Make the most of the warmer months by incorporating some fun summer homeschool learning into your family’s routine!
We asked veteran homeschoolers to share their best summer homeschool learning ideas. Check out their tips below and plan to make this summer extra special! We’ve also included a Summer Wellness Series just for homeschool moms and a quick list of fun activities to do with your kids all summer long!
Homeschool Summer Learning Ideas
1. Learn a New Skill
Because most family’s schedules are a little more open and flexible during the summer, it can be a great time to learn a new skill. Teach the kids to cook, use the grill, or change the oil in the car. If you’ve got little ones, you could teach them to complete age-appropriate household chores or, you know, how to tie their shoes or use the toilet. You could also take a fun class together as a family such as a baking/cooking class, a sport (archery, bowling, etc.), or a hobby class (art or photography).
– Kris
2. The Fun Stuff
Summer learning can be the fun stuff that you don’t get to during the school year (even if you homeschool year round). I plan to have my kids doing music and computer courses as well as fun language arts using Grammar Galaxy. I also plan to fill the rainy days with educational board games.
– Melanie, Fun to Learn Books
3. Encourage Spatial Play and Thinking
Build a city with blocks, LEGO, or Lincoln Logs and draw the plans for the city before you start. Ask spatial questions, like how to best fill the grocery bag or how many puff balls will fit in a toilet roll tube. Then find the answer together.
– Virginia, That Bald Chick
4. STEM Holidays to Celebrate This Summer
I have to admit, I am not happy it is almost summer. I am a winter and fall girl. I miss my sweaters, footie pajamas, and thick scarves. But summer is definitely loaded with amazing STEM holidays to thrill the science lovers in your family. Celebrate this season with everything from Meteor Watch Day to Programmers’ Day!
– Amy
5. Dial Back Expectations
Summer is a great time to dial back expectations & crank up learning fun! Gather everyone together & pick out themes based on interests. Loosely plan ways to explore one theme a week. Keep it relaxed & about creating special memories.
– Amy, Rock Your Homeschool
6. Geocaching
I love to get outside with my kids and get close to nature while having a blast looking for a hidden box full of dollar store trinkets! It’s a great way to sneak in some nature study, and you can teach them about GPS coordinates and acquire some map skills, too! If you haven’t tried it, definitely schedule an adventure soon!
– Amy, Life as Lanhams
7. Homemade Scavenger Hunt
Combine thinking, reading, and writing with a homemade scavenger hunt! Research the geography, flora, and fauna of a local park, then make a list of landforms, plants, and critters you’re likely to find. Write your clues – either as a group or on your own – then head to the park for adventure!
– Ginny, Not So Formulaic
8. Don’t Remove Brain Work
For kids who are wired a certain way, the change of routine over the summer can spell disaster. Some kids have an insatiable need for intellectual stimulation, and the sudden withdrawal of “brain work” when the school year ends can actually cause surprisingly challenging behavior issues to surface. The intense craving for consistency can be at odds with our desire as moms to have some unstructured downtime over the summer months. Continuing the usual academic load through June and July can lead to, well, being just plain frazzled, although the bookish child would probably be delighted. Thankfully, there are ways to satisfy the need for stimulation over the summer, like facilitating a summer-long science or research project, providing a prompt for a project-based learning, stocking up on art or STEM supplies, implementing a focused reading challenge, or fitting in some fun enrichment curriculum you just can’t quite get to during the school year.
– Gina, Oaxacaborn
9. Unplug
The lazy days of summer are a great way to reconnect with your kids and nature. I love unplugging and hitting the nearest beach to learn about the ocean, the creatures that live there, rediscovering hidden gems under the sea. It is a great time to explore the nature parks, hiking trails, playgrounds and local museums. Lots of learning fun, without being too “school” and low stress.
– Jen, Practical by Default
10. Summer Nature Study
I know what you’re probably thinking, our kids all spend a ton of time outside! Especially in the summer! I know all too well, though, how easy it is to let things slide down the list of priorities – behind ice cream, water fights, and beach days, we MAY find nature study. There is a little more to nature study, even summer nature study, than just ‘being’ outside. It’s about being intentional with our time, allowing ourselves to slowly wonder at the natural world and ask a LOT of “why” questions. It is really easy to BE outside and still miss all the little amazing things that are going on around us. The beauty and intensity of nature in the summer months makes it the IDEAL season to connect with your natural world.
– Nadine, Up Above the Rowan Tree
11. Learn Around Your Town
We love learning all around town! Check out activities for kids in your community. Join a summer reading challenge at the library, sign up for swimming, or look for special events at a museum or park near you. Get out and enjoy the summer!
– Ashley, The Homeschool Resource Room
12. Take Advantage of the Dollar Store
Whether you’re enjoying some time off or schooling year-round, summer is the perfect time to add learning elements that are often overlooked in the course of a typical homeschool day. The problem is that there’s not always room in the homeschool budget for these extra opportunities by the time summer rolls around. At this point, most homeschool parents are in preparation mode for the upcoming year and aren’t planning for extra expenses associated with summer learning. No worries, summer learning doesn’t have to be costly. There are plenty of items for summer learning at your local dollar store! Here’s what I’ve found while strolling the aisles: puzzles, flash cards, bug catching supplies and more.
– Emily, Table Life Blog
Summer Series for Homeschool Moms
As homeschool moms we often find ourselves juggling several areas of life. To better tackle all these areas, it’s important for us to make our health and wellness a priority. We can’t put our best foot forward if we aren’t at our best. The Summer Wellness Series tackles several areas of importance when it comes to our health and wellness. Topics include:
- Finding fitness methods that work for you
- Setting fitness goals and staying accountable
- Drinking to your health
- Fighting the sugar addiction
- Healthy eating habits for kids
- Getting healthy as a family
- Sleep and self care
- Tools to help you get fit.
10 Ideas for Summer STEM
1 – Fairy House STEM
Cait considers fort-building to be the original STEM challenge, but for many years her children have preferred an outdoor STEM challenge of much tinier proportions. – Caitlin, My Little Poppies
2 – Mentos and Diet Coke Experiment
Messy science experiments are a blast – sometimes literally! This Mentos and Diet Coke experiment is perfect for those dog days of summer. – Brandi, Mama Teaches
3 – Poolside STEM
Who needs functional toys when you have a bunch of busted pieces and some pool noodles?? – Caitlin, My Little Poppies
4 – Summer Multiplication Printable Pack
With Summer comes the need to practice before starting a new school year. If you have a child who is working on their multiplication facts this year you won’t want to miss this summer multiplication printable pack. – Meagan, Meagan Gets Real
5 – Simple Pond Study
I don’t recall much from my preschool years, but I do have a vivid memory of exploring a pond. Armed with empty milk jugs, we collected water and dumped it in a basin to see what we had captured. We had magnifying glasses
and, looking through them, we made countless, excited, discoveries. – Caitlin, My Little Poppies
6 – Create a Unit Study About Birds
Get outside and enjoy nature with a unit study on birds. This guide walks you through the steps! – Christine, This Bit of Life
7 – Sidewalk Chalk Outdoor Math Game
Selena says, “Math has been an issue in our family, especially since several of our children are living with ADHD. But with this easy sidewalk chalk outdoor math game, my active kids got some arithmetic practice done while moving!”
We agree! What a great activity. – Selena, Look! We’re Learning!
8 – Giant Bubbles for Giant Smiles
This Giant Bubble recipe creates GIANT smiles for people of all ages. Put simply, these bubbles spread joy. Cait continues to spread GIANT smiles by sharing the recipe with you! – Caitlin, My Little Poppies
9 – 7 Creative Ideas for Summer Math Practice
Just because you are taking a break from your formal homeschooling for the summer, doesn’t mean you can’t find plenty of ways to include fun summer math practice. This applies to year-round homeschoolers who want some
summer-themed math practice, too. – Sara, The Homeschool Post
10 – Buggy Fun for Summer
Much to the dismay of their mothers, toddlers hold a relentless fascination for bugs. They follow, squish, catch and even eat them! Perhaps the novelty lies in the never-ending variety of creepy crawlers or that bugs are smaller than these little ones. Here are some simple buggy fun activities that will enchant your children this summer. – Bonnie, The Koala Mom
What’s Your Favorite Summer Learning Activity?
Share your best homeschool summer learning activity with us below! We would love to hear what your children enjoy doing during the warmer months!
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