Summer Learning Opportunities

• Discovering Great Artists: Hands-On Art for Children in the Styles of the Great Masters by Mary Ann F. Kohl and Kim Solga features 110 art appreciation activities for kids.
• Art Lab for Kids: 52 Creative Adventures in Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Paper, and Mixed Media-For Budding Artists of All Ages is part of a series of books by Susan and Rainer Schwak and is full of fun ideas to help introduce art to children.
• Art Lab for Little Kids: 52 Playful Projects for Preschoolers by Susan and Rainer Schwak is written for children ages 4-6 year olds.

• Artistic Pursuits for Kids
• Homeschool Art Projects for Teens and Tweens
• How to Teach Homeschool Art
• KinderArt is the largest collection of free art lessons on the Internet.

• Money Making Ideas for Kids and Teens: Starting Your Own Business-A Guide for Teen Entrepreneurs  by Debbie Madson

• The Kids’ Money Book: Earning * Saving * Spending * Investing * Donating by Jamie Kyle McGillian
• 
  Smart Money Smart Kids: Raising the Next Generation to Win with Money by Dave Ramsey and Rachel Cruze

• Monopoly is a classic and a family favorite for good reason. Have a great time with your family and develop your child’s understanding of investments and development.
• Stock Market – The Wall Street Trading Game is a board game that introduces players to important financial concepts.

• Teaching Your Children Financial Literacy – tips for homeschool lessons on finances is a perfect enrichment program for the summer.
• Entrepreneurial Ideas for Homeschoolers teaches entrepreneurial thinking to high school students of all ages with ideas for a summer program.

• Nexbooks is a perfect website that offers teaching coding for kids along with many other electives for students in all grade levels.
• Coding for Summer Learning

• 10 Snacks Your Preschooler Can Make Today – Kids Cook Real Food
• The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker
• Teens Cook: How to Cook What You Want to Eat by Megan Carle and Jill Carle
• Kids Cook Real Food is a website with courses, webinars, and free lessons for kids perfect for summer school!

• Mango Languages helps users practice conversations in over 60 foreign languages
• Duolingo is a free language learning site with a unique approach. Lessons are short and easy to fit summer enrichment opportunities into the busiest teen’s summer schedule. Even homeschool mom learns with this one!
• Maximize Summer Learning with Foreign Language Studies perfect for high school students looking for a summer challenge.

• Learn about genealogy at Genealogy.com
• From the comfort of your living room, visit the British Museum. Enjoy a virtual tour and see 4,634 artifacts housed in the museum.

• Summer Reading Program – grab our free printable fun summer reading challenge kit and start today!
• Pizza Hut sponsors several fun reading challenges for kids through their Book It program. Get reading great books this summer.
• Mensa for Kids Excellence in Reading Program is not just for Mensa members or the regular school year. Participants in this year-round program earn a certificate and a t-shirt for reading all of the books in this book challenge.
• Create your own neighborhood Reading Challenge for a great learning experience! Help your readers establish the number of books they will read over the summer.
• 6 Super Summer Writing Tips

• In her books Writer to Writer: From Think to Ink and Writing Magic, bestselling children’s author, Gail Carson Levine shares her secrets of great writing in this companion to the popular Writing Magic.   
• What Do Authors and Illustrators Do? by Eileen Christelow will inspire young writers and artists as they read about the process of creating a book. Creative writing and drawing exercises are also included for the school year and summer.

• Time4MathFacts – perfect for brushing up on those facts during the summer!
• Unlock Mathis an online math program that let’s you have fun with math learning this summer!
• Quirky mathematician Vi Hart’s YouTube channel is a must-see. I guarantee, there’s nothing out there quite like it!

• FREE Summer Camp at Home by Homeschool.com
• Wildflowers, Blooms & Blossoms (Take Along Guides) by Diane Burns
• Trees, Leaves & Bark (Take Along Guides) by Diane Burns
• Caterpillars, Bugs, and Butterflies: Take-Along Guide by Mel Boring
• Handbook of Nature Study, by Anna Botsford Comstock
• Bird Watching for Kids: Bite-sized Learning & Backyard Projects by George H. Harrison

• 8 Ways Online Learning Can Change Your Summer Months!
• Using Geocaching for Summer Field Trips
• 8 Summer Montessori Inspired Activities
• 7 Reasons to Keep Learning this Summer
• Getting the Most Out of Your Summer Learning
• 102 Things to Do This Summer!

• The Horrible Science series by Nick Arnold includes titles like Blood, Bones and Body Bits, Chemical Chaos, Disgusting Digestion, Nasty Nature, Electricity Sounds Dreadful and The Terrible Truth About Time. Filled with pictures, trivia, fun facts, and science, these are books even reluctant readers will enjoy.
• Monster Science series by Mark Weakland is written in graphic novel format and is such great fun. Using vampires, zombies, werewolves, and ghosts, Weakland demonstrates basic principles of science and makes for a great learning experience. Titles include Aliens and Energy, Bigfoot and Adaptation, Ghosts and Atoms, Zombies, and Forces and Motion to name just a few.
• MUSE is a science and arts magazine written for kids ages 9-14. Filled with facts, jokes, thought-provoking articles, and summer learning programs. Kids with a love of science will love this magazine too.

• Life Skills Activities for Special Children 2nd Edition, by Darlene Mannix
• Social Skills Activities for Special Children 2nd Edition, by Darlene Mannix
• Connected Kids: Help Kids with Special Needs (and Autism) SHINE with mindful, heartfelt activities, by Lorraine E Murray
• Making Art Special: A Curriculum for Special Education Art, by Helen Goren Shafton

• Special Needs Homeschooling
• Summer Homeschooling: Children with Special Needs
• Learning to Persevere in the Face of Special Needs Challenges

• Lights Out!: Kids Talk About Summer Camp, by Eric Arnold and Jeff Loeb
• Summer Fun: The Parents’ Complete Guide to Day Camps, Overnight Camps, Specialty Camps, and Teen Tours by Marian Edelman Borden
• The Summer Camp Handbook: Everything You Need to Find, Choose and Get Ready for Overnight Camp-and Skip the Homesickness by Christopher A. Thurber PhD

• The Berenstain Bears Go to Camp, by Stan and Jan Berenstain.
• Tacky Goes to Camp, by Helen Lester. One of our favorite read-alouds.
• Froggy Goes to Camp by Jonathan London
• Postcards from Camp by Simms Taback

• 55 Free Summer Camps and Classes
• Tips for Summer Homeschooling
• Summer Field Trip Ideas
• Free At Home Summer Camp Kit perfect for the whole homeschool family.

• 100 Places That Can Change Your Child’s Life: From Your Backyard to the Ends of the Earth by Keith Bellows and Natalie Morales. Great encouragement to avoid screen time.
• Travel with Children: The Essential Guide for Traveling Families (Lonely Planet Travel With Children) by Lonely Planet. Don’t worry about the homeschool schedule during the summer enjoy travel!

• Virtual Field Trips to Try This Summer
• Field Trip Guide for Homeschoolers
• Discovery Education Virtual Field Trips
• If you’re a Bored Homeschooler – summer is the perfect time to discover these 40 Virtual Field Trips!

Taking some time to be intentional about summer learning experiences can make a world of difference when we head back to school in the fall!

Other Summer Homeschooling Resources