It’s important for teens to keep their brains active during the summer break to prevent learning loss, but incorporating learning doesn’t mean confining kids to their desks with monotonous worksheets. On the contrary, summer learning should be exciting and infused with spontaneity! It’s about embracing enjoyable and unexpected opportunities to explore, discover, and learn.
Below are some ideas on how to make the summer break an engaging and memorable experience for your children.
1. In-Person Summer Camps
Participating in a summer camp is an excellent way for kids to stay active and keep their brains engaged. From classic sports and games to arts & crafts, camps offer a variety of activities that stimulate both body and mind. Looking for an immersive experience? Sleepover camps provide a unique opportunity for kids to build independence, friendships, and lifelong memories. While they may require a bigger investment, the value they offer goes beyond the price tag.
2. Virtual Summer Camps
Summer camp doesn’t necessarily require leaving your house. There are many virtual camps kids and teens can attend that enrich their learning. For example, Write the World’s Virtual Summer Writing Camp for teens, founded by a Harvard alum, empowers the next generation of wordsmiths through a series of weekly writing themes. Campers across the globe will learn from notable authors, editors, and educators; these camps are open to all levels of writers, ages 13 – 19.
Here’s a 2024 Virtual Summer Camp Guide for more options.
3. Word of the Day
This is an easy and fun way to enrich vocabulary during the summer days. Begin each morning by selecting a Word of the Day. Share the chosen word with your children, including its pronunciation, definition, and an example sentence illustrating its usage. The challenge for the day is for them to use the Word of the Day at least twice, and in the evening, they can attempt to spell it. This activity adds a touch of vocabulary exploration and spelling practice to your daily routine, making learning engaging and interactive during the summer break.
4. Scavenger Hunt to Reveal Surprise Plans
For an exciting way to reveal your summer plans, create a scavenger hunt right at home, where the ultimate surprise awaits — from a fun day trip to a grand vacation. Begin by creating ten clues, with each clue leading to a hiding place within your home where the next clue awaits. It’s best to write all ten clues on separate pieces of paper and number them accordingly. For younger children, rhyming clues can add an extra element of fun. For example: “Find the clue where dreams take flight, where pillows and blankets hug you tight.” Older kids and teens may be up for more challenging clues involving spelling a word and using it in a sentence, solving a math problem, or answering a riddle. For example: “What is 1+ 2 x 3 + 4? Solve this first, then go to the most common door.”
5. Reading Programs
A great place to find a summer reading program is your local library. Imagination Soup has a list of summer reading programs for kids. You can also do a DIY summer reading challenge where kids earn prizes for finishing books. A Sprinkle of Joy has a free summer reading challenge printout of a path made up of squares. Simply fill in select squares with prizes; when your kid reaches that square, they win the corresponding reward. For younger children, simple prizes can include having breakfast for dinner, going out for ice cream, enjoying a family movie night, or even staying up an hour past bedtime. For teens, the prizes can cater to their interests and age group. Consider prizes like organizing a sleepover with friends, going mini golfing, visiting a museum, attending a concert, receiving a gift card to their favorite store, hosting a pool party with friends, and more.
6. Summer Contests
There are writing contests, reading contests, and more for kids to enter – many even have cash prizes. We Are Teachers has an amazing list of contests for kids and teens. These contests provide a platform for young individuals to unleash their creativity, express their thoughts, and potentially earn recognition and rewards for their exceptional efforts.
7. Talk a Topic
This is an easy activity that can take place anywhere, whether you’re sitting in the car or waiting in line. First, ask your child to choose a topic. Once chosen, engage in a round-robin conversation where everyone takes turns sharing their knowledge about the selected topic. For example, if the topic is “growing up in the 90’s”, Mom may say, “We had phones in the house with very long cords that would reach other rooms. If you were on the phone and someone else called, they got a busy signal unless you had the feature of call waiting.” Your teen might respond, “Kids loved watching MTV and learned about new song releases this way.” When you have nothing else to offer, search for more information on the topic and read about it. Encourage your older children to read aloud.
8. Cooking and Baking
Cooking and baking provide a fantastic opportunity to experiment with new cuisines, promote healthy eating, and even incorporate math skills! Challenge your teenager to use only a ¼ teaspoon and a ¼ cup while preparing the recipe. For instance, if the recipe calls for 1.5 teaspoons of cocoa powder, they’ll need to calculate how many ¼ teaspoons make up 1.5 teaspoons. Start by listing out the conversions and double-check them to ensure a successful outcome for the recipe.
9. Math Apps
Embrace screen time by turning it into an opportunity for math practice! Id Tech created a great list of math apps for kids and teens. Explore their curated list to discover engaging apps that make learning math a fun and interactive experience.
10. Collaborative Storytelling
Have some family fun with storytelling! Start a collaborative story by having someone in your family write two lines. Then, pass it on to the next person, who adds their own two lines to the story. This activity is inclusive, so even young children who can’t spell yet can participate by expressing what they want to say, and it’s always enjoyable when everyone joins in. Set an end date for the story, perhaps after a week or even a month. Finally, gather together and read the complete story aloud for a memorable experience.
11. Create a Gratitude Journal
This is an excellent way to ground kids and foster positive mindsets. With its relaxed atmosphere, summer break provides the perfect opportunity to reflect on the things that matter most. Encourage kids to create a gratitude list, encompassing small joys like watching birds from the back deck to bigger experiences like traveling on a cruise. Each day, they can add new items of gratitude to the list. For older children, another approach is to maintain a gratitude journal in which they write a few paragraphs about what they are grateful for, allowing for deeper reflection. At the end of the summer (typically ten weeks), if they write every day, they will have reflected upon 70 things they are grateful for. Feeling down? Simply read through your gratitude journal to feel better almost instantly.
12. Book-to-Movie Comparison
This activity is enjoyable for experienced readers, particularly teenagers, although younger kids can also participate with the help of an adult or older sibling who can read for them. The process is simple: start by reading the book (reading it first is ideal as it provides more detail and allows your imagination to create vivid scenes based on the text). Then, gather your family and watch the movie adaptation together. Finally, engage in a discussion about the story. Explore the similarities and differences between the book and the movie. Share your thoughts on which version you prefer and why. It’s a great way to analyze storytelling mediums and spark meaningful conversations among family members.
13. Where’s My Book?
This activity is enjoyable for teenagers who are active on social media. Alternatively, parents can post on behalf of their kids on their social profiles to engage them in the fun. Take a photo of a book your child is reading (the photo can include just the book or the child plus the book). Make it more engaging and have your followers guess where you are (give a clue in the caption). After a few days, comment on that post and share where your book is. This not only shows friends which books your kids are reading but also showcases where their summer adventures are taking them.
14. Puzzle Solving
This is one of the best ways to exercise the brain. Kids can solve puzzles through an app, free puzzle printouts found online, board games, video games, and even experiences like an Escape Room.
15. Start a Business
Starting a summer business involves many facets of learning, from creative brainstorming, pricing and math, writing proficiency, and more. For example, this teen entrepreneur made $10,000 designing stationery. Kids can also offer service-based businesses such as pool cleaning or plant watering. Did you know kids can even make money scooping poop? Check out this list by Self-Sufficient Kids of 70+ ideas on how kids and teens can make money starting a business over the summer.
16. Invent a Game
Put on your thinking caps! Board games are fun, but let’s kick it up a notch by designing your very own game. Encourage your teen or child to think of a game concept, then write out the rules, create the props or pieces needed, and play all together.
17. The Name Game
This is a favorite game when you need to make time pass by – perfect for long car rides. Swap the “Are we there yet?” question with the Name Game. Decide on a topic – with younger children, choosing a broad topic like “Places” works well, or if playing with teens, narrow it to “US States” or “Beach Towns.” The game begins with one person stating an answer, such as “Cape Cod.” The next player then takes the last letter of the previous answer and uses it as the first letter of their answer. For instance, “Destin.” The game continues with the next player using the letter “n” to come up with a word like “Naples.” The game can go on indefinitely, but if someone gets stumped, their turn is skipped. After three skips, that player is eliminated from the game. The last person remaining is declared the winner. Alternatively, you can play the game without a winner and focus on helping players who get stuck. However, make sure to check if they want assistance before offering an answer on their behalf.
18. Experiences Instead of Things
This is one of our favorite family mottos: Experiences instead of Things. What will we remember more? Our possessions or our adventures? In today’s world, we have gadgets for everything to add comfort and convenience to our lives. Instead of getting more toys, new clothes, or the latest video games, create an experience instead. Visiting as many museums as possible, delighting in a beach sunset, and, of course, traveling to different places are all at the top of the experience list.
19. Learn a New Skill
Make your college and job applications stand out by listing additional skills. From mastering a new language to honing logo design skills and even learning how to set up a website, there are numerous platforms available, both free and paid, offering self-paced courses to cater to your interests and needs. Engaging in these opportunities shows a willingness to go above and beyond along with taking initiative in pursuing continuous learning. Here are the best premium and free online course platforms.
20. Play Cribbage
Cribbage is a card game that provides an excellent platform to practice addition, counting, and additional math skills as players strategize to reach a certain number of points using various card combinations. Playing Cribbage and other card games is a fantastic summer pastime that requires nothing more than players and a deck of cards to enjoy. Here are 23 more card games to play as a family.
21. Hiking Trails
Many families discovered local hiking trails during the 2020 lockdowns. The AllTrails app will show you hiking trails nearby and offer details such as difficulty levels and hiker photos. Hiking exercises the brain as well as the body. Getting active each day increases learning, focus, and retention. After reviewing 14 studies involving children ranging in age from 6 to 18, Think Neurology concluded that the more physical activity children have, the more likely they are to do better academically.
22. Write a Review
Writing a positive review not only helps kids improve their writing skills but also helps businesses in a big way. Love a restaurant? Visit a great museum? Stay in an amazing resort? Local businesses greatly benefit from positive reviews. Encourage children to leave reviews on Google and Facebook, and consider adding photographs to complement the reviews.
23. Write a Letter
Handwritten letters don’t have to be a thing of the past. “The first ever handwritten letter was thought to have been sent by the Persian Queen Atossa in around 500 BC, according to the ancient historian Hellanicus. Their popularity as a way of sending messages grew as more people became literate.”
It’s interesting to note that 64% of people won’t write a single letter over the course of a year. However, 69% of people say that receiving a handwritten note would mean more to them than an email or text. Teens and kids can write letters to distant relatives, to celebrities they like as fan mail, or even to their future selves. Imagine Forest shares 32 letter writing prompts for teens here.
24. Write Your Resume and/or College Essay
Summer presents a perfect opportunity for teenagers to work on their resumes and college application essays. Resume Genius has resume templates for teens with excellent tips on writing and designing their first resume. Write the World offers a low-cost college essay workshop and a college essay review service. Our staff of Ivy League instructors teaches how to develop, write, and edit the perfect essay, all the way from rough idea to final submission. What better time to write your college essay than by the pool or in the hammock during summer break?
25. Start Saving Money
It’s exciting for kids to calculate how much they can make by saving money at a young age. For example, ask them to calculate how much money they would accumulate if they started saving $100 a month until age 50. Play with lower and higher amounts. Then, have them use a Roth IRA calculator to show how compound interest works.
While summer is typically associated with a more relaxed schedule and later bedtimes, it’s beneficial to incorporate some learning activities to keep your children’s brains active and stimulated. How do you add fun learning to your teen or student’s summer?
For exciting workshops that teens can do from the comfort of their own homes, check out our line-up of summer writing camps!
Written by:
Janelle Milanes
Janelle is an educator and writer whose novels have been featured in the New York Times book review and listed as part of Bank Street College’s Best Children’s Books. Originally from Miami, Florida, she received her BA in English Literature at Davidson College. Her passion for writing led her to New York City to work at Simon & Schuster, where she gained experience in editing and educational marketing. After publishing, Janelle pursued a Master’s degree in Special Education and taught in K-12 schools for ten years. She has since hosted writing workshops and mentored hundreds of students to help them achieve postsecondary success. Her experience in education and in narrative writing has equipped her to guide young writers at Write the World through the college essay process and empower them to share their stories in the best light possible.
