Summer Homeschool: 10 FUN Ideas to Keep Learning All Year Long

Some would call what we do in the summer “homeschool lite.” Between camp and the pool, we keep learning going in fun ways that look less like homeschool and more like having fun. But trying to keep kids learning during the summer months can be a challenge. Try these ten ways to motivate kids to learn this summer and stay on track for the next school year!

Should we homeschool this summer?

Ah, the summer slide. Do you know it? You may have experienced it – if not by this name then by another. It’s the idea that three months of lazing around in the summer causes kids to lose what they learned in the previous academic year. As a former teacher, I can tell you – the summer slide is real. 

Sometimes the fear of the summer slide tempts homeschool parents to homeschool longer into the summer months and start earlier. Or just keep chugging through curriculum all summer long. But to us, summer means pool time, popsicles, catching fireflies, and sleeping late! I don’t want to lose that summertime feeling – we all need a break.

Continuing school straight through the summer is not an option. For our family, summer is a much needed respite from our regular routine. A refresher. Chugging straight through with all our regular curriculum and routines would mean certain burnout for me.

We need an alternative to summer school that kids will enjoy AND get the math and literacy practice they need not to slide back. Check out these 10 homeschool “LITE” activities for summer and save yourself the frustration of repeating the last quarter of this year in September!

10 Homeschool “LITE” Ideas for Summer

1. Look for Local Learning Opportunities

You are not the only one trying to stop the Summer Slide! Check your local area for learning opportunities all summer long.

• Library classes or read alouds
• Summer reading challenges
• Hands-on learning at a children’s museum
• Classes at your local community center
• Children’s classes at a local art museum
• Science-in-nature classes at a local park

Check out your local newspaper, local television station websites, or your city’s community center for a list of what’s going on! Many places offer free or inexpensive classes or special field trips for the day.

Does your library offer a summer reading challenge? If not, create your own with our summer printables and reading challenge packet!

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2. Take a Field Trip

Summer is a great time to take trips as a family. Whether you drive across the country visiting important landmarks or you take a nature hike in your own community. Field trips are great for motivating kids to learn. 

• Visit a new-to-you state or national park
• Check out a Presidential Library virtually or in person
• Drive to the next city to visit museums you usually wouldn’t have time for
• Ask about behind-the-scenes tours of your local grocery stores, restaurants, factories, and recycling plants!

You can learn so much on a field trip, but trying to make time for everything can be exhausting during the school year. Make an educational field trip the big adventure for your week.

Check out our big list of field trip ideas here.

3. Get Creative with Summer Homeschool

Art and music are the subjects that tend to get neglected (or outsourced) in our homeschool. Summer is the perfect time to make up for it!

Ditch the workbooks and grab some art supplies! 

• Paint, draw, or color the landmarks you’ve seen or places you’ve visited on your field trips
• Write a song about a historic figure
• Illustrate a comic book about an adventure you had as a family
• Be inspired by an art museum trip or book and create your own art work
• Check out famous abstract action painters and make your own messy art!

4. Take Homeschool Outdoors this Summer

Why sit inside when it’s sunny outside? Just a change of scenery can inspire interest and motivate kids to learn.

A few outdoor learning opportunities:

• Observe butterflies and ants
• Sit in the grass for independent reading time
• Stare at the stars while learning astronomy
• Have a poetry picnic (or another educational theme)
• Practice math or sight words with sidewalk chalk

Or just listen to audio books while you dig in the dirt, like my son does!

5. Learn in the Kitchen

Is it me, or are you kids suddenly, voraciously hungry in the summer?

I don’t know if it’s the heat or maybe they are all growing at once. Harness that hunger and take learning into the kitchen. They will love practicing reading and math when the end-game is a snack!

• Read a recipe
• Measure ingredients
• Try new foods from regions around the world
• Learn about healthy foods and ingredients

6. Self-Guided Learning

Checking up on school work and too much structure can stress some kids out during the summer months. Prepare for summer learning by letting kids choose their own learning subjects and lessons. 

• Let them choose all their own books at the library
• Try a new unit study about what your child wants to learn or build your own
• Create your own DIY workbook for the summer all about their favorite things

Just asking your children for input about what they want to learn about can motivate them!

7. Add in Screen Time

While most parents are trying to cut back on screen time, there are some programs out there that will motivate kids to learn and prevent the summer slide! Try a free trial or stack a few new apps on your computer or tablet. You might find one that you love. 

Our favorites online programs:

• Epic! Free books online – books and read alouds (preschool – 12 years)
• Reading Eggs & Math Seeds – fun, interactive games for language arts (ages 3-14)
• Smartick Math – 15 minute math lessons that feel like games (ages 4-14)
• Outschool – a variety of virtual classes with an online teacher (all ages)
• Night Zookeeper – writing and grammar (ages 6+)
• Starfall (preschool – 2nd grade)

8. Hands on Learning

Hands-on experiences makes learning fun for little ones, but we often forget that big kids love to learn with hands-on fun, too! Try some fun, hands-on summer STEM activities or create learning opportunities easily at home – just think BIGGER!

Instead of...	Try...
Writing words or sentences on paper...	Writing them on the sidewalk.
Completing a math worksheet...	Use stones or sticks in the yard as manipulatives.
Practicing counting or word recognition in a workbook...	Practice on a hopscotch board.
Learning about nature from a book...	Start your own garden.

If making up your own summer homeschool learning activities isn’t your style, consider a short-term subscription box purchase. These boxes come with everything you need for an afternoon (or longer) of fun and learning. Our personal recommendations:

• Think Outside Boxes – a nature-based activity box that encourages hands-on learning in the great outdoors
• MEL Science – hands on STEM kits for kids that will have little engineers building their own special contraptions
• Atlas Crate – a subscription box that will take your kids around the world as they learn about culture, history, and geography
• Kiwi Crate – a STEM kit that encourages kids to really dig into a variety of different science topics in a hands-on way

9. Switch Roles

Kids love when they get to be the leader, especially if they can teach a parent something new. Switch teacher and student roles and let the kids teach you. Give kids a few days to research their topic and create a lesson plan, and then it’s your turn to sit and listen!

10. Take a Break

Don’t panic! A short break is not going to cause your child to slide back academically. When nothing seems to get them going, take a few days or weeks off to rest. Settle into a summer routine. Pick up a few books to read for pleasure – for yourself and your kids!

You might notice that after just a short time your child will begin to get bored and start looking for learning opportunities once again. Pick up on that! You might be surprised at how quickly your child will be ready to “do school” again after a break.

The key to keeping kids engaged in learning during the summer is thinking outside the box. Get creative, try new things, and explore your community for opportunities to learn!

More summertime ideas from The Homeschool Resource Room
Creating a Summer Schedule for Kids +5 Free Printables
15 FUN Summer STEM Activities!
Why have a nature classroom?
Books about Nature for Kids: 50+ Recommendations for all Ages!