Summer is a great time to keep kids actively learning by having them participate in fun, educational activities. Check out this awesome list of educational websites for families by the Georgia Department of Education. I have also provided some great activities below in the areas of science, English, social studies and math that you and your little one can do together that will make learning fun!

Science

Build a Garden:  Building a garden in your backyard is a great way to teach your child about biology, patience and making observations.  Once you have planted your seeds, have your child write down their observations and how they take care of their plant each day in an observation notebook. Add some math by having them measure the growth of their plants and recording this as well. The easiest type of garden to make is a container garden.  There are tons of instructions on how to make them. Check out how to make a simple turtle herb planter using fruit cup containers from Reading Confetti.

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Sticky Ice: Using ice, a string and salt, you can make a simple piece of string pick up a cube of ice.  Have your children take turns picking up the ice with the string. Young children will be astonished and want to know how a simple piece of string can pick up the ice. Don’t worry, we have the complete instructions, as well as the explanation listed right here!  If your child is still adamant about more information, both of you can investigate together to perfect their research skills.

Social Studies

Map It: If you are planning on traveling during the summer, you can sharpen your child’s map skills by having them find your destination on a map or globe. If you are taking a road trip, help them navigate or map out the route to your destination. To include a cultural lesson, look up regional practices, beliefs and local cuisines before visiting.

Game Time:  Creating games can also provide lots of fun and helps children remember important information in history.  Create bingo games using individuals, events and famous quotes as square selections or questions. You can also create a charades game by having students choose the same categories listed above from a hat and making them draw them on a board without speaking.  Your family will have tons of fun trying to figure out what your children are trying to describe in their picture.

English

Finger Puppets:  It is always important to keep children reading during the summer.  Why not take it further by having them become active during the process?  Help your children create finger puppets that represent the characters in a book they are reading.  You can take this activity even further by helping them write their own stories and create finger puppets representing their characters.

Home Theater:  Older children that read chapter books can write a one act play based on a book they are reading.  Once they have finished writing their act, have them distribute roles to the rest of the members in your family.  Then, using chairs, sheets or whatever you have in your house, create a stage that allows your family to show off their thespian skills and act out your child’s one of a kind masterpiece.

Math

Cooking: Having children help you cook in the kitchen can help sharpen measurement skills as well as fraction conversion.  Making homemade pizza or a cake can best incorporate both skills simultaneously.  You can even increase the fun by recording your very own family cooking show.  Check out this cute show on baking a cake by The Cookin’ Kid’s Channel.

Card Games: Playing games with cards are fun ways to teach different math concepts.  From addition to multiplication, kids can engage in playing games and learning.  In addition, younger children can learn how to categorize and sort cards by color, suit and number.

If you have any great summer learning activities or ideas let us know by leaving a comment below!