Summer Homeschool Ideas for Learning and Play
Summer is here! If you’re looking for fun new ways to keep the learning going this Summer, I’ve got you covered. We have put together lots of fun summer homeschool ideas and printables to bring learning to life even when it’s hot outside.
No matter what your summer homeschool schedule, discover my seasonal homeschool plans and ideas for learning through play. Then, grab some printable homeschool ideas and mini-unit studies that are perfect for summer learning. I’ve got lots of great activities for strewing, carschooling, and even learning in the pool!
Seasonal Homeschool Plans
We’ve adopted a year-round homeschool approach that lets us increase retention and cultivate a learning lifestyle all year long. In the summer months, we slow down and enjoy more time outdoors. Learning continues but with a whole lot of fun!
It can be really cool to change up your homeschool lesson plans for the summer months to take advantage of the natural rhythm of the season. Fun themes that take advantage of the warmer weather and your vacation plans can be a big win for everyone. Don’t be afraid to adapt your summer lesson plans to fit your child’s interests and curiosities this year.
After all, summer brings so many amazing opportunities to learn and grow! There are so many cool field trips to take, outdoor adventures to find, and skills to learn.
Summer Homeschool Ideas For Learning And Fun
Yes, you can homeschool through the summer months. Discover some of our favorite summer homeschool ideas for learning and having fun below.
Check out these summer printable activities that are perfect for strewing or carschooling this year. These printables will work for a variety of ages and they’re perfect for encouraging fine motor skills practice, as well as literacy and numeracy development.
Strewing This Summer
Summer is also the perfect season for strewing! Strewing is all about creating invitations for your homeschooler to engage with an item, a book, or an activity independently. We use strewing in the mornings to begin our homeschool day.
Strewing is a low-pressure way to add learning fun to your relaxed summer homeschool plans this year. It’s also a really great way to explore interest-led learning! Get my Guide to Strewing for some ideas on how to get started and check out some of my favorite summer strewing items below.
Books for Summer Strewing
Books are another easy item to use when strewing. I love to use big colorful books with interesting illustrations or photographs and lots of great facts. Check out some of my favorite summer books for strewing below.
Games with Fun Summer Themes
Strewing games is another favorite here at The Waldock Way. We love playing games together, but sometimes strewing games Emily can engage with independently works out really well for all of us. One player logic games are great for strewing.
Discover The Best Single Player Games for Your Homeschool strewing activities this year. Then, check out some of our favorite games with summer themes to strew.
Summer Geoboards
Summer Geoboard printables combine with a geoboard and a bag of rubber bands for summer learning and play. Children can create and learn about lots of shapes while developing their hand muscles, fine motor skills, spatial abilities, and early math skills. This bundle includes fun summer shapes like a pineapple and a sailboat.
Printable Summer Pattern Blocks
My printable Summer Pattern Blocks are another fun way to learn through play. I’ve got lots of different color options and fun shapes like a sandcastle, a sunshine, and a flower. Pattern blocks help homeschoolers learn about important early math concepts like congruence, symmetry, patterns, and fractions.
Summer Activity Bundle
Don’t miss my Printable Summer Activity Bundle. It’s the perfect no-prep activity to take along when you travel this summer. There’s an activity planner for moms, adorable summer coloring pages, and even a fun Summer Bucket List page for the whole family!
Summer Building Block Templates
Summer Building Block Templates are perfect for kids who like building with LEGO bricks. These templates will encourage reluctant homeschoolers to get creative as they build popsicles, watermelons, and sunglasses. Plus, they’ll be developing STEM skills too!
Summer Reading Challenge
Finally, I’ve added a printable Summer Reading Challenge. Use this to keep your homeschoolers reading great books all summer long. This challenge is “bingo board style” so kids can fill in all their favorite genres. It’s a great way to encourage kids to try reading new things this summer.
Learning at Theme Parks
There’s a lot you can learn at an amusement park with your homeschooler. Check out how we keep the learning going even at Disney in my How To Learn at Disney and Have a Blast article.
Roller coasters make great lessons in physics. There’s lots of math to do when it comes to calculating elapsed time and budgeting for souvenirs. Plus, tons of signs to read!
Book and a Movie
We love movies! Combining a great book with a movie is always a fun way to learn. First, we read the book and then we watch the film together as a family. Check out some of our favorites in my list of 50 Awesome Book & Movie Combinations.
Diving into Marine Biology
If you’re planning a trip to the beach, or if you live near the ocean, you’ll definitely want to check out our Ocean Unit Study. This curriculum comes with lots of great information about the animals that live in the ocean, a famous oceanographer, ocean conservation, and more. Get your homeschoolers even more excited about the family beach vacation and squeeze in some extra learning as you travel to the ocean with this science unit study that’s perfect for summer.
Pool School
Get all the details on how we homeschool in the pool all summer long! It’s one of our Weird Ways to Homeschool that Really Works. I’ll even share our essential floating card table and a link so you can play games as you float around this summer too.
What’s your favorite subject to study during the spring months? Do you have a wonderful springtime homeschool idea for learning or play that I didn’t mention? Share your favorite Ideas in the comments. I can’t wait to read them!