As parents, we know that having downtime during summer is valuable but can also bring a chorus of “I’m bored” or groans that may follow any mention of an activity that seems like schoolwork. But what if summer learning could feel like play? What if budget-friendly activities could engage your kids with hours of productive free time? With a little creativity, you can sneak in valuable learning opportunities, while your kids are making memories. Whether you’re at home, in the car, or on vacation, here are 30+ simple and fun ideas to keep young minds engaged all summer long. And don’t miss the free printable activities from Evan-Moor to help you get started!
Reading and Writing Adventures
- Create a Summer Reading Nook — Make a cozy spot for reading with pillows, fairy lights, and a “book of the week” feature.
- Join a Library Reading Challenge — Most public libraries host summer reading programs with prizes and events.
- Keep a Summer Adventure Journal — Have your child write or draw about each day’s activities, favorite moments, or travel highlights. Use brown paper bags to create a fun summer memory book: Watch this Evan-Moor video to learn how and download the printable instructions here.
- Create a Comic Strip — Let your child be the storyteller by documenting summer fun in comic-style drawings. Use this penguin-themed comic strip printable for inspiration (from Evan-Moor’s Creative Writing Ideas.)
- Write Postcards to Friends and Family — Collect local postcards and practice writing, spelling, and addressing cards the old-fashioned way! Kids can also design their own postcards.
- Start a Family Book Club — Read the same book together and discuss characters, settings, and plot twists. You can also use audiobooks to listen to a book together.
- Design a Video Game — Let imaginations take over with this activity that prompts children to design a unique game! Download the printable activity here (from Evan-Moor’s Real-World Writing for Today’s Kids.)
- Roll out the Butcher Paper — Let kids get creative with writing or drawing on an oversized length of white paper. Spread the roll of paper outside or inside for kids to create racetracks or comic strips, shadow-draw favorite toys, write a story, doodle, and more.
Math That Makes Sense
- Cook Together — Have your child read recipes, double ingredients, or measure items for practice with fractions and numbers.
- Lemonade Stand Math — Plan pricing, count money, and track profits from a lemonade or craft stand.
- Shape Scavenger Hunt — Look for geometric shapes during walks or trips and record them in a notebook.
- Shopping & Math — Turn a shopping trip into practical math practice. This Evan-Moor activity, “Let’s Go Shopping!” helps kids practice budgeting and shopping for summer clothes (without spending a cent!)
Science and Nature Explorations
- Plant a Garden — Grow vegetables, herbs, or flowers and observe plant life cycles. KidsGardening.org has themed garden ideas like pirate gardens and fairy houses.
- Start a Weather Journal — Record daily temperatures, cloud types, or rainfall and make simple forecasts.
- Build a Backyard Bug Hotel — Learn about insects by building a mini habitat from natural materials.
- Discover Amazing Animals — Learn about the cool wildlife on our planet with these 7 easy and playful animal activities.
- Make Your Own Ice Cream — Explore changes in matter and measurements with a tasty result. Here’s a basic recipe that can be made in bags at home and another recipe version that provides science context from Science Buddies.
- Go Stargazing — Learn basic constellations and keep a night sky observation log.
- Paper Airplane Challenge — Design various styles of paper airplanes and test their aerodynamics. See tips in this Evan-Moor Paper Airplane STEM Challenge blog post for creating spy gliders, speed gliders, and the classic dart.
- Design a Marble Roller Coaster — Learn about force and gravity with roller coasters and design a simple roller coaster for a marble, using paper towel rolls or pool noodles. This Evan-Moor STEM Marble Roller Coaster activity helps kids get started.
- DIY Volcano — Make a volcano science experiment at home. With simple ingredients like baking soda and vinegar, you can create an easy and fun hands-on science activity with your kids. Get the instructions and interesting volcano facts here. (From Evan-Moor’s Skill Sharpeners: Geography.)
Creativity and Imagination
- Design an Obstacle Course — Have kids plan, draw, and build an outdoor course using household items.
- Craft with Purpose — Try soap-making, homemade slime, or recycled art. Have kids read instructions and manage supplies.
- Scavenger Hunt — Let kids create a scavenger hunt for the outdoors or indoors, or use this pirate-themed scavenger hunt to get them started on a nature challenge.
- Create a DIY Puppet Theater — Write scripts, build puppets, and put on performances for the family.
- Photography Challenge — Give kids a daily theme (such as “something round” or “something that moves”) and let them snap photos.
- Animal Art Collage — Use construction paper and newsprint to create two types of animal collages. This simple art activity gives an example of how to do it.
- Paint with Texture — Keep hands busy and explore texture with sponges, potatoes, and household gadgets with this art activity (from Evan-Moor’s How to Teach Art to Children.)
- Collect and Paint Rocks — Gather rocks from your backyard or outdoor spaces (preferably flat-top ones) and paint fun designs on them.
Learning Through Life
- Map Your Summer — Use a wall map to track places you visit or want to explore. Add fun facts about each. Or create a Travel Brochure for a virtual trip.
- Practice Life Skills — Teach kids to write a grocery list, follow a budget, or help plan meals. (For helpful ideas, see Evan-Moor’s Financial Literacy and Life Skills for Kids books, for ages 8–13.)
- Explore Local Museums and Parks — Be a tourist in your own town. Many places offer free or low-cost days.
- Volunteer Together — Sort food, clean up parks or beaches, or write cards to seniors. Volunteering builds empathy and real-world skills.
Keep Learning Light and Fun
Summer is a great time for relaxed, meaningful learning that sparks curiosity. A little each day goes a long way—especially when it feels more like play than school.
Evan-Moor offers a variety of engaging activity books that keep kids’ minds engaged with skill practice, brain games, animal adventures, and more. With engaging activities for PreK–Grade 8, the activity books are perfect for road trips, quiet mornings, or hot summer days. Browse Daily Summer Activities, Brain Games and Activities, and more with our Summer Solutions workbook collection.
We’d love to hear from you! What fun learning activities do your kids enjoy in the summer? Share your ideas in the comments below!
Theresa Wooler has more than 10 years’ experience in K–6 classrooms as a parent volunteer and homeschool educator, has taught high school English, and is currently involved in education through Evan-Moor’s marketing communications team.