10 Unusual Summer Homeschool Ideas + Printable Activities

If you’re looking to keep the learning going during the summer months, I have several unusual summer homeschool ideas to make learning fun and engaging. We love our summer days, but during the heat of the day, my kids want to be inside. And after their obsession with screens became a problem last summer, I decided we needed something else to do during our days. 

So we jumped into Summer schooling. The kids weren’t that thrilled with the idea of summer school, but after a few days and some creative twists, they soon realized learning could be fun! The best part of homeschooling is flexibility, and that includes your lesson plans! 

Summer schooling doesn’t have to be fancy or elaborate. The important thing is to make it fun and incorporate learning into some of the activities they already do on a regular basis. These are some of our favorite ways to homeschool over the summer. Use these different ways to create a summer schedule that helps you coast into the next school year.

10 Unusual Summer Homeschool Idea

Summer homeschooling doesn’t have to intimidating or overwhelming. In fact, you can create a relaxed schedule (which is actually a good idea) and use this time to work at a slower pace while working on (or reviewing) much of what may have already been covered in your traditional school year. There are different things you can do and lots of educational opportunities with these different activities listed below.

Don’t miss our FREE Summer Fun Pack at the bottom of this post!

Create a summer reading program

Keep your kids reading all summer long by creating a summer reading program. Assign them books to read or a set amount of time to read each day. You can even take it a step further and have read aloud time each day! 

Go stargazing

Summertime is a great time to go stargazing! You can teach your kids about planets and stars, and even help them find them in the night sky! If you don’t have good visibility from the yard, try visiting a planetarium for a better view.

Get in the water

Swimming could certainly count for P.E., but you can use that time in the water to teach your kids swim lessons or create water-based activities for them. You can also do similar activities on the beach as well! You may even be able to find summer camps that teach swim lessons. Don’t forget to check out all our other summertime printables!

Go bird watching

Bird watching is a great way to get outdoors and enjoy nature with your kids! Create bird feeders to attract birds, and learn about them! Do some research and see if you have a bird sanctuary nearby if you don’t want to attract them to your yard. We’ve got some amazing bird watching printables – Check them out!

Use arts and crafts to teach lessons

Learn about bugs and flowers by making your own crafts with your kids! While your kids are crafting, choose crafts that are educational too! Allowing your children to explore their creative side is a great way to homeschool over the summer.

Get into the garden

Summertime is a great time to get into the garden and get your hands dirty! Take this time to teach your kids about important lessons like plant life cycles and the soil during their time in the garden. Download our Plant Life Cycle Lapbook or any of our garden printables!

Visit the library

Libraries usually have a ton of great reading programs over the summer! While this might sound like the last place to go, this can be a great way to add in some learning on those hot or even rainy days. Even if you can’t visit your local library in person, many offer online books and services that allow you to checkout books online and read on-the-go!

Use road trips as chances to learn

Road trips are a great way to teach your kids about the world and unique places in it! Visit towns and learn about history while you’re there! Take advantage of your travel time to do quizzes about where they are or what road signs mean too! And yes, this also includes field trips! 

Build something together

Your kids can do STEM activities that go far beyond the classroom table! Help them build a slip-n-slide, giant Jenga, or other activities that they can play with! Check out our brick building challenge packs to get their creative juices flowing!

Go to the movies

Many theaters have special discount days or dollar days over the summer. They also use the time kids have off of school to show a variety of films including the new ones that hit theaters. Have you checked out all our movie studies? Download your favorites today!

Incorporate a little Summer Learning Fun

Summertime is the perfect opportunity to help your kids do some light learning, while working on essential life skills. This Summer Fun themed Following Directions Pack is perfect for little ones to practice their reading skills as well as following instructions. Download your FREE activity pack today!