Even though you might be on summer break from formal school work, you still want your kids to learn, right? Here are some educational summer ideas for kids AND teens to get you through the next few months. And make sure you scroll all the way down to the bottom of this post for a fabulous round-up of summer ideas from 22 of my fellow homeschool bloggers.
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Camp at home
If your normal summer routines are still not back, what can you do?
Is there a solution?
Check out Summer Camp at Home. Brought to you by Mom for All Seasons, she has 8 themed summer camp weeks that you can try.
She’s done the digging on Pinterest and gathered all the ideas you need to pull off a fun summer camp week. Each week includes crafts, snacks, activities, physical fitness, videos, plus more!
You can buy the entire bundle of all 8 camps, or she has these themed weeks available separately:
Teach Kids About Money
Imagine – your child learning critical money management skills this summer, all from home!
Certified Financial Education Instructor Amanda L. Grossman from MoneyProdigy.com created a themed Money Camp experience for your child (separate calendars for kids and teens) with these Money Summer Camp Calendars.
What’s Included:
- Set of 3 calendars, guiding your child through a different money theme (June – Save Money, July – Spend Money, August – Earn Money)
- 60 money activities for your child or teen to complete
- Parent’s Key sheets detailing out any answers and further talking point ideas
- More Info sheets for your child to get guidance on how to complete the activity
- Blank calendars and list of all 60 activities so that you can pick-and-choose your money camp schedule, if you’d like
- Bonus set of printables guiding your child through creating their first spending plan (hint: that’s just one of the activities on these calendars!)
You can hear Amanda on episode #81 of the Homeschool with Moxie Podcast – Teaching Kids About Money.
Start a business
Your middle school and high school kids should definitely use their extra summer free time to explore entrepreneurship! There’s no better time to flex these creative, problem-solving muscles than now.
Here are some resources to get them started:
- Summer Business Brainstorm for Teens
- Interview with a Teen Entrepreneur: Homeschool with Moxie Podcast #64
- How to Teach Your Teens to Create Income Streams
- Selling on Etsy Masterclass for Teens
- Etsy Quickstart Guide
- Books for Teen Entrepreneurs
Declutter
I know this doesn’t sound very fun, but learning to declutter is a great life skill! It can even be a family activity to tackle certain areas of the house this summer.
So if your kids need a bit of motivation, remind them that they could hold a yard sale or sell their items on eBay for profit!
Be sure to check out the Declutter Cheatsheet for Teens or the eBay Reseller Mini Course to help your kids profit from the piles of treasure in their rooms.
Kits from Amazon
If grandparents are looking for some new gift ideas for the kids, why not suggest a few fun educational kits from Amazon. These kits are a great way to prevent the “I’m bored!” cries from ever starting.
Here are some great art kits:
Amazon has great science kits too:
Here are fun building kits:
Learn how to draw
Why not teach art the same way piano and phonics are taught? That means bite sized, incremental lessons that build on your skills while developing your confidence and competence. With this method, EVERYONE can become the accomplished artists he yearns to be.
Study show that students who study art are 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement.
Through bite size, technique based lessons you become an accomplished artist. Your work is your own, not an exact copy of someone else’s.
Check out this subscription to Beyond the Stick Figure where you’ll get unlimited access to all their online courses and projects. It is suitable for students age 5-95. Perfect for the whole family to enjoy together!
- No prep lessons
- Open and go format
- Short lessons make it easy to fit into your busy day
And they have a FREE 14 day trial! Can’t get any better than that.
Send out a GeoBear
Finally, here’s an idea that can get your kid on a virtual trip! It might not be as fun as actually traveling yourselves, or you might be surprised.
The GeoBear Project is a fun activity that I used in my middle school geography classes. The kids had a blast and used their stuffed animal’s travels to learn about places all over the globe.
We would receive post cards and goodies from our GeoBears on a regular basis.
My daughter’s GeoCat traveled to a dozen states last year!
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22 More Educational Summer Ideas & Activities for Kids
Finally, for even more activities to keep your kids busy – and learning – this summer, check out this mega list. I joined forces with some of my fellow homeschool bloggers to bring you some super fun Summer Ideas and Activities for Kids. And there are even some great ideas in here for the teens in the house. Check them out!
10 Unusual Ways to Homeschool Over the Summer from In All You Do
Even if you officially take a break from formal learning in the summer, you can still make the most of your summer days by including some sneaky learning. Here are some creative ideas for you!
How to Use Classic Board Games as School Review from The WOLFe Pack
Grab the board games and use them this summer with a fun twist to help the kids review what they’ve learned.
STEAM Subscription Boxes for Summer FUN! from Homeschool On the Range
Kids love hands-on projects. Check out these boxes and be sure to see if some of these boxes have coupon codes for first time buyers.
Summertime STEM Activities from Hess Un-Academy
Here’s a collection of summer STEM activities for your kids ages 4-19. Not only will your kids have fun, but they’ll be able to grow their problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
40 Boredom Busting Summer Ideas and Activities for Families from Geez, Gwen!
You can download and print the Summertime Bucket List Checklist to give you fun activities all season!
Fun Seashell Identification Activities for Kids from Homeschooling 4 Him
Going to the beach this summer? These no-prep printables will help your family enjoy learning about seashells.
Pack The Perfect Backpack for Special Needs Summer Adventures from Our Crazy Adventures In Autismland
Having the right items in your travel backpack will make the difference between success and failure with your child with autism.
Homeschool Schedule: Our Summer Routine from An Off Grid Life
You can homeschool year-round too! Here’s a summer homeschool schedule and how one family in Canada’s subarctic focuses on foraging, northern gardening, homesteading, and self-reliance skills.
21 Fun Summer Homeschool Ideas for Work From Home Moms from Thrive at Home
If you’re working from home, check out these 21 summer homeschool ideas to keep your children busy.
5 Awesome Ways to Learn Parts of Plants for Kids from Julie Naturally
Your kids will love learning the part of plants with these ideas. They’ll understand plant ID, edible vs. inedible, and more!
7 Ways to Encourage Summer Reading from Heart and Soul Homeschooling
Here are creative ideas to encourage your kids to continue to read all summer long.
Budget-Friendly Summer Fun (for you and the kids!) from Hope In The Chaos
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have some fun this summer! Thrifty moms will love these ideas.
Homeschool Summer Bucket List from Whole Child Homeschool
Even if you can’t travel like normal, this printable Summer Bucket List includes 12 fun and mostly free educational activities that you can do at home.
Life Skills Mega List for Kids from Stand Up, Reach Out
Kids need to learn life skills like mapping, cooking, communication, problem-solving, and more! And the summer is a great time to catch up on these skills.
Use Morning Time to Beat the Summer Slide! from Everyday Graces Homeschool
Your kids won’t be crying “I’m bored!” this summer if you use this simple solution to prevent the “summer slide.”
Summer Music Lessons for Holidays & Special Days from Music in Our Homeschool
Take advantage of holidays and special days this summer with 12 music lessons in the “Summer Music Lessons for Holidays & Special Days” online course.
Summer Read Alouds for Kids from Simple Living Mama
Here’s some inspiration for your summer read-aloud list.
Insect & Bug Activities for Kids from My Joy-Filled Life
Summer is the perfect time to learn about the world of bugs and insects! Here are some activity and craft ideas to add to your summer list.
Summer Slide Activities for All Ages from The Homeschool Café
This Summer Activity Pack is filled with games, treasure hunts, worksheets and more for reading, writing, math and critical thinking.
25 Cheap & Easy Summer Meals for Families from Orison Orchards
Don’t even turn the stove on to create these delicious, cheap and easy summer meals.
How to Take Inexpensive Road Trips with a Large Family from With the Huddlestons
Looking to get out and about with your family without sacrificing your family’s savings? Check out these tips for taking inexpensive road trips, especially with a large family!
6 Summer Family Activities to Keep Learning Fun from This Bit of Life
You can have fun this summer while learning together! Here are 6 summer family activities to keep learning fun.
Happy Summer Learning!
