Whether you homeschool year round or take a break for the summer, the warmer months can provide many extra opportunities for summer learning for you and your children! I’ve compiled this list of ways you can incorporate these opportunities into your summer, and also linked to some pretty awesome ideas & sources to get you having fun and enjoying some restful learning:

Reading

I’m sure you knew I was going to start with this one, right? Summer is a great time to relax outdoors with a good book! If you’ve got a vacation planned, don’t forget to pack some books, and maybe play some audiobooks for the whole family on the road.

• Wellermama has a great list of Family Friendly Audiobooks for Long Car Rides.
• Libraries always have summer reading programs, so sign your kids up and check out a whole stack of books to enjoy.
• Simple Homeschool is running their own summer reading program based on Jamie Martin’s new book, Give Your Child the World (which I reviewed a few weeks ago). You can join The Read The World Summer Book Club by reading one book a week from a different part of the world.
• Lit Mama Homeschool also has ideas for keeping your children reading all summer!

Nature Study

Summer is a great time to get outside and learn about nature! After a cold and snowy winter, we are always grateful for the warm sun and green grass! So next time you head outside, grab a notebook and pencil (or if you are ambitious and artistic some watercolours!), some field guides, and stop and take a few moments to really notice the wonders of nature at your door!

• If you really want to be gung-ho with your nature study this summer, you can use it as the basis of a full summer curriculum of learning! Nature study really is a great option for a relaxed summer education!

• If you are planning a trip to the beach this summer, check out PatandCandy.com’s fabulous ideas for Beach School!

Gardening

Gardening provides a great opportunity for learning during the summer! It’s also a fun way for mamas to learn along with their children about planning, growth, pests, harvesting & preserving (that’s my favourite part!).

• Create a worm farm with your kids.
• Learn about composting.

Finances/Entrepreneurial Skills

• Have a yard sale and allow your kids to sell off their toys (now that sounds like a good idea!) and make a profit.
• Older kids can earn money through the sweat of their brow by mowing lawns and doing yard work in the neighbourhood. Even little kids can earn a few dollars by having a  lemonade stand!
• Don’t forget to introduce the concepts of spending, saving, and giving with their earnings!
• Amy from Life as Lanhams has a free e-book for your kids called Kid Execs to teach your child all about how to become a mini-entrepreneur.

Field Trips & Travel

• Geocaching is a great way to have fun close to home or while on the road with your family!  Enjoy adventure, nature, and teamwork! Amy from Life as Lanhams has ideas for geocaching with kids in her post, Geocaching Summer Learning Fun.
• Learn geography on the road by giving your kids roadmaps before a big trip and letting them help you plot the route.

2016 Olympics

Your kids will probably be excitedly following their favourite athletes/sports in the upcoming 2016 Olympics in Brazil next month, why not add a little extra learning to all that TV viewing? Capitalize on their interest by introducing a little background information regarding ancient Greece and the history of the Olympics, as well as the geography & culture of this year’s host country, Brazil.

• Mother Nature Network has a comprehensive list of ways you can sneak some summer learning into your Olympic viewing with your children and learn geography, math, history, social studies, reading, and science.
• Jamie Martin of Simple Homeschool also has a list of ideas for learning alongside the Olympics, as well as a list of Olympians who were homeschooled! How cool is that?!
• Check out Homeschool Share for unit study and free Olympic & Brazil lapbooks.
• Have an Olympic themed family dinner. You’ve got to check out Michelle’s flag pizzas and other dinnertime Olympic ideas at MichellePaigeBlogs.com!

The possibilities for learning and fun are endless, but the summer is short — so make good use of it! What learning opportunities have you had so far this summer?

Click the button below and find out what the other members of The Canadian Homeschool Blogging Team have to say about Summer Learning!

This post is linked up on Trivium Tuesdays.