Summer Lesson Plans: School is out for the summer — now what? I like to put together simple, science-based lessons for our kids that are both fun and educational.
For our summer routine with children ages 7, 6, 4 and 1, I let the kids pick a theme each night. When they go to bed, I organize the lesson for the next day (I used to be a teacher, so planning is my habit).
Last summer I shared these week-long lesson plans with friends, and this year I’m excited to share them with you to help jump-start your summer learning.
As I used to tell my students’ parents: If you work with your child over the summer, they will be better prepared for the next school year. While many children lose some of what they learned during the year, a little practice over the summer helps them retain—and often advance. What parent doesn’t want that for their child?
Right now I’m listening to an audiobook about surviving summer with kids, and one line stuck with me: “Boredom inspires resourcefulness.” Some days don’t allow time to be bored, but when children have unscheduled time, creativity often follows. Yesterday our 6-year-old told us he was bored, so I sent him outside. Two hours later he returned with a tiny wooden bed for his stuffed animals—built from scrap wood, nails and a hammer. It was imaginative, hands-on learning that came from unstructured play and supervision.
Let’s start your summer lesson with the theme our kids chose: Undersea Animals.
1- Get books from home or the library. Choose five books about the ocean or underwater animals—mix nonfiction (whales, sharks, ocean habitats) with a few fiction titles like the Magic School Bus. Fiction keeps things playful while nonfiction builds factual knowledge. If you want to extend the week, add a related movie for a family movie night—our library had Dolphin Tale available to borrow for free. If you plan to reuse activities or games with multiple children, consider picking up some laminate sheets to make materials more durable.
2- Find a list of sight words or letters appropriate for your child. If you’re unsure which sight words they should be learning, search “sight words for [grade]” or check the website of the school or next-year teacher for a recommended list. I copy the list into a document, enlarge the font to about 30 points, print it, and display it so the kids see the words regularly. Preparing with sight words from the upcoming grade can set your child up for success.
If your child isn’t ready for sight words, focus on letters instead. I taught one child all the letters and their sounds in a week using consistent, focused practice—simple, playful activities make it stick. Games like Sight Word Bingo or ABC Bingo work well for practice and review.
If you’ve completed day one and want to continue, move on to day two of the lessons for more activities, games and reading focused around undersea animals.