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 *The following is a post from contributing writer Mary Prather.
Summer is upon us.
I find that if my kids have a total break for too long everyone is at loose ends.
We don’t technically school “year round,” but I definitely try to plan learning activities during those hot summer months. It’s important, also, to remember to plan FUN ACTIVITIES for your kids.
I’d like to share three ideas with you that might just help make your summer more fun, educational, and memorable!
Interest Led Unit Studies
Have a meeting with your children and ASK THEM what they would like to delve into this summer. Let them assist you in the planning, gathering of materials, and make it FUN!
Many times we have created our own unit studies, but some of my favorite “already made” unit studies are:
- Unit Studies from Amanda Bennett (she has a Baseball study we will be doing this summer!)
- Five in a Row and Beyond Five in a Row – beautiful literature based unit studies
- Homeschool Share – free unit studies on oodles of topics; just search around the site and you will have fun!
Have a “Fine Arts Summer”
It seems  that Fine Arts always fall through the cracks during the school year.
I’m going to throw out some ideas:
- Choose an artist or composer a week and study them deeply.
- Commit to studying a piece of beautiful music each week. (I just might have some free music lessons to help you with this!)
- Spend the summer creating masterpieces with chalk pastels.
A Summer of Fun!
What if you asked your kids all of the fun things they wanted to accomplish this summer?
Make a summer bucket list.
(Put limits on the items so that they are actually achievable for your family!)
Post the list prominently in your house and make it your family’s goal to complete the bucket list.
What kinds of things could go on a summer bucket list?
- make ice cream sundaes
- play hopscotch
- run in the sprinklers
- have a crazy diving contest at the pool
- decorate flower pots
- complete 10 random acts of kindness
- go one place educational in your state you’ve never been before
- visit one state park
- read five chapter books aloud as a family
- learn a new card game
The possibilities on this one are endless!
*Check out 50 Free Things To Do With Your Kids This Summer for more ideas.
Of course, I suppose you could always just take the entire summer OFF, but if you’re like most homeschooling moms I know, it isn’t in your nature to just stop schooling for a couple of months!
What are you planning to do in your homeschool this summer?
Mary is a homeschooling mom of an 11 year old, Â Anna and 8 year old, Grant. Â Â She is a musician, reader, and lover of all things education! Â On her blog she offers music lessons, LEGO printables, unit studies, and lots of homeschool encouragement! Â Visit her at Homegrown Learners.Â
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We do not take the summer off but we also don’t do school the same way. I want to keep some of their routine the same by starting every morning with “Circle Time.” I think we will also just do a lot of reading and field trips. I do think I will have to ask them to do math once or twice a week so that they do not get rusty on that as well.
I agree with you – some type of structure is so important or else everyone in my house seems to be at loose ends! We continue to drill math and do light lessons all summer!
We had a busy start to the year, so I’m letting the kids make a chart of activities they would like to accomplish and we are going to work our way through that this summer. We’re just going to take it easy and enjoy life for a few months before fall comes.
I think it’s great you’re letting your kids make the chart, and even more great you are taking a BREAK. We all need that! Happy summer to you!
I plan on doing some extras in the subjects of interest for my kids this summer. The summer is always SO long. It’s a great time to foster their interests and get them excited about the next school year.
Three great and simple ideas!! I’ll probably be doing the whole “delight directed learning” thing over the summer… AKA history history history history!!!
We used a sort of interest-based, mini unit study approach to doing read-alouds, nature study, and a few other fun but educational activities last year and it worked out really well to keep their minds engaged but not make them feel like we were still doing school. We’re trying something similar this year.
Would love for you to share this post at our Everything Summer LINK UP! 🙂 http://www.walkinginhighcotton.net/2013/05/everything-summer-the-ultimate-everything-summer-link-up/
Great ideas! We also continue doing some school stuff – different things that we have a hard time fitting in during the regular school year. We’re learning about public speaking and entrepreneurship this summer. We’re also hitting the delight directed learning. One son loves computer programming and the other one is into video editing. Still leaves plenty of time for fun stuff and just taking it easy…