Summertime should provide opportunities to play in the water, climb trees, snuggle in bed with books, and explore nature. As always, keep your family learning projects joyful, active, meaningful, and real. Keep the love of learning alive during the summer. Consider discussing the following ideas with your children:
What Do I Do Now That Summer is Here?
- Sleep outside under the stars. Recite star poems and sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.
- Ask your parents to tell you stories about what they did during summers when they were children.
- Teach someone younger how to say several Mother Goose rhymes. Start with: Hey Diddle, Diddle; 1,2, Buckle My Shoe;and Little Miss Muffet.
- Ask your parents for chalk. Draw pictures on the sidewalk. Take a picture of your chalk creation and you.
- Write a letter and draw pictures about your summer adventures for your teacher, grandparents, or a friend.
- Ask your family to take pictures of the activities you do this summer. Make a special book with photos and write captions to explain what’s happening in each picture.
- Go to the library and check out books about your favorite animal. See what you can learn. Become an expert! Write about the animal and draw pictures to make your own book. (What do you know about the green sea turtle?)
- Collect many kinds of leaves in your neighborhood. Learn their names and identify their trees. How many different ones can you find? Read a book about trees. Tell someone what you are learning about trees and their leaves.
- Make a rock collection: keep the rocks inside used egg cartons. Geologists study rocks.
- Help your Mom or Dad make a salad or dessert. (We have included some recipes.)
- Enjoy reading your I Can Read Poetry Notebook to family members. Which are your 5 favorite poems and songs? Mark them.
- Put on a puppet show for your family or the neighborhood children — and parents.
- Blow bubbles. Watch them float and pop.
- Sing family songs. Create a family songbook to read and sing from.
- Eat ice cream. Try new flavors. Which is your favorite and why?
- Keep track of all the birds you see in your backyard or the neighborhood. Talk to your parents about them. Learn bird names and different bird calls. Check out bird books from the library. Ornithologists study birds.
- Take a “flower walk.” Draw pictures of flowers that you notice. See if some adult friend can help you name them and label your pictures – this could even become a book!
- Help plant a garden. Pull weeds and watch the plants grow. Write about your observations in a garden journal.
- Play ball-catching games. Learn to kick, bounce, and throw many kinds of balls.
- Jump rope, skip, handjive and dance every day – or at least every other day.
- Clean out your bedroom and find old toys and clothes to donate to a homeless shelter.
- Help your family create an art and writing center for you.
- Write “Thank you” notes and “I love you” cards. Mail them to Aunties and Grandpas. Give them to other people you know.
- Keep a journal of all the books you and your family read together. Draw a picture of your favorite character and write about why you like each book.
- See how many different fruit and vegetables you can eat over the summer. Learn about the nutrients they provide. Make a list!
- Help your family make a grocery list. Go shopping and check off each item as you find them.
- Teach The ABC Phonics: Sing, Sign, and Read! song to someone in your family or neighborhood.
- Read joke books. Tell jokes to your family and friends.
- Take walks and look at the stars. Which constellations can you find: Orion? The Big Dipper? Astrologers study the sky.
- Find a cozy reading nook somewhere in your home. Enjoy reading and rereading some favorite books there every day.
- Draw pictures and write a message to your Mom or Dad every day. They will write you back!
- Make up a song about summer. Write it down. Sing it for your family.
- When you go to the library select new science books for your family to read together. (See page of Favorite Science Books. Keep an ongoing list of all the books you read and reread.)
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© 2024 Nellie Edge Resources, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission prohibited.
Teacher Resources
For FREE Nellie Edge resources visit our TPT store
For questions, email info@nellieedge.com
See our Latest Weekly Focus Blogs
Explore the Poetry of Falling Leaves
Tips for Making Class Books
We Love Lists
Creating Schools Worthy of Our Children
1580 Rio Vista Way S., Salem, OR 97302 | 503-910-0364
© 2024 Nellie Edge Resources, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission prohibited.
