Summertime is a great opportunity for kids to relax and have fun, but it can also be a time when they fall behind in school. If you’re stressing out over having to create a structured routine that interrupts sprinkler play and sleep in days, don’t worry! You really don’t have to do all of that!
There are plenty of simple things you can do to help your kindergartner stay sharp over the summer break. Fun, easy ways to incorporate skill refreshers into your summer rhythm.
Finding a Summer Learning Rhythm
As any parent knows, summer can be a challenging time to keep kids engaged in learning. With the warmer weather and longer days, it’s easy for kids to get distracted and forget what they’ve learned during the school year.
1. Read Together Every Day
With the warmer weather and longer days, it’s easy for kids to get distracted and forget what they’ve learned during the school year. However, one way to help combat the “summer learning slide” is to read together with your child daily.
This is especially true for early learners who are still building the foundations of reading. By reading together, you can help your child stay engaged and excited about learning. And, best of all, it’s a great opportunity to bond as a family.
We love habit trackers in our homeschool. And reading logs are the easiest straightforward way to help your children learn to be goal-oriented.
2. Create a Target List of Books Together
To get started, you can create a list of books you’re hoping to read together over the summer. You can reserve them online or let your child choose their favorites from the library.
On the flip side, you can keep a summer book log and create a goal with a prize for the end of summer. Our library actually has one that results in a free end-of-summer party at the summer pool.
Even if your local library doesn’t do the same, you can easily create your own summer reading challenge based on either a number of books or minutes read for the summer.
3. Take Audio Books on the Summer Road Trips
Mastering the English language isn’t only about being able to read it. Find some digital books for kids and take those on the road for family vacations.
This is also a great activity for quiet time if you’re a working parent struggling with balancing summer and your professional commitments.
4. Include Structured Learning Time
You can also create a theme for your reading around a particular subject or interest that you deep dive into. Do you have a dinosaur crazy kid? Make it a goal together to read 50 dinosaur stories over the summer. Mermaids anyone? There are about a gazillion mermaid series.
Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean that you have to pause all of the learning. We actually homeschool year-round…sort of. Our summer learning schedule is more of a rhythm than an actual schedule. And we focus on not losing skills rather than getting challenged by new ones.
Use our pre-built summer-themed worksheets to launch easy summertime learning rabbit trails.
5. Discover a New Online Read-Aloud Series
There are some fantastic read-aloud series on YouTube if you can’t get to the library storytime. My kiddo is currently obsessed with biographies (as evidenced by our growing collection of biographical unit studies). So we’ve become HUGE Xavier Riddle fans. The author of the book series has a fantastic and fun read-aloud series to accompany the books.
Another favorite of ours? The Stories from Space series where the astronauts float around in space reading a picture book.
6. Create an Outdoor Learning Space
If your early learners are full of energy and tend to get bored easily, keep them engaged in their learning by incorporating outdoor activities. Chalk is a great way to encourage kids to get outside and play while still practicing their writing skills.
Alternatively, try counting rocks and sticks together to work on number recognition and promote fine motor skills.
7. Get Messy Learning Outdoor Science
If you’re feeling really adventurous, try some messy outdoor science experiments!
There are all sorts of fun activities you can do, like doing tree studies or exploring the world of bugs. You can create mud kitchens, explore messy chemical reactions with soda, or dive into the theory of force through water energy.
They don’t have to know the fun they’re having is actually learning. Check out our Summer Learning Activities Pinterest board to get inspiration for outdoor summer learning.
Whatever you choose to do, your kindergartners are sure to love getting outdoors and learning through hands-on play.
8. Practice Math and Reading Skills Through Everyday Activities
Tying into that tip above, learning doesn’t have to be – and shouldn’t be – formal during the summer. Instead, find fun low-key ways to incorporate learning into your every day.
Use story starters to create fun low-pressure writing activities. Have your kids keep a camping or summer activitives journal. Learn new activities that involve reading and writing but are low-pressure. Get a kid’s camera and have them find things that have certain beginning sounds.
Create picnics and tea parties for stuffed animals and read them stories. Bake cookies and count the chocolate chips as they go in. Write letters in the sand, and take a few fun worksheet activities to the beach or the yard.
If you’re intentional, there are nearly endless possibilities for including learning in a very Montessori type style over the summer.
9. Plan Family Outings That Incorporate Learning
Summer is an excellent time to visit state parks, go on a nature hike led by a ranger, visit a kid’s or art museum, or more. Often, these places incorporate a lot of learning through play. Take advantage of the science museum reciprocity agreements if you have memberships to any museums or zoos.
The city park offers a free source for an outdoor scavenger hunt. Local libraries have air conditioning which is a concern for those of us in the south. Look around for discounted city activity passes during the summer.
Sure, the amusement parks are thrilling, but chances are you’ll find that the educational destinations incorporate a more relaxed and less expensive option for family fun throughout the summertime.
10. Create Learning Themes Through Crafts and Hands-On Projects
Just because summer learning is less formal doesn’t mean you can’t have fun themes. Investigate the life cycle of a butterfly, a watermelon, or a strawberry. You can count seeds, read reports, and have a delicious snack.
Incorporate snacks and hands-on dramatic play as you pretend to farm. Compare berry sizes and more with fun and easy math activities.
Summer Learning Can be Fun
It’s easy to forget about the summer learning slide when the weather is so nice, but with a little bit of effort, you can keep your kids learning all summer long.
By setting simple reading goals, spending time outside, and visiting educational destinations, you can make sure that everyone in the family has a fun and educational summer.
Check out our store for summer-themed resources and follow our Pinterest board for inspiration.
Don’t Forget to Save These Summer Learning Activities for Later
