During the summer, I like to keep my kids busy with summer learning activities for kids that they ordinarily do not do during the year.
Because I work from home, often we don’t get to do many fun hands-on activities throughout the year.
I like to give them summer educational activities to keep their skills up through the summer!
You’ll also want to check out our complete list of summer STEM activities for kids.
Summer Learning Activities for Kids!
Since I love books and I love science, you’ll find an amazing round-up of STEM thematic units for both of those topics below!
As a bonus, I’ve included 4 preschool activities for summer as well!
Hands-on Summer Science Activities
Kids will love these fun summer projects with an educational twist!
Super-Easy Science Learning Activities for Summer
Love science activities but hate set-up and hunting down hard-to-find supplies? Then these cool science projects are for you!
Teach your kids the proper scientific method using this fun tutorial!
Try making the laminar flow with a balloon experiment!
Kids will be impressed with the iodine and vitamin C experiment.
I love how this walking rainbow science project teaches kids both color mixing and some surface tension activities!
Here is a simple way to turn a nature walk into a scientific discovery zone.
Check out this tutorial for how to create a rubber egg. It takes a little longer, since it takes about 2 days to prepare, but it is super-cool and only takes ingredients you have in the kitchen.
Make summer beach slime that uses real sand!
With just shaving cream and food coloring, you can learn how clouds work and why rain falls!
Confession, this science experiment is mainly for me, because I love butter, but children will be fascinated by learning how to transform cream into butter. We always have cream in the house for my coffee, so we could make this experiment today!
Learn about static electricity with just two simple materials. It’s like magic!
It is so easy and super fun! Kids can quickly see how liquid density works with this fun and simple project that uses basic kitchen supplies!
Summer-themed Activities for Preschoolers
It can be difficult to do educational activities with toddlers and preschoolers if they are as active as my children! These activities are simple, effective, and take little set-up.
Learn about the life cycle of a bee with this fun 3D craft!
Kids can learn a lot about viscosity and the scientific method with our homemade glitter jars! They require only a few ingredients you probably already have on hand.
Preschoolers love discovery bottles, and they will have endless fun playing with this jellyfish discovery bottle.
I love this DIY Shape Sorter. I love that she takes craft odds and ends and turns it into something educational! I know Bo would play with this for quite some time.
A preschooler will absolutely go nuts over these DIY sensory boards! I love how you can customize them to use whatever odds and ends you have lying around the house.
Hands-on Reading Activities for Summer
Do your kids have to read in the summer? Maybe you’ve joined up with a summer reading book at your local library or somewhere else.
This amazing button math game brings the book Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons to life!
If your kids love The Magic Tree House series as much as my kids do, then you will love this tutorial on how to build your own magic tree house.
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel was one of my favorite books as a child. Here is a collection of several fun activities to go along with the book.
If you love Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, then you will love these fun hands-on, edible activities! My favorite is the chocolate waterfall.
What are your favorite summer educational activities?
