I’ve recently been browsing for activities to do in the summer with kids. And I’ve found TONS of good lists. Here they are:
25 Activities to Keep Kids’ Brains Active in Summer by Education World
At Home Learning Activities for School-Age Children by Bright Horizons
Summer Learning by Family Education
20 Fun and Educational Summer Activities for Kids by Rusty & Rosy Reading
Say No to Summer Brain Drain: 20 Educational Activities for Kids by Green Eggs &
20 Creative Summer Crafts and Activities for Kids by Babble (Courtesy of Disney)
14 Cheap Summer Activities for Kids by Frugal Dad
101 Fun Things to Do in the Summer by Parenting Magazine
40 Free (Or Nearly Free) Summer Activities for Kids by Centsible Life
30 Summer Activities for Kids by Lil’ Luna
While going through our supplies closet, I found a big roll of banner paper. I wasn’t sure how to use it, but I knew it had to possess some serious potential for creativity. I spread it out on the ground and had each kid sit down next to it like they were at a big party table. Then I had them draw the party they were at. The girls instantly started drawing cakes and party hats, while the boys got to work making laser tag scenes (since they were “at a laser tag birthday.”) Since the paper was so long and each kid had plenty of paper, they drew for quite a while! Something about drawing on long paper is just cooler than drawing on regular paper I guess.
Here’s one teacher’s genius idea for literacy centers:
She keeps the signs in a file so she can reuse them if she wants. I love her idea to stamp spelling words in your journal. And she uses the roll-a-word from this post. Overall, this is a great option if you’re looking for a quick, easy way to do centers.
Students always like telling someone about themselves. Here’s a bulletin board idea that will do just that. Click here to see my Back To school Bus Bulletin Board (similar idea). First, have the students make their truck (directions on the printable itself and below).
Click here for the free printable PDF: Just Keep Truckin’ Bulletin Board
Decorate your truck according to these directions:
Once all the students finish, have each student present their truck to the rest of the class. If your class is large, limit each student to 1 minute to share or allow students to only share their truck with those near them. Then put each truck up on a bulletin board and call it something clever (“Just Keep Truckin’!”, “Travelling Down the Road to Success”, or something…).
A few weeks ago, I was working with kindergartners and needed to come up with something to entertain them for about 30 minutes to buy the other teacher some time to deal with a situation. Here’s what I whipped up: Bingo!
I helped the kids draw squares on a blank piece of paper. Then I instructed them to draw (one at a time) various simple objects. “Hold up a yellow crayon. Now choose any square and draw a yellow banana.” This allowed me to review colors with them, while allowing for structured creativity. When the kids finished drawing the assigned picture, I’d have them point to something round, something flat, something shiny, etc. to keep everyone busy while the other kids finished. In previous similar activities, some of the kids would forget what their picture was of, so as a review, I asked them to point to specific pictures after drawing a few new ones. If I had wanted to review numbers, letters, etc. I could have asked them to draw a green six, or a red letter J, but I only thought of that after the fact.
We played bingo by drawing an X through the box once we played it. The bingo part of the game was a bit trickier than making the board, but everyone seemed to have a good time anyway.
Many parents want a summer work packet for their student(s) so they don’t forget everything they learned the previous year. There’s validity in this (as any teacher can tell you!). Here are some packets for you to browse and find the one that fits your student(s) best:
This is hands down the cutest Father’s Day card… and it’s so easy, you’ll flip. In this tutorial, I used regular construction paper (9″ x 12″), but if you prefer more space to write inside the card, use the double size 11″ X 17″ paper. You need 1 piece for the shirt (green paper in the photos) and some small scraps for a tie and pocket (yellow and brown in the photos). You’ll also need scissors and glue (Elmer’s bottled glue or glue stick). I’ve seen really cute ones with decorated ties or ties cut out of fabric also. But whatever you do, make sure Dad knows you love him. That’s the point of Father’s Day after all. So without further ado, here’s the tutorial:
Fold your construction paper in half (“hamburger style” as kids always say). Then make 2 cuts in it about 1.5 or 2 inches below the fold. Don’t cut all the way across; leave the middle 1/3 of the width of the paper untouched.
Fold the newly created tabs diagonally towards the bottom (open edged of paper). They should meet or overlap a little bit. If it looks like a mens’ shirt collar, you’re on the right track. Then decorate it! Add a tie, pocket, buttons, pens, pen protector… whatever describes your card recipient.
After the glue dries, gently open the card from the bottom and write your message. Be gentle with the collar area, since it’s the most fragile part of the card.
Here are some ideas for a more educational twist on this craft:
Squarehead Teachers 