Warm Weather Fun

Keep your child exploring and playing all summer long.

Ages

3-6

Warm Weather Fun

Even though your child might spend part of their day in a summer program, you can still seize the learning opportunities that arise naturally during the more leisurely summer months. Children continue to learn during the summer — just in a different way. Summer is an excellent time for doing some open-ended projects that reinforce what your child has learned throughout the school year.

Here are six ideas for creative, outdoor fun with your child on the next sunny day:

1. Take a hike. Plan a long walk together — perhaps along a trail or bike path. Bring along a pedometer, or enable the pedometer feature on your phone. At the end of the walk, ask your child to guess how many steps you've taken. 

2. Press flowers. Gather flowers (grasses and dandelions also work), self-adhesive clear vinyl paper, glitter, and scissors. Cut the clear contact paper into wide strips. Help your child peel off the backing and ask them to place the strips lengthwise in front of themselves, sticky-side up. Next, invite them to place flowers and grasses on the bottom half of the sticky vinyl. Encourage your child to add torn pieces of colored tissue paper or glitter around the design. Finally, ask your child to fold the top half of the vinyl down over the bottom half and press it in place. The pressed flower designs can be cut into strips for bookmarks or into large rectangles or ovals for placemats.

3. Create an ice painting. Make frozen paint by filling ice-cube trays with warm water and adding one-eighth teaspoon of powdered tempera paint to each cube section. Stir until paint is dissolved. Place an ice-cream stick in each cube, and freeze overnight. Cover a table with newspaper, and provide a pile of thick, white drawing paper. Pop a few cubes out of the tray, and invite children to hold the sticks and paint with the ice. As your child paints, they'll probably notice the cubes beginning to melt. Be sure to talk about what's happening to the ice. (Remind them these cubes are for painting, not eating.)

4. Make bubble prints. Mix one-half cup tempera paint with one-half cup detergent in a jug filled with water. Stir and let stand overnight. Take the jug outside and before dipping into the paint, practice blowing through a straw with your child. Ask them to place their hands at the end of the straw so they can feel the air exiting. Pour the paint mixture into a low pan or pie plate. Blow bubbles! When a mountain of suds forms, gently place a piece of art paper over the bubbles. As the bubbles pop, they leave an unexpected design on the paper.

5. Get down and dirty. Dress your child in old clothes so they can engage in messy, hands-on outdoor play. This casual approach allows children the freedom to experiment.

6. Explore the sun and shade. Take a walk around your backyard, park, or playground to see if there is enough shade. Then bring out some rope and a collection of old sheets. Invite your child to brainstorm ways to make a shade tent. Point out that they can watch how the sun moves throughout the day. Where is it shady in the morning and in the afternoon?

Plus, during summer — just like in any other season — you'll want to encourage your child to read. That may mean picking out read-aloud books and reading them together. With bigger kids, make time for independent reading.

Shop great books to read this summer below! You can find all books and activities at The Scholastic Store.

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Science & Nature Activities
Observation
Experimentation
Age 6
Age 5
Age 4
Age 3
Games and Toys
Outdoor Activities and Recreation