Wondering what to do with your kids in the summer? Today I’m sharing 25 wonderful ideas to keep the kids engaged during the summer break. I tried to veer away from the usual list because in our family beach visits, sandcastles, theme parks are synonymous with summer. This list was generated with elementary aged kids in mind and is meant to use a reference for planning out summer days. I do believe in kids having unstructured time for free play so imagination can soar. So here’s the Summer Bucket List for 2017.
SUMMER BUCKET LIST
- Join a summer reading program
- Read 2 chapter books
- Work on Penmanship
- Review basic math facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication and/or division)
- Master skip counting
- Start a new hobby
- Stargaze and locate constellations
- Camp in your backyard
- Bike ride through a scenic trail
- Go on a nature walk
- Collect and identify different leaves
- Birdwatch
- Visit a local historical site
- Visit a science museum
- Visit a waterfall
- Grow a garden
- Make ice cream
- Make marshmallows
- Make a kite
- Make a lego robot
- Invent a board game
- Conduct a science project
- Have a lemonade stand
- Raise money for charity
- Make a meal for someone
HIT THE BOOKS/ACADEMICS
Even though school is out, it does not mean kids should get a complete break from learning. Summer should be used to review and refresh skills. This will enable the child to avoid the “brain drain” and be ready to learn new skills in September. Not saying that they have to spend the whole day doing school work. Reading for 20 minutes and working on math for 20 minutes daily is all that’s needed. Writing can be done in a journal at least 3 times a week.
OUT AND ABOUT
Summer is the time to be outdoors and enjoy nature. It’s also the best time to start a new hobby. Collecting rocks, seashells, preserving leaves or flowers are some ideas. Stargazing is a such a fun activity that my 7-year-old loves to do. There are so many apps available nowadays that identifies different constellations. Birdwatching is another perfect summer activity. We recently got a little pamphlet that describes local birds which have come in handy when we birdwatch. Field trips to museums and historical sites in towns are also fun to do.
GET CREATIVE
The next set of the list is all about making homemade items like marshmallows and ice cream. Making marshmallows and camping in the backyard is something we are looking forward to 🙂 My boys love to fly kites, so this summer we are going to make kites.
A big goal we have this summer is to raise money for a ministry. Having the heart to help others is an attribute that I’d like to keep nurturing in my boys. So we’re planning on achieving this by having a lemonade stand. Making a meal for someone needy in church or in the community is a great experience for a child to be part of.
Overall, Summer is mainly about making wonderful memories, spending time with family and loved ones, and exploring nature!
