It’s finally summer break! Your kids are thrilled, but you may already be looking for ways to keep them occupied once the novelty of their freedom wears off. Plus, you’re eager to engage them in learning so they keep their minds fresh for the upcoming school year. Fight the summer slump by planning educational summer activities your kids will love!
Visit a Children’s Museum
Across the country, children’s museums offer kids space to learn, explore, and play. Exhibits often educate children about basic physics or biology concepts as well as other topics including architecture, geology, health, and recycling. From climbing walls to demonstrations, children’s museums are the perfect spot to spend a hot summer day. You may have one in your city; if not, there’s probably one within easy driving distance.
Take a Hike
Nature walks or hikes provide you with plenty of opportunities to reinforce what your children learned throughout the homeschool year. They can bring along notebooks to record what they see and small bags to collect specimens and interesting finds. Your little artists can sketch objects in nature or take photos, while your analytical children may enjoy measuring leaves or weighing rocks. In addition to the beneficial exercise, the kids can practice writing, math and measurement, making observations, and drawing conclusions.
Plan a Day Trip to a Local Landmark
Do you live near the site of a battlefield from the Revolutionary, Civil, or Mexican-American War? Maybe the house of a famous author or the birthplace of a renowned inventor is somewhere near your home. Visits to sites of historical significance make fun, educational summer activities—and often admission is cheap or free! Many of these locations also feature small museums with artifacts, activities, or presentations to enjoy.
More Educational Summer Activities
Looking for additional enjoyable and educational summer activities? Bug-catching is a great way to help your kids brush up on their insect knowledge. A STEM activity like kite-making challenges your children to experiment with shapes and structures to figure out which designs fly best in the summer breeze, while growing flowers or vegetables helps children understand growth cycles and plant life more deeply.
Visit the library and let the kids stock up on DVDs, books, and music CDs. To keep last year’s learning fresh in their minds, assign a couple pages each day from BJU Press Vacation Stations review books. With these activities, plus plenty of time to amuse themselves, your children are sure to have an exciting and educational summer!
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Rebecca is a work-at-home freelance writer, novelist, wife, and the mom of two bright-eyed little ones. She credits her success in writing and her love of books to her own mom, who homeschooled three kids from pre-K through high school.
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