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Easy Sea Animal Suncatcher Craft for Kids

July 2, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Have you ever been to the beach and picked up a sand dollar?

I remember finding one in the sand when I was about eleven. I brought it home with the intention of turning it into something, but never did.

Since then, I’ve found out that picking up sand dollars is not really the best thing to do. It’s best for them and the environment to leave them put.

But if you still want to have a memento of a beach trip or just a cool way to memorialize ocean life, this sea animal suncatcher craft is a cute project for kids!

Fun Sea Animal Suncatcher Craft for Kids

This is a really fun summer art project for little ones.

It’s also great for teaching color families, sea life, number recognition, and fine motor skills – all at once!

Keep reading to get the full project instructions – and the free craft template. And, for more fun with ocean animals, take a look at our easy Coffee Filter Crab Craft!

Make this easy sea animal suncatcher craft for a simple summer art project this year!

Easy Sea Animal Suncatcher Craft for Kids

To make this sea animal suncatcher craft, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

  • Printer (with ink)
  • Printer Paper
  • Child-safe scissors
  • Glue stick
  • Colored pencils or crayons
  • A copy of our free Sea Animal Suncatcher Template (located further down the page)
Simple Marine Animal Suncatcher Craft

Start by printing out the blank color code page, the color key, and the animal templates you plan to use.

Simple Sea Animal Suncatcher Craft

Use the color key to see how to fill in your suncatcher coded template.

All of the colors are on the bright side of the spectrum, but you can really use any five colors you choose.

Printable Marine Suncatcher Craft

A completed color coded page is also included, if you want to double check how the finished page should look.

Sea Animal Suncatcher Craft for Kids

Now, let the kids use child-safe scissors to cut out the animal template.

Glue the animal silhouette to the center of the finished color coded page.

Lovely Sea Animal Suncatcher Craft for Kids

All that’s left to do now is hang it in a window!

You can make a cardboard frame for the outside edges, if you like. Or just add masking tape to the back to place it in a sunny spot!

Scroll down to get your Sea Animal Suncatcher Craft Template!

Love this project? Try some other summer-themed crafts!

Make this fun and easy 3D paper dolphin craft for a fun art project to share with kids! Great for a summer art activity!
This simple coffee filter jellyfish craft is a perfect easy summer craft for kids! Make a few with your little ones this summer!
These simple summer crafts for kids are such a great way to spend time together!

To get your copy of the template for this Sea Animal Suncatcher, click the image or the link below to download it directly to your computer!

Easy Sea Animal Suncatcher Craft for Kids

>>> Sea Animal Suncatcher Template <<<

Filed Under: Crafts Tagged With: summer activities, summer crafts

Summer Color by Shape Activity for Kids

June 9, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

I used to spend hours working on color by number pictures when I was young.

I even remember a watercolor paint by number book that I ruined by using too much water on one of the pages.

So I know that kids love coloring coded pictures. And that’s why I thought it would be fun to share this summer-themed color by shape activity for early learners!

Fun Summer Color by Shape Activity

This is a perfect summer art activity for little ones who are just learning their basic 2D shapes!

Read on to see how to get your copy.

And, for more fun with coloring, don’t miss our Space Color by Sight Word Activity!

Use this Summer Color by Shape activity to help early learners practice recognizing shapes with a fun art twist!

Summer Fun Color by Shape Activity for Kids

To use this printable summer color by shape activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

  • Printer (with ink)
  • Printer Paper
  • Crayons or colored pencils
Summer Color by Shape Art Activity for Kids

This product includes four different summer-themed color by shape pictures.

Summer Color by Shape Activity for Kids

Each picture uses a different set of shapes and a different color scheme. So kids won’t be able to guess what each image is in advance.

If you need a visual guide, especially for younger learners, this product also includes a full answer key with all four pictures colored in and completed.

Printable Summer Color by Shape Activity

Little ones can color shapes they recognize on their own according to the code. Or they can look at the completed pages and work using them as a guide.

These are a wonderful way to get a little geometry practice while having a little summer fun too!

Scroll down to get your copy of this Summer Color by Shape Activity!

Think your students will like this coloring activity? Take a look at some of these other summer learning activities for kids!

These printable summer reading challenge bookmarks are a fun way to keep kids reading during summer!
This digital and print ice cream vowel sounds sorting activity is a wonderful lesson for early readers! Use it online or as a hands-on activity at centers!
These popsicle themed addition to make 12 puzzles are a fun way to practice addition facts at math centers! Perfect for early elementary math practice!

Printable Summer Color by Shape Art Activity for Kids

To get your copy of this Summer Fun! Color by Shape Art Activity, check it out below!

Filed Under: Homeschooling Printables, Teaching Printables Tagged With: summer, summer activities

40 Simple Summer Crafts for Kids

June 8, 2020 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Share some easy crafting fun with the kids this summer with this list of simple summer crafts!

One of the things I love best about summer is that it’s such a relaxed time.

While we still continue schooling, we do so without making lesson plans or trying to meet objectives.

Unfortunately, that also leaves a lot of free time for the kids.

And it only takes a couple of days into June before they’re shouting “Mom, I’m bored!”

That makes summer a great time of year to do some crafting. And these simple summer crafts for kids are perfect!

40 Simple Summer Crafts for Kids to Make

Each of these crafts requires six or fewer supplies, so they’re awesome for quick art activities, afternoon family fun, or easy projects for the…ahem….not so crafty among us. (Myself included.)

Take a look to find some easy summer crafts you’ll love to share with the kids!

And, for more summer fun, don’t miss our list of 50 summer books to share during read-aloud time!

These simple summer crafts for kids are such a great way to spend time together!

40 Simple Summer Crafts for Kids:

1. Toilet Roll Butterfly Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

2. Seaside Shell Windchime – Red Ted Art

3. Easy Pebble Art – Blue Bear Wood

4. Pool Noodle Shark – J Daniel 4’s Mom

5. DIY Bubble Snake Blower – Messy Little Monster

6. Paper Roll Flowers – The Best Ideas for Kids

7. Glowing Campfire Craft – Buggy and Buddy

8. Painted Seashell Craft – Moms and Crafters

9. Coffee Filter Crab Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

10. Tin Can Lanterns – Rainy Day Mum

11. Threaded Watermelon Craft – Homebound But Hopeful

12. Flower Petal Suncatcher – Messy Little Monster

13. Salt Dough Shell Pendants – Red Ted Art

14. Starfish and Sand Paper Plate Craft – J Daniel 4’s Mom

15. Egg Carton Bee – Buggy and Buddy

16. Decorated Sunglasses – Moms and Crafters

17. Coffee Filter Jellyfish Craft – Look! We’re Learning!

18. Grass Seed Art – Blue Bear Wood

19. DIY Friendship Bracelets – Red Ted Art

20. Painted Watermelon Craft – Homeschool Preschool

 

See more simple summer crafts for kids on page 2!

 

 

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Filed Under: Crafts Tagged With: crafts, summer, summer activities, summer crafts

60 Awesome Summer Outdoor Play Ideas for Kids

June 25, 2018 by Selena Robinson 1 Comment

Head outside with the kids with this list of awesome fun in the sun ideas for summer!

Summer. It’s the most wonderful time of the year for playing outside.

We live in the South and it. gets. hot. But that’s never stopped our kids from wanting to be outside playing every game imaginable.

After a while, though, the same old games just don’t do it for them anymore.

And that’s why I wanted to find some awesome fun in the sun ideas for outdoor play in summer.

60 Fun Outdoor Summer Play Ideas for Kids

Below, you’ll find 60, count’em, SIXTY different summer outdoor play ideas for kids.

And they are awesome!

They can make their own bubble wands, create slime that fizzes, build mud kitchens, and much more!

You can get also get a printable preschool summer activity calendar free! Read on to see how to score this for this summer.

And if you need more ways to make summer fun, check out our list of 40 simple summer crafts kids can make!

This list of 60 outdoor summer play ideas is perfect for keeping kids happy all summer long!

60 Awesome Outdoor Play Ideas for Summer

Several of these summer play ideas for kids also feature learning concepts, such as STEM engineering, art, math, sensory play, and more.

So you can play while giving kids a little more learning. Trust me, they’ll never know.

If you try some of these with your kids, I’d love to hear which ones they loved the most!

1. DIY Fizzy Slime – Look! We’re Learning!

2. How to Make a Kite – Red Ted Art

3. Driveway Shape Maze – Creative Family Fun

4. Backyard Olympics – Kid World Citizen

5. DIY Rockets for Kids – Frogmom

6. Wet Chalk Color Mixing – School Time Snippets

7. Catapult Splat Painting – There’s Just One Mommy

8. Squirt Gun Painting – Fireflies and Mudpies

9. DIY Mud Kitchen – Megan Zeni

10. Sidewalk Paint Rockets – Gluesticks

11. Recycled Chalk Paint – Rhythms of Play

12. Splash the Alphabet – Days with Grey

13. Ocean Sensory Bin – Frogs and Fairies

14. DIY Obstacle Course for Kids – Buggy and Buddy

15. Outdoor Rainbow Weaving – Where Imagination Grows

16. Summer Paint Sensory Play – Mama Smiles

17. How to Make DIY Bubble Wands and Homemade Bubbles – Natural Beach Living

18. Rainbow Windsock Craft – Kids Craft Room

19. Pool Noodle Boat Racing Game – See Vanessa Craft

20. Bouncy Ball Process Art Painting – School Time Snippets

Summer Outdoor Play Ideas for Kids

21. Colorful Moon Sand – Look! We’re Learning!

22. Cardboard Arc de Triomphe Craft – Non-Toy Gifts

23. $1 Soda Bottle Sprinkler – Gluesticks

24. Plant a Pollinator Garden – Outdoor Families Online

25. Watermelon Fizzy Science Activity and Sensory Play – Natural Beach Living

26. Look Inside a Volcano Project – 123 Homeschool 4 Me

27. Amazing Hand Bubbles – The Craft Train

28. Playground Scavenger Hunt – KC Edventures

29. Water Balloon Bash – Fireflies and Mudpies

30. Water Table Play – Creating Creatives

31. Garden Xylophone – The Moments at Home

32. Alphabet Ice Boats – School Time Snippets

33. Sidewalk Puffy Paint – Fun Learning for Kids

34. Clay Sculptures – Red Ted Art

35. Mud Pie Nature Art – Rhythms of Play

36. Silly Races – Creative Family Fun

37. Salt Art Project – Buggy and Buddy

38. Sea Animals Party Game – There’s Just One Mommy

39. How to Make Chalk – 123 Homeschool 4 Me

40. Frog Habitat Garden – The Craft Train

60 Fun in the Sun Ideas for Kids

41. Sidewalk Chalk Math Game – Look! We’re Learning!

42. Ice Excavating – Gluesticks

43. DIY Craft Stick Peg Doll Boat for Kids – Rhythms of Play

44. Dinosaur Dig Excavation Activity – Fun Learning for Kids

45. Backyard Treasure Hunt – Kid World Citizen

46. Build a Dinosaur Garden – Megan Zeni

47. Beach Detective Game – Kids Craft Room

48. Outdoor Scavenger Hunt – Buggy and Buddy

49. Pop Rock Science Experiment – 123 Homeschool 4 Me

50. Pond Sensory Bin – In Our Pond

51. Cardboard Car Wash – Non-Toy Gifts

52. Fish Ice Play Activity – Messy Little Monster

53. DIY Outdoor Chalkboard – Rhythms of Play

54. Build a Stick Maze – Mother Natured

55. GIANT Bubble Solution – 123 Homeschool 4 Me

56. Color-Changing Sidewalk Chalk – Frogs and Fairies

57. Outdoor Creative Art Station – Where Imagination Grows

58. Photo Scavenger Hunt – KC Edventures

59. Pine Cone Trail Outdoor Activity – Preschool Toolkits

60. DIY Water Wall – There’s Just One Mommy

Farm Fun Bundle TPT Quote Box Ad

Printable Summer Activity Calendar for Preschoolers

This list of summer outdoor play ideas is awesome for filling up summer with kids of all ages.

But if you’re trying to keep preschoolers happy, you’re working with a unique crowd.

I’ve been there.

PreK Summer Activity Calendar for Kids

Which is where this printable preschool summer activity calendar can be a life saver!

This printable calendar features 12 early themes with a different activity to try each day. Planning done!

Printable Preschool Summer Activity Calendar

To get this printable preschool summer activity calendar, click the image or the link below to have it sent directly to your inbox!

You’ll also get our weekly newsletter – coming up this Sunday!

Click here to get your free printable

>>> Preschool Summer Activity Calendar <<<

Check out these other summer ideas!

Make this summer one to remember with these easy ways to have a fun summer with kids!
This fun confetti ocean slime recipe is perfect for summer sensory play!
Make this easy sea animal suncatcher craft for a simple summer art project this year!

Filed Under: Fun Activities for Kids, Outdoor Play Tagged With: outdoor play, summer, summer activities, summer activities for kids

40 Fun At Home Learning Activities for Summer

June 21, 2018 by Selena Robinson 2 Comments

These 40 learning activities for summer are a great way to keep the learning going all during summer break!
Try some of these learning activities for summer to keep kids learning all year long!

I just love summer. In my opinion, it’s the time of year that basically makes life worth living.

The sun is out, you can walk around in flip-flops all day, no one cares if you eat ice cream for breakfast…it’s a good season.

The kids and I tend to take a more relaxed approach to learning over the summer, but I still like to keep them learning as much as possible.

So we found a bunch of at home learning activities for summer that are super fun and great for helping them explore science, math, STEM, literacy, and more!

40 Summer Learning Activities You Can Do at Home

There are 40 different summer learning ideas below, so you can try as many as you like during summer break.

If you decide to do some of these, be sure to come back and tell us how you liked them!

Want to spend summer boosting your children’s literacy skills? Take a look at this list of 50 summer books you can share with them!

Keep learning all summer with this list of 40 at home summer learning activities for kids!

40 At-Home Learning Activities for Summer

What I love about summer break is that you can keep learning with kids, but on your own terms.

No getting up to start school at a set time. No required amount of subjects or hours to cover.

Just time for fun learning with little ones.

40 Fun Summer Learning Activities for Kids

And these at home summer learning activities feature plenty of hands-on, low prep, and interactive ideas to keep preschoolers and elementary kids happy.

Take a look at the list below to get inspired for summer break at home!

40 Fun At Home Learning Activities for Summer

Use this list of 40 fun at home summer learning activities to keep your elementary kids excited to learn!

1

Pineapple Multiplication by Four Roll and Cover Game

This fun multiplication game is excellent for early elementary students! All you need is dice, a printer, and math counters!

2

Playground Science for Kids: Exploring Ramps and Friction on a Slide

Photo Credit: buggyandbuddy.com

Head to the playground to try this simple idea. See how simple machines affect friction with early learners!

3

Exploring Solar Heat – STEM Education

Photo Credit: www.steampoweredfamily.com

Go outside and use solar energy for this one. Show kids how the sun produces heat energy!

4

Human Sundial Shadow Science Experiments

Photo Credit: rhythmsofplay.com

Let kids act as their own scientific instruments! Use this activity to help them tell time with their own shadows.

5

Rescue the Shark Printable Battleship Game

Practice graphing and strategy with a fun summertime game. Plus, this makes a fun indoor activity for hot days!

6

Watermelon Seed Matching Game

Photo Credit: themamaworkshop.com

This is such a cute activity for early learners. And you can even bring it with you and use it as a busy bag!

7

Tide Pool Science Experiment for Kids

Photo Credit: buggyandbuddy.com

Show the kids how tide pools are formed with this simple experiment! And you only need a few supplies to do it.

8

Easy Ice Pop Math Patterns Activity for Kids

This ice pop themed activity is a fun math lesson for kids. Use it to help early learners practice building math patterns!

9

Heating Up Summer Creativity by Constructing a Solar Oven

Photo Credit: mosswoodconnections.com

Show kids how to harness the power of the sun to make an oven. It really works too!

10

How to Make Ice Cream in a Bag with Recording Sheet

Photo Credit: buggyandbuddy.com

We all scream for ice cream! Teach kids how to make ice cream in a bag and record their scientific findings.

11

Cosmic Colors! Solar System Coloring Pages

Teach the names of the planets in the solar system. And give kids a fun art activity too!

12

STEM Sunscreen Experiment – Spray vs. Lotion

Photo Credit: jdaniel4smom.com

Which lasts longer - spray sunscreen or sunscreen lotion? Find out in this summer science experiment!

13

Ice Cream Sounds! Short and Long Vowel Sound Sorting Activity

Have kids who are working on short and long vowel sounds? Let them use the digital or print version of this activity to practice sorting them!

14

Sink or Float Experiment: Physics for Kids

Photo Credit: www.kcedventures.com

Summer time equals time for water play. This fun water science experiment is perfect for little scientists!

15

Easy Sun Prints STEM Activity

Photo Credit: creativefamilyfun.net

Did you know you can use the sun to make color prints? Show kids how to use household objects and solar energy to make art!

16

Shadow Sidewalk Chalk Art

Photo Credit: rhythmsofplay.com

Add a fun art twist to measuring shadows! This is a simple STEM activity that's perfect for long summer days.

17

Simple Science Experiments: Simple Light Refraction Experiment

Did you know you can actually watch light bend? This simple light refraction experiment is so fun for kids to try!

18

Parts of a Dandelion Nature Exploration

Photo Credit: creativefamilyfun.net

Dandelions are all over the place during summer. Examine them with this nature exploration activity.

19

Travel Tales! Vacation Creative Writing Activity for Kids

Heading on a summer vacation? Let kids practice writing about where they went with this simple printable.

20

DIY Butterfly Number Stones

Photo Credit: www.craftsonsea.co.uk

These lovely butterfly number stones include math and art in one. And kids can do the painting themselves!

21

Bottle Rockets

Photo Credit: www.steampoweredfamily.com

Try an exciting science activity this summer with these bottle rockets. Perfect for outdoor play!

22

Amazing Coloring Flower Science Experiment

Photo Credit: www.kindergartenworksheetsandgames.com

See how plants receive nutrients with this simple experiment. And make some cool colored flowers at the same time!

23

All About the Solar System Printable Unit

Ready to explore space? This printable elementary science unit is a great introduction to the members of our solar system!

24

FREE Paint Gun Parts of Speech Game

Photo Credit: www.123homeschool4me.com

Get the kids outside for some messy play with this ELA activity. They won't even notice they're learning!

25

Build Vocabulary with a Summer Word Jar (Plus Tips and Ideas)

Photo Credit: www.whatdowedoallday.com

Encourage kids to keep reading and learning new words this summer with this idea! And it's so easy to set up!

26

Ocean Science for Kids - Easy Ocean Life Experiment Kids Love

Photo Credit: www.naturalbeachliving.com

Explore the zones of the ocean, even if you're landlocked, with this activity. Kids will love looking at it day to day.

27

Roll and Add Seashell Counting Math Game – Free Printable

Photo Credit: www.theartkitblog.com

Add a beachy theme to counting practice with this game. Such a great idea for preschoolers!

28

Ice Cream Printable Summer Reading Log

Keep kids reading over the summer with this printable kit! It comes with a reading log, coloring bookmarks, and more.

29

Make a Balloon Powered Sponge Boat

Photo Credit: www.thecrafttrain.com

This is a fantastic (and easy) STEM activity for summer. Kids can design and build a boat that actually travels!

30

How to Make a Solar Still

Photo Credit: theresjustonemommy.com

Did you know you can make drinking water from the sun's energy? See how in this cool science experiment.

31

Math in Nature Scavenger Hunt for Kids

Photo Credit: www.adventure-in-a-box.com

This printable scavenger hunt is excellent for outdoor exploring. Let kids look for math shapes in nature and record what they find.

32

Animal Houses: Engineering Game for Kids

Photo Credit: www.adventure-in-a-box.com

These printable cards challenge kids to build animal houses of their own. Use household supplies or materials they find outside.

33

DIY Geometry Dice - A Fun Math Practice Tool for Kids!

Play this indoor math game to review angles and lines with elementary kids. Only needs a couple of household items!

34

Color Changing Slime Recipe That’s Sun Activated (Summer Science)!

Photo Credit: littlebinsforlittlehands.com

Have you been making slime with kids? Be sure to try this recipe for solar power-activated color changing slime!

35

Word Building Activity Travel Kit

Photo Credit: iheartcraftythings.com

Put this simple word building kit together for early literacy practice. Great for rides in the car!

36

Water Balloon Letter Smash: Summer Literacy Activity

Photo Credit: www.schooltimesnippets.com

Make learning the alphabet into a summer play activity with this idea. Plus, you could tweak it to use with numbers, shapes, and more!

37

Printable Summer Reading Challenge Bookmarks for Kids

Pick up this printable bookmarks for summer reading with the kids. It's a simple way to help them try new kinds of books too!

38

Sharks! - A Shark Food Chain Game

Get to know how sharks eat and grow with this file folder game. Perfect for shark fans!

39

Printable Beach Unit Study: All About Beaches

Live far from a beach? You can still learn about them with this printable unit for early elementary kids!

40

Printable LEGO STEM Challenge Building Cards

Use these LEGO STEM challenge cards for simple STEM fun. Let kids choose a card or two and see what they can make!

Pineapple Printable Multiplication Game

One of my favorite at home learning activities is a simple no-prep printable game.

And this printable pineapple multiplication by four game is as no-prep as it gets!

Pineapple Multiplication by 4 Game

Just print it out, add a six or ten-sided die, and use counters or buttons to get kids playing.

Best of all – it’s free!

To get your copy of this printable pineapple multiplication by four game, click the image or the link below to have it sent directly to your inbox!

You’ll also get our weekly newsletter this Sunday night!

Click here to get your free printable!

>>> Pineapple Multiplication by Four Game <<<

Did you love these learning activities for summer? Don’t miss these other fun summer projects!

Use this printable Deep Blue Sea ocean activity pack to keep early elementary students practicing ELA concepts at home or over break!
Make this easy sea animal suncatcher craft for a simple summer art project this year!
These simple summer crafts for kids are such a great way to spend time together!

Filed Under: Fun Activities for Kids, Homeschooling Tagged With: homeschooling, summer, summer activities, summer activities for kids

How to Prevent the Summer Slide

June 11, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

When I started to write this post about how to prevent the summer slide, I realized that this may not be an issue that affects homeschoolers as much as public schoolers. If you’ve ever had a child in public school, you might have heard of the “summer slide”. Basically, it’s the brain drain that occurs when kids follow a traditional school year and take summers off from structured learning.

I don’t necessarily follow a traditional school year, because we have school lessons during the summer, but we do take breaks from our homeschool during the year. And, trust me, that’s enough time for my kids to start forgetting things.

If you’re nervous about how to prevent the summer slide, don’t worry! There are plenty of things that your kids can be doing to continue their education while also having fun.

10 Easy Ways to Avoid the Summer Slide

If you take an actual summer break, you don’t want to make these activities too “schooly”. You can keep them fun and engaging, while using them to help kids remember some of their skills. If you homeschool year-round, these are nice, low-pressure ways to keep them learning.

Need more ways to make summer educational? Don’t miss our list of 50 summer books you can share with the kids!

Avoid the summer slide by keeping the kids learning all summer. Here are 10 ways to learn over summer break!

10 Ways to Keep Kids Learning During Summer Break

Images c/o: StockUnlimited & konradbak / depositphotos

Garden.

Gardening is a great way to teach your kids responsibility. Not only will they learn about how to grow foods and plants, but you may also get some free fruits, vegetables, and flowers in the process!

Go theatrical.

Have your kids write a short play to put on for the neighborhood. Or, if they are shy, they can just perform it for the family. Tell them to get their friends involved. The other parents will love that you’re providing something fun for their children to take part in.

Birdwatch.

Put a bird feeder, bird bath, and a lot of strings and nest building products in your yard by a window. Hopefully, you will attract some different birds that your kids can study. You may even see the entire process from nesting to baby birds flying for the first time!

Create a summer reading list.

Take your kids to the local library and have them pick a book that interests them. After each book, have them give you a little presentation or just talk to you about the story. You can even let them dress up as one of the characters from the book.

Learn another language.

Summer is a wonderful time to explore a new language! Choose a few simple illustrated books from the local library that are written in Spanish, French, or another language and see how many vocabulary words you and the kids can learn together. Find some videos for learning American Sign Language and try to practice a full signed conversation with our ASL2U curriculum!

Try some educational apps.

Take a virtual spin through an app store and let the kids pick out an educational app they’d like to try. If you limit screen time (like we do), give them a set amount of time to play it each day. Try to choose one that works on a skill your child needs help with, such as reading fluency, multiplication tables, or history facts.

Create musical instruments.

Find items from around the house and see who can make the best musical instrument! Good materials include toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls, oatmeal containers, cereal boxes, plastic spoons, and jars filled with water. This is especially fun for little ones!

Write and illustrate a book.

Your kids need an outlet for creativity. Have them work on a story all summer and let them draw all of the pictures. Older kids can try a photo editing program to design cover art on their own!

Start a rock collection.

There’s no better way to learn about Geology than to start a rock collection. Challenge your kids to see who can find the most unusual rock in the neighborhood, then do some research to find out what kind of rock it is and how it is formed.

Study the stars.

If you have a telescope, put it to good use! Learn about a few constellations, such as the Big Dipper or Orion the Hunter, and take the kids outside to see if they can spot them!

Wondering how to prevent the summer slide? There are plenty of things you can do for and with your kids this summer to help them continue learning. Which one of these seems like the most fun and helpful to you? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Need more fun summer ideas? Don’t miss these posts!

This fun summer bucket list for kids is full of hands-on activities your children will love!

Learn about the science of beaches, plus get fun math, language, and geography practice, in this printable beach unit study!

This fun ice cream themed shape sorting activity for kids is so cool for practicing shape recognition!

And for more summer activities, follow my Summer Activities for Kids board on Pinterest!

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Filed Under: Homeschooling Tagged With: kids, parenting, summer, summer activities, summer activities for kids

25 Summer Bucket List Activities for Kids

June 4, 2018 by Selena Robinson Leave a Comment

Keep the little ones entertained this summer with this simple summer bucket list for kids! Plenty of hands-on activities to try during summer break!

Can you believe summer is almost here? Before you know it, your kids will be out of school and looking for ways to pass their summer days.

We don’t usually take an actual “summer break” in our homeschool, but we do slow down drastically during the summer months. We’re still working on some of our concepts, but we try to include plenty of hands-on fun and unstructured play. Which is why I wanted to come up with a summer bucket list for kids that would be perfect for those lazy summer afternoons.

Fun Summer Bucket List for Kids

To make sure your kids (and mine) never get bored, try some of these summer bucket list activities! From crafts to outdoor play, activities, and even indoor activities, there are 25 different crafts and projects to make below.

Looking to add more reading to your child’s summer? Don’t miss our list of 50 summer books for kids to read!

This fun summer bucket list for kids is full of hands-on activities your children will love!

25 Summer Bucket List Activities for Kids

1. Make Solar System Edible Playdough

2. Make a Cupcake Liner Crab Craft

3. Make DIY Sidewalk Foam Paint

4. Build a Mini Mason Jar Aquariums

5. Make A Sand Handprint Keepsake

6. Go On a Color Scavenger Hunt

7. Make Ice Cream in a Bag

8. Craft Bubble Snakes

9. Put Together a Squirt Gun Race Obstacle Course

10. Try Outdoor Cardboard Painting

11. Mix Up Fluffy Slime

12. Try Frozen Dinosaur Eggs Sensory Play

13. Make A Cupcake Liner Octopus Ocean Craft

14. Craft Suncatcher Mosaics

15. Paint With Ice

16. Play Car Wash

17. Make a Pop Bottle Firefly

18. Make Edible Candy Slime

19. Try a Rainbow Walking Water Science Experiment

20. Make Pineapple Thumbprint Art

21. Craft A Round Suncatcher

22. Make DIY Flubber

23. Dye Seashells

24. Create a Suncatcher Jellyfish

25. Build A Stick Raft

Simple Summer Bucket List for Kids

Want to add even more to your summer bucket list for kids? Take a look at these other fun activities for summer break!

These fun moon sand recipe ideas are so easy to make and share for some quick sensory play!

This easy DIY flubber recipe is one of our favorite sensory play activities!

This super easy coffee filter butterfly craft is an adorable project for little ones!

Plus, follow our Summer Activities for Kids board on Pinterest for more fun ways to learn during the warmer months!

Filed Under: Fun Activities for Kids Tagged With: summer, summer activities

DIY Beach Play Sand Sensory Activity for Kids

July 29, 2013 by Selena Robinson 9 Comments

We usually do a family vacation in the summer, but the funds were just not there for it this year. Boo.

So we had to find a way to bring the beach to us. And that’s how we ended up making  this DIY beach play sand!

Our kids are huge sensory seekers, so this soft and moldable play sand was a wonderful sensory experience for them.

Fun Play Beach Sand Sensory Activity for Kids

I will say that it can be rather…messy, so take my advice and lay a few towels down before you get started.

After that, it’s a snap to make and they’ll play with it for hours!

If your kids love this, try our fun Coffee Filter Beach Ball Craft or read some sandy stories with our list of Beach Books for Kids!

Make this simple DIY play beach sand recipe to share a summer sensory activity with the kids!

DIY Beach Play Sand Recipe

To make this beach play sand sensory activity, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

  • Whole wheat flour
  • Baby oil
  • Silicone baking molds
  • Large container for holding the “sand” (We just used our roasting pan.)

How to Make Play Beach Sand

We started off by reading the classic book Curious George Goes to the Beach.

In the story, George explores the water, builds sandcastles, and (of course) makes a mess by being curious.

Curious George Goes to the Beach
Then we looked at some pictures of professional sand castles. The things people can do with sand and spray bottles are just incredible.

A Proper Sand Castle on Jersey

C/O: Tim Jenkinson

Sleeping Beauty Castle

C/O: Jeroen Kransen

Naturally, the kids wanted to play around with some sand of their own.

To make our own “sand”, we used a classic play sand recipe featuring one part baby oil to eight parts flour.

I decided to use whole wheat flour, since it looked more like authentic sand than white flour.

DIY Play Sand Recipe

I had to work the baby oil in with my hands to get it to distribute evenly. It was actually quite therapeutic.

DIY Sensory Sand Play

Then we dropped in some silicone baking cups and a few bento molds and the kids got to work!

DIY Beach Play Sand

I just stuck our “sand” in a roasting pan, but you could easily make this on the driveway or in a sandbox.

How to Make Sensory Sand

See how well it sticks together?

It works beautifully with baking molds, but if you have buckets or sandcastle molds, this would be fun to use with those as well.

DIY Sensory Play Sand Recipe

The kids absolutely loved it! And it literally took five minutes. Beach fun without sand in your shorts!

Make this DIY play sand for some beach fun at home!

Love this activity? Don’t miss these other fun summer ideas!

Try some of these fun and easy summer crafts for kids with your children this year!

Super Easy Farm Shoebox Diorama Craft

The Best Beach Books for Kids

This post is part of the Summer Book and a Big Idea linkup from iHomeschool Network! Click on over to read more book-based learning ideas from my fellow bloggers!

Summer Book and Big Idea

Filed Under: Fun Activities for Kids, Sensory Activities Tagged With: beach play sand, diy beach play sand, diy play sand, summer, summer activities

Hi! I'm Selena, a teacher and a veteran homeschool mom to four. I'm so glad you're here!
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