of homework each day from a summer learning binder and you’ll be one step ahead of everyone in the class by the time school starts up again. Thirty Homemade Days gets you started.
http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/2014/06/printable-summer-binder-activity-sheets/#_a5y_p=1821372