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With summer just right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about educational activities to do this summer. Keyword being educational, these can be fun activities that cover a wide range of subjects, concepts, and topics. If you don’t have your own summer adventures planned, these can be used to save your kids from summer boredom while keeping your kids’ minds engaged and working all summer long.
15 Educational Activities To Do This Summer
Most of these activities will be linked to other online websites, but they can also be planned and executed in your own way. Use them as a guide to pack your kids’ summer out with lots of educational fun.
Find special calendar days that happen during the summer.
There are several national, international, and simply fun days that take place during the summer. Create a list and decide how you’d like your family to celebrate them. Whether it’s grilling out, doing a coloring page, making crafts or doing something in lieu of the special days, there are ways to make it educational and fun. Here are a few days to look forward to this summer:
- May 31: Memorial Day
- June 21: First Day of Summer
- June 29: Wimbledon Tournament Begins
- July 3: National Stay Out of the Sun Day
- July 4: Independence Day
- July 21: National Hot Dog Day
- August 16: National Roller Coaster Day
Learn how to cook.
Summer is the perfect time to teach your kids how to cook. You can teach them some classic family traditional recipes or use a children’s cookbook. Here are a couple of our favorite cookbooks:
- Everybody Eats Lunch
- The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs
- National Geographic Kids Cookbook: A Year-Round Fun Food Adventure
- The Official DC Super Hero Cookbook: 60+ Simple, Tasty Recipes for Growing Super Heroes
Over time you can put them in charge of one main meal per week (or day), depending on their age and your trust level. Start small and build on what they’re learning. Cooking with Kids is a great resource for beginner kid cooks and beyond. Freshmade NYC offers virtual cooking classes and even birthday parties for chefs of all ages.
Start a family garden.
Although most people would say that starting a garden in the summertime isn’t a great idea, it’s actually the perfect project for kids. Not to mention, there are many vegetables and fruits that thrive in the heated conditions brought on during the summer months. Start with a search of what’s ideal for your area, then decide on what you and your kids would like to plant. You can have an in-ground garden, raised bed, potted garden, or a combination. We really like the Green Toys Indoor Gardening Kit that comes with 3 pots and seeds. A fun option is My Fairy Garden Nature Cottage – Grow & Play Set that combine gardening and an adorable garden for fires to live and play. This will also teach your kids valuable life lessons, responsibility, and what it’s like to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Go on lots of themed nature walked.
By themed nature walks, I mean choosing a theme for the walk. Perhaps one walk can consist of butterfly catching while another one is for finding anthills or birdwatching. There are lots of things in nature that can be used to make your nature walk a theme. An added bonus is to look up information about what you’ll be looking for. Read books about it, create a nature journal, and even include a hands-on project. If you are looking for bugs: Ultimate Bugopedia: The Most Complete Bug Reference Ever will help you learn more about the ones you come across.
Plan activity days.
These days can be anything from visiting a local museum or doing something locally. Make sure you take into consideration how much it will cost and if the entire family will enjoy it. There are typically lots of fun family-friendly things to do during the summertime, so it’s a matter of finding things your family would like to do. Check local museum websites for free or discounted days as well as your local libraries for fun events.
More Educational Activities
Below is a quick list of more educational activities to do this summer:
- Start a neighborhood book club.
- Design something (a shirt, room, etc.).
- Do summer-related STEM activities.
- Create musical instruments and start a family band.
- Make ice cream in a bag.
- Catch fireflies.
- Go on a scavenger hunt.
- Start a rock collection.
- Go stargazing.
- Take a scenic drive.
Final Thoughts
The summer months don’t have to be boring or lack an educational touch to them. In fact, there are many ways to combine the two and build memories that will last a lifetime. Use the ideas and suggestions mentioned above to start planning a summer your whole family will remember.
I’d love to hear from you! What are some things you and your family like to do during the summer months? Let me know in the comments below. Don’t worry if it doesn’t seem “educational” because anything can be turned into a lesson!