The Best Games For Learning in July

July is almost here! With it comes the heat of summer, big beautiful fireworks, cookouts, and some of the hottest days of the year.

If you’re gearing up for a Fourth of July celebration or looking to beat the heat with some indoor games, don’t miss some of our favorite games for blending learning with summer fun all month long.

Games are an easy way to encourage young minds to stay active to beat the summer learning slump. This month is filled with playful themes and celebrations to spark your child’s creativity! Celebrate July 4th, Harry Potter’s Birthday, and Shark Week to make the whole month more fun.

Between road trips, pool days, and barbecues, this month gives us the chance to slow down and enjoy more intentional fun together through gameplay. Don’t miss this printable list of July games, including suggestions for every age to enjoy this summer!

The Best Games for Every Month of the Year

We love family game night, but playing the same handful of games on repeat can quickly lead to boredom. After the fifth round of Uno, someone’s bound to ask if there’s anything different. That’s why we are always looking for fun new games to play!

Rotating our games gets everyone excited to try something new together. You don’t need to embark on an expensive quest for new games to create your own rotation. We’ll help you find the best affordable games for every month of the year with a printable list for easy shopping.

These games are perfect for family fun all summer! If you’re looking for boredom busters, road trip entertainment, or more hands-on learning excitement, this list of July games for kids of all ages has you covered. You’ll find game ideas for everyone from preschool to high school.

Curious about how you can make games a bigger part of your homeschool days? Check out our full Guide to Gameschooling. It’s packed with tips, entertaining ideas, and recommendations to help you get started right away.

July Game Suggestions for Kids of All Ages

July is one of the hottest months of the year, so I’ve included games you can use to get up and get moving indoors, games you can play in the pool, and games for our favorite July holidays. If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, Shark Week, and fireworks, you’re going to love this list!

10 Days in the USA

10 Days in the USA by Alan Moore (maker of Ticket to Ride) is an excellent choice for gameschooling in July, especially if you’re learning with our Traveling the States curriculum or celebrating Independence Day.

Kids can practice U.S. map skills, regional knowledge, and travel planning as they create routes across all 50 states. Tie it into your 4th of July lessons by discussing landmarks, history, and interesting patriotic facts related to the places in the game.

American Trivia: Family Edition

The American Trivia Family Edition from Outset Media is a fantastic way to bring history, geography, and culture into your gameschooling this July. There are questions about U.S. landmarks, events, and fun facts.

It’s a perfect game for celebrating the Fourth while developing critical thinking skills. Play as a family to spark discussions and deepen your kids’ understanding of our country’s past and present.

Chomp Champ

Our favorite event to celebrate in July is Shark Week! Emily has always had a special affinity for Shark Week because it’s near her birthday, and she loves sharks. This Shark Week, commit to adding some new games to your family’s collection.

We recommend beginning with Chomp Champ from Mudpuppy is a shark-themed version of the classic game of spoons. It’s easy enough for kindergarten kiddos and interesting enough for the whole family to enjoy!

Crocodile Hop

Learning Resources’ Crocodile Hop to promote indoor movement on hot July days with the game mat obstacle course. Kids can beat the heat and burn energy as they hop, skip, and jump across colorful shapes in the living room with this game.

It’s also a great way to reinforce lessons about shapes, colors, and matching with preschool and kindergarten learners over summer break. Plus, the soft inflatable dice are fun to toss about!

Get Bit

Another one of our Shark Week game night picks is Get Bit from Greater Than Games. This hilarious game takes just 20 minutes to play and works with 3-6 players. Kids as young as first grade can participate, and it’s fun for adults too!

In this game, you’ll run for your life and try to play your cards right to avoid getting bit by the giant pink squishy shark character. Each player has a swimmer who loses a limb when they “get bit,” until they’re all gone. Playing this July game leads to lots of giggles and family fun!

Guess In 10 Splash

We like to spend a lot of time cooling off in the pool in July. That’s why I’ve added some of our favorite pool games to this list. Check out Guess In 10 Splash from Skillmatics for a game you can get wet.

This educational game can be played with just 2 players and works well for kids as young as age six. It comes with waterproof cards and a plastic ring that makes it easy to drop this game into your pool bag for summer fun all month long.

Guess Who Harry Potter Edition

Did you know July 31 is Harry Potter’s birthday? If you’re a Potter fan, it’s the perfect time to celebrate with a Hogwarts-themed game night! We love Guess Who Harry Potter Edition from Hasbro Games.

This game will encourage kids to make observations, think critically, and use lots of adjectives. It’s an excellent way to weave science, language arts, and math concepts into your homeschool lessons this July.

Harry Potter Top Trumps Quiz

Another Potter themed favorite is the Harry Potter Top Trumps Quiz. We love trivia and Top Trumps, so this deck was a must-add for our July games list! All fans of JK Rowling’s books will enjoy quizzing one another with these cards. Plus, they’re easy to take on the go all summer.

Want more magic-themed lessons with wizards and mythical creatures? Then, don’t miss Waldock’s Wizards and Wands curriculum. It’s a comprehensive unit study with everything from alchemy and astrology to potions and magical creatures.

National Parks Pursuit

Did you know July is National Park and Recreation Month? It’s the perfect time to get outdoors and visit one of our 63 National Parks located all over the nation.

This July, add some National Park learning fun to your family game night with Funware’s National Park Pursuit, a Trivial Pursuit-style game that’s filled with interesting facts about all the parks for kids and adults to learn and explore together.

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza Poolside

Another pool game we love is Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza Poolside. This game is so easy to throw in the pool bag and tons of fun to play! It’s perfect for practicing sequencing and critical thinking skills with the whole family.

I promise you’ll laugh out loud as you try to remember who is supposed to say cat and who is supposed to say cheese. At the end of the game, your hands might hurt a bit from slapping cards or beating your chest like a gorilla, but you’ll be wearing a big smile too!

The Floor Is Lava Game

Get up and get moving, even indoors, with The Floor Is Lava Game from Goliath. It’s simple to set up and certain to buy you 10-30 minutes of play with giggles and zero “I’m bored!” exclamations from the kids.

In addition to foam pieces for kids to hop on, there are challenge cards with special tasks like hopping on one foot or doing a silly dance without accidentally stepping into the “lava.” It’s an excellent game for getting in some healthy physical activity while staying out of the heat.

Yahtzee National Parks Edition

Yahtzee is the game that began our gameschooling journey, so it holds a special place in our hearts. We love playing new games together and coming back to our old favorites. Yahtzee National Parks Edition combines an old favorite with new fun for he summer.

This new special edition includes fun facts about the parks and incorporates fun National Park-themed dice. Plus, it’s a travel edition that’s perfect to take along as you spend the day in the parks! Pair it up with our Traveling the Parks curriculum for even more learning fun!

Even More July Gameschooling Excitement

We love gameschooling! It’s the perfect way to learn through play without all the pressure. Gameschooling fosters connection, encourages kids to enjoy learning together with the whole family, and creates exciting challenges for everyone.

Here are some more ways you can have fun learning and gameschooling this July:

How are you diving into learning this summer? We’d love to hear your favorite ways to learn through play! Share them in the comments below so we can see what you’re up to this July.