Top 5 Educational Summer Activities

With three months of summer to fill with activities, it can be challenging come up with answers when the kids state the inevitable “I’m bored”. It can be even more challenging to find enriching activities that engages kids minds, without boring them. Here are 5 ways to combat the “I’m bored” statement that are educational and fun.

1.  Nature Rubbings/Painting

This educational, yet fun activity will get your kids outside and exploring. Collect sticks, bark, flowers, leaves, etc. and bring them back home. Take a piece of paper and carefully place it over the item from nature. Take a crayon and rub it over the top of the piece of paper. The outline and texture of the item will appear. Taking this a step further, next has your students use the items from nature as their paintbrushes and create naturalistic images.

 

2. Visit the Library

Your local library may be your best source for activities. Most libraries have some activities set up for kids around the Children’s section, while many libraries offer extensive activities, book clubs, and projects for kids to sign up for. If your library does not offer any programming, take your child to the hobbies/How To section of the Children’s area and have kids pick out a book about cooking, cars, how to draw cartoons, or whatever their interest may be. Reading through these books and completing activities that go along with them keeps kids occupied for hours.

3. Check out your local Nature Center, History Museum, or Zoo

Even if your child doesn’t like bugs, or history, or science, they are bound to be engaged at these various locations. Nature centers and museums aim at helping their subject come alive in an exciting way to kids. Most nature centers are free and many museums and zoos have free days! For example, majority of Chicago’s Museums have at least one free day a month for residents to check out their exciting exhibits.

 

4. Take a trip to Barnes and Noble and get a free book

During the summer, Barnes and Noble has a kids reading program where they can earn a free book! Barnes and Noble’s reading program is kids grade 1st-6th and they must complete three out of four different reading challenges. When completed, just bring the completed sheet to your local Barnes and Noble and your child will be able to pick out a free book! Click here to print out the reading sheet from Barnes and Noble.

5. Photo Scavenger Hunt

Head to your local zoo or park with a list of distinguishing characteristics of animals, plants, and bugs and the kids must try and find each one and take a picture. Scavenger list ideas include: find a mammal with four legs, find a animal that is yellow, find an animal that is a bird, but can not fly. Kids will be
using their brains and sleuthing skills.

 

 

What are your favorite educational activities to do with kids in the summer?

Gratitude Object Lesson

Looking for a quick and simple object lesson to use during the Thanksgiving season?  Use this is the classroom, large group setting or at home. Just modify for your individual situation.

– Word Twist –

Supplies:
ƒTen pieces of colored paper, ƒ Marker or pen.

Preparation:
On each colored sheet of paper, write one letter from the word “GRATITUDE.” On the remaining sheet of paper write “T.”

Object Lesson:
Pick ten children to hold the letters to the word “Gratitude.”

Does anyone know what this word means, gratitude? When we have gratitude, that means we are thankful for something. We do not just expect that thing or take that thing for granted.

Sometimes it is hard to have gratitude. Can you think of a time when it might be hard to be grateful? (Give children an opportunity to respond.)

(Have the children holding the G and R sit down. Have someone stand between the A and T with another T.)

Now what word have we made? Attitude. Our attitude can help us be thankful or keep us from being thankful. What kind of attitude keeps us from being thankful?
(Have everyone but the I and the U sit down.)

When all we think about is “I,” it keeps us from being thankful. However, when we have an attitude where we think of “U,” as in others and God, we will have the right attitude to be thankful.

 

For more great content focused on Gratitude, download the Give Thanks Lesson from River’s Edge Curriculum. Download includes activities, craft, snack, object lesson, Powerpoint, stories, and more! Visit RiversEdgeCurriculum.com for more helpful resources.