I discovered the things I love as an adult during long summers as a child. I want my children to experience that same freedom! Sometimes kids want or need more structure than that, though, so today I am sharing some of my favorite fun educational activities for kids. Add these to your summer bucket list and you won’t have to worry at all about summer slide! These are all hands-on, open-ended activities for kids. I believe that children learn best when they are given opportunities for self-directed exploration. And please DO make sure your children spend plenty of time “just playing” this summer! Some of these activities can even be done at the playground!
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Fun Educational Activities to Beat the Summer Slide
Kids love to learn! Today I am sharing some fabulous art, engineering, geography, history, literacy, math, music, science, and world culture activities that will keep your kids learning while having fun all summer long.
Fun Art Activities for Kids
These art activities are always a hit with my kids:
Here are some great art resources to try with your kids:
- Extraordinaires Design Studio
- Pick and Draw
- Tangle Art & Drawing Games for Kids
- Famous Artists Sticker Book
- Children’s Book of Art
- 13 Art Techniques Children Should Know
- 13 Artists Children Should Know
- Art Lab for Kids
- Beautiful Oops
Fun Engineering Activities for Kids
These engineering activities are always a hit with my kids:
- Bridge Building Challenge
- Build a House for the Three Little Pigs
- Build a Tall Tower
- Simple DIY cardboard see-saw
Here are some great engineering resources to try with your kids:
- Engino Simple Machines
- LEGO Chain Reactions
- Roominate Amusement Park Kit
- LEGO Education Simple And Motorized Mechanisms Base Set
- K’NEX Education: Amusement Park Experience
- LEGO Technic Sets
- The New Way Things Work
- A great paper airplane book
- How Things Work Encylopedia
Fun Geography Activities for Kids
These geography activities are always a hit with my kids:
- Make a Play-Doh Map
- Use Puzzles to Explore the World
- Using Coins to Explore the World
- Felt Map of the World
Here are some great geography resources to try with your kids:
Fun History Activities for Kids
These history activities are always a hit with my kids:
- Visit a Living History Site. If you can make it to Old Sturbridge Village, that is our all-time favorite.
- Visit a Renaissance Faire – be sure to check the kid-friendliness first, since these can get pretty suggestive.
- Make and Write with a Quill Pen
- Washington and Lincoln Presidents Craft
- Learn about Mothers Who Changed the World
- California Gold Rush History for Kids
- Learn about Charley Parkhurst
Here are some great history resources to try with your kids:
Fun Literacy Activities for Kids
These literacy activities are always a hit with my kids:
Here are some great literacy resources to try with your kids:
Fun Math Activities for Kids
These math activities are always a hit with my kids:
Here are some great math resources to try with your kids:
Fun Music Activities for Kids
These music activities are always a hit with my kids:
- Improvise on the piano – you don’t have to be a pianist to do this!
- Share and dance to favorite songs
- Search for different instruments on YouTube and learn how they sound
Here are some great music resources to try with your kids:
- Classical Music Sticker Book
- Children’s Book of Music
- Smithsonian Music: The Definitive Visual History
Fun Science Activities for Kids
These science activities are always a hit with my kids:
- Visit a Science Museum
- Fun Ways to Learn about Weights and Measures
- California Redwood Tree Facts
- Sun-Upcycled Crayons
- Study Rocks
- Moon Exploration
- Camouflage Hunt
- Plants and Sunlight Experiment
Here are some great science resources to try with your kids:
Fun World Culture Activities for Kids
These world culture activities are always a hit with my kids:
- Ten Tips for Raising Globally Aware Children
- World Culture for Kids Series
- Map Activities to Encourage Global Thinking
Here are some great world culture resources to try with your kids:
- The Lonely Planet Kids Travel Book: Mind-Blowing Stuff on Every Country in the World
- A Life Like Mine: How Children Live Around the World
- Children Just Like Me: A Unique Celebration of Children Around the World
Still worried about the summer slide? Check out these posts from my friends:
- Integrating Science and Literacy into your Summer from Share It! Science News
- Why I am Not Worried About Summer Slide from Planet Smarty
- Having Fun to Prevent the Summer Slide from 3 Dinosaurs
- Why Boredom Is Good for Kids from Room to Play
- How to stop the summer slide with books from Thriving STEM
Do you have any favorite fun educational activities that my kids and I would enjoy this summer?
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MaryAnne lives is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
Great round up of activities. I’ll be referring to this all summer for my son!
I love that picture!
Great list of ideas.
It’s one of my all-time favorites :)
Great list! You are a natural at this homeschooling thing. ;) You could also add audio books, such as Story of the World, or Greek Myths…
My kids have surprised me by not really liking audiobooks. I listened to them constantly growing up. Maybe we will give it another go this summer…
Wow! What a fantastic collection of activities! We will definitely be coming back to do some of these this summer. Cheers.
This is a great summary of your blog :)
Thanks!
What a great list to have on hand when the boredom hits in a few weeks! My kids would enjoy several of these.