Learning resources for summer homeschool programs are everywhere, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Don’t get bogged down in all the options. The best advice we can share: keep homeschool summer learning simple and fun! Here, we have compiled a list of some excellent summer resources to help keep this season fun and learning flowing!
Start With Free Summer Resources
Summer Learning Directory
Art for Summer Learning
- 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.
Financial Fun Learning
- 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! Indeed, it 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 and more.
- Teaching Your Children Financial Literacy – tips for homeschool lessons on finances is a perfect enrichment program for the summer.
- Raising Financially-Educated Children – learn how to teach your children about the US money system using this fun and informative website
- Entrepreneurial Ideas for Homeschoolers teaches entrepreneurial thinking to high school students of all ages with ideas for a summer program.
Computer Programming and Coding for Kids
Do you have a child interested in computer programming? Summer is a great time to dive deeper into some of their interests!
- 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
- Our list of 102 Things to Do This Summer offers additional summertime computer opportunities.
Cooking with Kids
Getting into the kitchen and cooking, whether with a parent or independently, is a great way to encourage learning this summer. Kids can practice math, science, reading, and more while learning an important life skill…and you get help with dinner!
- 10 Snacks Your Preschooler Can Make Today – by Kids Cook Real Food
- The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker
- The Super Easy Teen Cookbook by Christina Hitchcock
- Kids Cook Real Food is a website with courses, webinars, and free lessons for kids perfect for summer school!
Foreign Language Summer Learning Opportunities
Learning a new language is an excellent way to spend time this summer! With so many apps out there, it’s never been easier to expand your language skills!
- 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 homeschooling moms learn with this one!
- Maximize Summer Learning with Foreign Language Studies is perfect for high school students looking for a summer challenge.
History for Summer Learning
Do you have a child who loves learning about where they came from or different cultures around the world? There are so many opportunities to learn history during the summer. Even if you can’t take field trips to visit historical sites, with the internet, you can take tours and see things your child will never forget!
- Learn about your family’s 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.
- Our list of 102 Things to Do This Summer offers additional summertime virtual history opportunities.
Language Arts for Summer Learning
One way to keep progressing during the summer is by reading, reading, reading! Take advantage of your local library. Let your kids complete a reading challenge. Listen to audiobooks on road trips. Read with them every day. No matter how old your children may be, they’re never too old for read-alouds with a parent! Here are some additional resources.
- CourseBridge – Bridge learning gaps easily this summer with this language arts and math curriculum designed specifically for summer learning and after-school supplementary learning.
- 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 to help your kids get started tapping into their creative writing vein and putting their thoughts on paper.
- Celebrate Summer with 6 Writing Prompts to help inspire your young writers.
- Read these Tips to Avoid Summer Learning Loss for additional resources.
- 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.
Math Summer Resources
Keep your kids’ math skills sharp this summer with math games, apps, and resources like these!
- CourseBridge – Bridge learning gaps easily this summer with this language arts and math curriculum designed specifically for summer learning and after-school supplementary learning.
- Time4MathFacts – perfect for brushing up on those facts during the summer!
- Unlock Math is an online math program that lets 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!
- Choose some of our Best Printables for Summer!
Nature Studies for Summer Learning
The summer is a fantastic time to try a unit study or two. These suggestions for nature studies are a great way to dive into an applicable seasonal topic that interests your child and keeps the learning going!
- FREE Summer Camp at Home by Homeschool.com
- New Plants Homeschool Unit Study by Homeschool.com
- Bird Homeschool Unit Study by Homeschool.com
- Weather Homeschool Unit Study 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
Online Tools for Summer Learning
Looking for ways to use the internet to your advantage this summer? These articles have you covered with some great ideas your kids are sure to love.
Science for Summer Learning
Do you have a budding scientist in your home? Use the summer for scientific experiments!
- Summer Science: SLIME Recipes Your Kids Are Sure to Love!
- Gummy Bear Osmosis Science Experiment
- Science Experiments for Kids Who Hate Science
- Forensic Science for Kids
- STEM Activities for Homeschoolers
- 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.
- The 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.
Special Education Summer Opportunities
Are you looking for resources for special education students? There are so many options out there for summer activities!
- 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
Summer Camp Books and Virtual Resources
Summer is a time when kids love to experience camps, whether they are day camps or overnight camps. Sometimes homeschooled children may be a bit apprehensive and not know what to expect. Here are some resources to help your kids be ready for summer camp! If that’s not in the books for this year, there’s even a link to do a summer camp at home!
- 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 is perfect for the whole homeschool family.
- Have a Charlotte Mason Summer
- Summer Homeschool Freebies
Travel with Kids During the Summer
Traveling is often top of the bucket list of summer activities. If you’re looking to take a trip this summer, here are some suggestions to help as you plan. If you can’t physically travel, take a virtual trip!
- 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!
