Easy Summer Activities
Summer is fast approaching, and for some of us, that means school’s out! At our home, we’re looking forward to a few weeks of rest and recuperation so I can plan for next school year, and the kids can enjoy summer activities.
I thought about what types of activities I could do with the kids this summer (because of course, I wanted this summer to be unique and different than all other summers), and after a bit of web browsing, I came up with a short list of activities that my kids might find fun and interesting. If nothing else, the kids will say, “Mom- that was interesting.” And, of course, some of the items that made my list are old-time favorites- evergreen activities that never go out of season. So here goes:
-
Go on a treasure hunt. When my kids were little they used to love “treasure hunting”. My oldest has forgotten the fun of drawing an adventure map with clues, hiding leads to clues outside, and watching her little sister run all around the yard in search of the hidden treasure. Whether there’s a big prize waiting at the end or not, seeking for treasure is the fun part. We’ve got to dig that game back up this summer.
-
Make a garden together. When I lived down South, my dad showed the kids and me how to start a vegetable garden. Our peas shot up pretty quickly and we enjoyed eating our produce for dinner a few nights. Since moving out to the west coast, we haven’t managed to keep a garden going. (We have managed to start one, but …uh…we didn’t quite keep it up.) In an effort to retain a green thumb, I plan to make an attempt at container gardening with the kids. We’ll start nice and slow- maybe lettuce or peas. The whole point is that we’ll be doing something we normally don’t do, and we’ll do it together.
-
Make edible finger paint. This was a lot of fun for us. Grab some plastic containers, popsicle sticks to stir, vanilla pudding mix, and food coloring. Whip up a few batches of different colors of pudding, and using the popsicle sticks or their fingers, let the kids do some edible painting. This idea is especially nice if you have tots, but older kids like it too.
-
Learn a new skill. My oldest daughter wants to learn to play violin, so I have a nice birthday surprise awaiting her this summer. Along with the violin we also found DVD-based violin lessons, just to test the waters and see if she really gets into it before we shell out the big bucks for lessons. This is also a great time to do the “normal” summer stuff- like swim lessons or sports camps. As for me- I’m learning French. I don’t have as much time during the school year to learn new skills, but the summers are my chance to explore a bit.
-
Read together. There’s nothing quite like curling up next to your kiddos and reading a book alongside them. The summer months are long and give us lots more time for reading together.
Summers are a great time to catch up on your to-do list of DIY projects or catch a little rest and relaxation that you couldn’t seem to find throughout the school year. I pray that this summer you’ll find the rest and the time you need to enjoy your family, your friends, and yourself.
What are your plans for this summer?
Thanks for the ideas! As for the violin, it is a very difficult instrument. To give a student the best success from the beginning I would suggest to pay for a month of lessons because only a teacher can show a student how to hold it correctly. After a month (of weekly lessons) you can re-evaluate if she likes it or not.
Good idea. I think we will eventually move on to an actual teacher. Violin is tricky, but a good teacher can help her set some good habits to begin with.
What a wonderful list. Thank you for taking the time to share! We started a list of our own and I’m making sure that a few simple things get done first thing before the day slips away like bible devo, chores, reading…then the rest of the day is ours to have summer adventures!
When do y’all start back up with school?
Blessings,
Shan
http://www.The-How-to-Guru.com
Thanks, Shan! We’ve had an awesome summer, and started our school again three weeks ago! 🙂 It went by so fast. I hope you had a great summer. Are you back in school again?
Great ideas here! Love the edible finger paint idea!
Yes, that was a lot of fun for the kids- and pretty yummy too.
Thanks for sharing your ideas. We do a great deal of art throughout the year but summer is extra nice because we can really take our time. One fun book we ran across for inspiring children to look at shape, lines, color and design is The Coloring Book by Herve Tullet. His books are great for challenging artistic thinking! http://waddleeahchaa.com/2013/06/11/oodles-of-summer-art-fun-for-kids-book-of-the-week-giveaway/
We’ll also spend extra time enjoying our friends and family! The river and loads of relaxed exploration is on our list!
Loved your ideas for the Summer! Since we school through the Summer, we are still officially Homeschooling, but I do like to make things lighter and do more “Summer” themed activity’s, etc.
For instance, this month is “June” and I found some great “Freebie” Games & Worksheets through Spelling City ( http://www.spellingcity.com/june-worksheets-and-games.html ). We are also taking lots of trips to the Beach, as we live in Florida. Since we live in Florida, we are also taking in the indoor Museum’s and Aquariums, as it can get pretty Hot here, during the Summer.
Again, Thanks for sharing! I will be adding some of your ideas to our “July” themed unit 🙂
I love Spelling City. Sounds like you guys had some fun plans for the summer- the beach, museum, and aquariums! We enjoy Florida and only miss the heat slightly! 🙂 The kids love Disney World which is much bigger than our Disney Land in California. I hope you had a great summer.