Trying to beat the summer slide? Or how about the “quarantine slide?” I think that’s a more accurate term for the current world we’re living in. I’m happy to share these fun summer learning activities for your kids!
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Summer Learning Activities for Kids
This summer is unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. Rather than close a school year out inside of a classroom, our kids completed distance learning. There isn’t any transition really because these children have been home since mid-March.
We still don’t know what school will look like in the Fall. And to be completely honest, depending on what the plan is for schools reopening, and the condition our world is in, we might very well be homeschooling this year.
This both terrifies me and excites me. I’ve always dabbled with the possibility of homeschooling. However, I never thought I’d be forced into it so to say. That and the fact that my kids thrive on the social aspect of school. I do understand traditional homeschooling allows for kids to be just as social. But if we’re homeschooling because we’re not comfortable in social situations, any type of socialization outside of our circle would not happen. Regardless, nothing is an ideal situation.
Right now I’m trying my best to provide my kids with as much normalcy as possible. Our summer may look a little different this year, but we’re making the best of it!
We’re incorporating summer learning in an easy, FUN way. Both of my children enjoy hands-on activities, so there will be as much of that as possible.
I’ve compiled a variety of educational activities to share!
Reading Eggs
I cannot begin to tell you how much I love this program. My 6 year old was getting very frustrated with his reading. I heard many good things about Reading Eggs, so I signed him up for the 30 day free trial. You guys…he LOVES it! It is incredibly interactive, which he definitely enjoys. I originally planned for him to only do one lesson per day, however, he sometimes begs me to do another because he’s having so much fun! You can sign-up for your free trial here.
Workbooks
Workbooks are probably both of my kids least favorite activity. However, I still like to incorporate them. I love these particular ones, because they are specifically for summer. They provide activities for the grade your child just finished, as well as exercises to get them ready for the next grade. The worksheets are bright and colorful. There’s also a foldout map where you can track your progress with the included stickers! I grabbed one of these workbooks for my soon-to-be first grader and fifth grader.
Outschool
Another website I cannot recommend enough, is Outschool. I started utilizing this site almost as soon as our schools shutdown. Outschool offers a ridiculous amount of virtual classes. My 10 year old took a piano class. His teacher taught him and 5 other students an intro to piano class from her home in Canada. After he completed that class, and I saw how much he enjoyed it, I was a huge fan!
My 6 year old participated in a Space themed class. This one had a flex schedule, so it wasn’t with a live teacher. We were provided with the information, activities, etc. The teacher was always available by email if assistance was needed.
Both of my kids learned how to play the Pokemon card game in a class together! This class met just one time for one hour. The whole purpose was to learn how to play the game and have the opportunity to ask any questions you might have. SO FUN!
My favorite thing about Outschool is they offer not only traditional classes, but also fun, out-of-the-box ones as well! Any sort of interest your child might have, you can almost guarantee there’s a class for it on Outschool. Classes start at $10. You can grab a $20 credit here.
Khan Academy
Looking for something completely FREE?! Khan Academy is a website that offers just that! These activities aren’t virtual or with a teacher, like Outschool, however they’re guided lessons you can complete online. Does your family love Disney as much as mine does? Check out Imagineering in a Box, which was developed from Disney Imagineers! I’m going to have my kids do this one together. I think they’ll enjoy learning more in depth about Disney!
Learning Activity Kits
There are so many different hands-on kits you can do with your children. Here are a few ideas:
- Build a volcano
- Rocks and fossils kit
- Crystal growing kit
- Butterfly garden
- Light-up terrarium
- Robotic science kit
- Subscription boxes like Kiwi Crate
Other Free Learning Websites
- ABCya! — This site is loaded with fun games to keep your child engaged while learning.
- Prodigy — A fun math game where you can monitor your child’s progress. Your child can even challenge their friends!
- Teachers Pay Teachers — So many free printables, learning activities, etc.
Easy ways to encourage learning everyday
Always remember that education doesn’t have to be inside of a book or computer! There are many ways children can learn doing daily activities. Play board games, try out a new recipe, go geocaching, dabble with a new hobby, watch a nature documentary, build with LEGO’s, have a summer reading challenge, plant a garden, go on a scavenger hunt.
Our brains are programmed to continuously learn. We are learning new things without even realizing it. Above all, learning should be FUN…especially during the summertime!!
I hope you enjoyed these summer learning activities for kids. How are you implementing educational activities for your children this summer? Tell me some of your favorite ways to incorporate learning!
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