Free Summer Homeschool Fun Activities & Planner to Help You Make It Special

Summer homeschool fun activities are fantastic ways to boost learning while still enjoying the season.

If you'd like to make the most of this special time of year in your homeschool, check out these summer learning themes AND FREE customizable planning pack to make it as easy and stress-free as possible.

Make This Summer Super Fun & Educational

WooHoo! Are you as excited about this summer as I am? It's such an awesome time to spend with kids (and sneak in a bit of learning fun).

This summer, my boys and I are taking a slightly different approach to our homeschool. We started year-round homeschooling a few years ago to accommodate our erratic schedule, as well as easily make it more relaxed and flexible.

For a few summers, we just kept right on with our homeschool curriculum with just a few extra breaks. As always, we celebrated fun days for kids.

After chatting about this past homeschool year, the boys and I decided that it would be super cool to have a summer full of one of our favorite ways to learn - themes!

You can consider themes to be like unit studies with ways to explore interests, dive deep, and easily add fun to your homeschool adventures.

Learning themes can make summer homeschool fun (if it's year-round homeschooling or if you need to do a bit of catch-up).

It doesn't have to be hard or unpleasant to keep the learning fun going through the summer.

In fact, adding fun themes that your kids can enjoy can make summer learning awesome.

There can be so many different reasons why you might want to plan and prepare for summer homeschool fun, like:

• Avoid summer brain drain
• Switch gears from your regular curriculum
• Give unit studies/theme-based learning a try
• Provide a bit of structure to your summer
• Complete some required subjects (like fire safety) *varies by state
• Enjoy creative activities with your kids
• Explore interests
• Add enrichment

No matter what your reason, you can be sure that your kids will learn a lot and have a blast!

Summer Homeschool Fun Activities & Themes to Make It Rock

Keep this summer fun and while you enjoy cool and creative themes.

It's can be like a homeschool summer fun camp!

You may want to stick with subjects your kids like (use the list of 99 Super Cool Summer Homeschool Themes + Ideas in the FREE Summer Homeschool Fun Activities Planner Pack to chat about ideas) OR just go with the themes that my boys and I have chosen 😊

(f you're not familiar with unit studies, learn more with this Free Simple Guide to Successfully Using & Planning Unit Studies.)

For this upcoming summer (2021), my boys and I will be enjoying these 9 fun summer homeschool themes.

Our 10th theme (and BONUS) will be Harry Potter Fun (because we ALWAYS celebrate the week before Harry Potter's birthday on July 31!).

For these themes, I've put together a list of ways to make it fun while learning (a lot like homeschool unit studies!).

So, of course, I had to share with you 😊

Remarkable Resources to Boost Summer Homeschool Fun with These Themes

You'll find a variety of resources for these fun summer homeschool themes. I chose resources based on the theme and what would be the most fun and exciting.

I offer these suggestions in case you need a bit of inspiration. Use our FREE Summer Homeschool Fun Pack pages to pick and plan what you enjoy with your kids.

** If you'd like to take your summer homeschool fun activities to the next level, make sure to check out our UNIT STUDIES for each theme!

These homeschool unit studies were selected for our summer learning fun because of their themes or if a special fun day is celebrated at this time. But, you can totally use these unit studies any time of the year that you want to make learning fun 🎉

1. Oceans for Summer Homeschool Fun

Did you know that World Oceans Day is on June 8? You could make it an entire week of learning fun about oceans during this week OR randomly pick a week out of the summer.

There are SO many ways to make it fun to learn about the oceans. Check out this FUN 🎉

And grab this Ocean Unit Study with 42 pages (unit study + activities pack)!

Books about the Oceans

The Big Book of the Blue (The Big Book Series)Ocean Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of the World under the SeaOcean!: Our Watery World as You've Never Seen it Before (Knowledge Encyclopedias)Ocean: A Visual EncyclopediaThe Ocean Book: Explore the Hidden Depth of Our Blue Planet (Lonely Planet Kids)Oceanology: The Secrets of the Sea Revealed

 

Games about Oceans

Ocean Bingo Board GameThe Young Scientist Ocean Animal Card Games, 4 Card Games in 1, Matching, Bingo, Memory, Trivia, Hands-On Educational Fun, Homeschool GamesLogic Roots Ocean Raiders Number Sequencing & Addition Game - Fun Math Board Game and STEM Toy for 5 - 7 Year Olds, Perfect Educational Gift for Kids (Boys & Girls), Home Schoolers, Kindergarten & UpRavensburger Ocean LabyrinthProf. Noggin's Life in The Ocean

 

2. Camping (+ Fire Safety)

Summer is the perfect time to have learning fun about camping and fire safety. Check out our NEW Camping + Fire Safety Unit Study!

Fire safety is a required subject to include in our homeschool porfolio in our state-Pennsylvania-so I'm always looking for creative ways to make it more fun.

Introduce (or get your kids excited about) camping. The Great American Backyard Campout is celebrated on June 22 so this theme can work well around this time of year.

This free pack of Community Helpers and How to Handle Emergencies is a great addition to this unit study, too!

Here are some cool resources to use when learning about camping and fire safety:

Books about Camping

The Camper's Survival Guide: Food Prepping, Gear, First Aid, Etiquette, and More!Camping & Survival: The Ultimate Outdoors BookThe Little Book Of CampingThe Lost Art of Reading Nature's Signs: Use Outdoor Clues to Find Your Way, Predict the Weather, Locate Water, Track Animals―and Other Forgotten Skills (Natural Navigation)Exploring Nature Activity Book for Kids: 50 Creative Projects to Spark Curiosity in the OutdoorsWould You Rather Book for Kids: Camping & Wildlife Edition - Fun, Silly, Challenging and Thought-Provoking Questions for Kids, Teens and the Whole Family

 

Books about Fire Safety

Dial 911! (Fire Safety)Fire! Fire!Fire Safety (First Step Nonfiction -- Safety)

 

Fun Games & Activities with Camping Themes

These summer camp video art lessons featuring chalk pastels are perfect for this theme!

Spot It! Camping PackCamp Board Game

 

Fire Safety Games for Kids

The Game Plan Game: Life Skills for Kids, Board Game, Kids Card Games Ages 4-10, Family Board Games, Problem-Solving, Feelings Management, Social Skills 2-8 Players

 

3. Ice Cream (+ Other Cold Sweet Treats)

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM!

Enjoy some special learning that helps you cool off in the summer heat. (And a special unit study about ice cream and more is coming soon!)

There are at least 4 different summer fun days with ice cream or other cold treat themes. Pick a week to learn about the history of ice cream, how it's made, and have some creative fun with it.

My boys and I will be enjoying these summer homeschool activities the week of July 11 through July 17. But, you can make it a special learning celebration any time of the year.

Books about Ice Cream and Other Cold Treats

Hello, My Name Is Ice Cream: The Art and Science of the Scoop: A CookbookCurious About Ice Cream (Smithsonian)Ice Cream: The Full Scoop

 

Games featuring Ice Cream and Such

Ice Cream Empire - a Fun Family Game! by Building a Business One Scoop at a Time, Children of All Ages and The Kids Inside Us All are Inspired to be Entrepreneurs Enjoying This Ice Cream Social Game!Petit Collage Ice Cream Social Matching Game – Cute Card Game for Kids for Ages 4-8 – Includes 52 Illustrated Ice Cream Cards, Ideal for 2-4 Players, Makes a Great Gift IdeaMCPINKY Ice Cream Game, Ice Cream Cone Playset Sweet Treats Ice Cream Parlour Toy Frozen Dessert Ice Cream Tower Balancing Game Pretend Play Food for Kids Birthday GiftIce Cream Scoops of Fun Kids Fisher-Price Board Game with Cards, Cups & Ice Cream Scooper Spinner, Gift for Pre-School Kids Ages 3 Years & OlderStack The Scoops Family Card Game - Fun Games for Family Game Night with Kids

 

4. Fourth of July Fun

WooHoo! My boys and I love to have all sorts of fun around the Fourth of July!

It's such a fantastic time of year to enjoy fun summer homeschool activities as you learn about the history of the United States.

We're planning an epic summer homeschool celebration from the week of June 27 to July 3. The boys and I want to prep ahead of time and make some special decorations while we're at it.

We'll be using our FREE Fourth of July coloring page plus books with resources found in our Fourth of July Mini-Unit Study.

5. Space for Summer Homeschool Fun

The solar system has always been one of our favorite topics to learn about in our homeschool.

And with a few super fun days featuring space, I just had to include this theme in our summer homeschool activities! (Plus, you'll be able to access this new unit study very soon!)

In addition to our free solar system cootie catcher, the boys and I will be using these space resources:

Books about Space

National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Space (National Geographic Little Kids First Big Books)Our Solar System: An Exploration of Planets, Moons, Asteroids, and Other Mysteries of SpaceSpace Atlas, Second Edition: Mapping the Universe and BeyondSpace!: The Universe as You've Never Seen It Before (Knowledge Encyclopedias)The Mysteries of the Universe: Discover the best-kept secrets of spaceSpace Dictionary for Kids: The Everything Guide for Kids Who Love SpaceThe Planets: The Definitive Visual Guide to Our Solar SystemSolar System for Kids: A Junior Scientist's Guide to Planets, Dwarf Planets, and Everything Circling Our Sun

 

Fun Solar System Games & Activities

My boys and I are excited to make this glow-in-the-dark solar system model.

Oh, and this solar system video art series is going to be a blast!

Sums in Space an Addition Subtraction Math Game for KidsQurious Space | STEM Flash Card Game | Explore, Match, Quiz & Spin Through The Universe. Perfect for Astronomy Fans and Future AstronautsSolarQuest The Space-Age Real Estate Game: Deluxe Edition - Space Adventure - Family, Children, Teens, Adults - Educational - Competitive - Object: to Monopolize The Planets of Our Solar SystemProfessor Noggin's Outer Space - A Educational Trivia Based Card Game For Kids

 

6. Harry Potter Birthday Fun

In our house filled with Potterheads, it's pretty much a requirement to celebrate Harry Potter's birthday (July 31).

(And I'll be sharing our special Harry Potter unit study very soon!)

The boys and I will be heavily dipping into our Ultimate Bundle of Harry Potter Activities. The bingo game (M-A-G-I-C), Patronus Picker, and grid art activities are already on our list. I have a feeling our Harry Potter celebration may spill over into the next week. And I'm totally A-OK with that 😉

Looking for some resources to boost your Harry Potter Birthday Fun? Here are our top recommendations:

Brilliant Books for Harry Potter Fun

Of course, the Harry Potter Series is perfect for this learning fun celebration!

Some other magical books you may want to include are:

Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-7)Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Guide to Diagon Alley and BeyondQuidditch Through the Ages: The Illustrated Edition (Illustrated edition) (Harry Potter)The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook: From Cauldron Cakes to Knickerbocker Glory--More Than 150 Magical Recipes for Muggles and Wizards (Unofficial Cookbook)The Unofficial Harry Potter Spellbook: Wizard Training: Black and White Version

 

Harry Potter Games & Activities

USAOPOLY Trivial Pursuit World of Harry Potter Ultimate Edition | Trivia Board Game Based On Harry Potter Films | Officially Licensed Harry Potter GameRavensburger Harry Potter Labyrinth Family Board Game for Kids & Adults Age 7 & Up - So Easy to Learn & Play with Great Replay ValueHedBanz Harry Potter Party Game for KidsHasbro Gaming Clue: Wizarding World Harry Potter Edition Mystery Board Game for 3-5 Players, Kids Ages 8 and Up (Amazon Exclusive)Scrabble World of Harry Potter Board Game | Official Scrabble Game Featuring Wizarding World Twist | Custom Harry Potter Game of Scrabble | Scrabble Tiles & Scrabble Board | Scrabble Word GameUNO Harry Potter Card GameTRIVIAL PURSUIT Harry Potter (Quickplay Edition) | Trivia Game Questions from Harry Potter Movies

 

7. Butterflies for Summer Homeschool Fun

Each year, my boys and I raise butterflies. Watching the process of a caterpillar transform into a butterfly is so fascinating! And it's such an easy way to get kids excited about learning. (We use Insect Lore Butterfly Garden Kit every year!)

When my boys were younger, I kept our butterfly studies simple. As the boys get older, it's so much fun to make it more challenging yet exciting.

We'll be using these resources to boost our summer homeschool fun with this butterfly unit study (coming soon!):

Butterfly Books

A Butterfly's Life Cycle (Explore Life Cycles)Butterflies for Kids: A Junior Scientist’s Guide to the Butterfly Life Cycle and Beautiful Species to DiscoverHandbooks: Butterflies & Moths: The Clearest Recognition Guide Available (DK Smithsonian Handbook)The Life Cycles of Butterflies (From Egg to Maturity, a Visual Guide to 23 Common Garden Butterflies)Butterflies: Their Natural History and DiversityMonarch Butterfly

 

Games for Fun with Butterflies

Lucy Hammett Games Butterfly Bingo Board GameButterfly Wings: A Matching GameAlex Craft Rock Pets Butterfly Kids Art and Craft ActivityCreativity For Kids Sparkle N' Grow Butterfly Terrarium - Steam Crafts For KidsButterfly Spoon Craft Kit -12 - Crafts for Kids and Fun Home ActivitiesFun Express Colorful Butterfly Counters - 100 Pieces - Educational and Learning Activities for Kids

 

8. Birds for More Summer Fun in Your Homeschool

Learning about birds is awesome! Ornithology (the study of birds) can be a fun theme for all ages.

Feeding and watching birds has always been a special pastime for our homeschool. Also, we have a gray cockatiel named Gandalf the Grey that we love to dote on.

I'm excited to dive deeper into our love of all things birds with these summer homeschool fun activities. (Unit study + bird activities pack coming soon!)

Books about Birds

Backyard Birds (Field Guides for Young Naturalists)National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 7th EditionMy Backyard Bird Book: Fun Facts & Surprising SecretsSmithsonian Handbooks: Birds of North America -- Eastern Region (Smithsonian Handbooks) (DK Smithsonian Handbook)The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Birds of the World: A Detailed Visual Reference Guide To 1600 Birds And Their Habitats, Shown In More Than 1800 Pictures

 

Games & Activities with Bird Themes

This backyard birds acrylic paints video art lessons series is going to be awesome for this summer learning theme! Or enjoy birds chalk pastels video art course.

Sibley Backyard Birds Matching Game: A Memory Game with 20 Matching Pairs for Children (Sibley Birds)Professor Noggin's Birds of North America - Educational Trivia Card Game for Kids - 180 Questions - Ages 7+Match a Pair of Birds: A Memory GameMasterPieces Audubon Bird Spotting Opoly GameWingspan Board Game - A Bird-Collection, Engine-Building Stonemaier Game for 1-5 Players, Ages 14+Birds of the World Top Trumps Card Game

 

9. Transportation (Planes, Trains, & Automobiles)

Since Aviation Day is August 19, I thought it would be awesome to have a summer learning theme of Transportation. Let's learn all about planes, trains, and automobiles!

As with all of the summer themes that I've added to this list, you can modify and enjoy this theme with all ages.

I've planned and organized this Transportation Unit Study (coming soon!) for our summer homeschool fun activities to use with these resources:

Books about Transportation

Transportation!: How People Get AroundCars, Trains, Ships, and Planes: A Visual Encyclopedia of Every VehicleNational Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Things That Go (National Geographic Little Kids First Big Books)Trucks, Trains and Big Machines! Transportation Books for Kids | Children's Transportation BooksNational Geographic Readers: TrainsRails Around the World: Two Centuries of Trains and LocomotivesDK Eyewitness Books: Train: Discover the Story of Railroads from the Age of Steam to the High-Speed Trains o from the Age of Steam to the High-Speed Trains of TodayThe Historical Guide to North American Railroads, 3rd Edition (Trains Books)Railroads Across North America: An Illustrated HistoryThe Great Railroad Revolution: The History of Trains in AmericaThe Science of Supercars: The Technology that Powers the Greatest Cars in the WorldCar: The Definitive Visual History of the AutomobileDK Eyewitness Books: Car: Discover the Story of Cars from the Earliest Horseless Carriages to the Modern SNational Geographic Readers: PlanesAircraft: The Definitive Visual History

 

Transportation-Themed Games & Activities

My boys and I will be having a blast with these rubber band car kits. Oh and these ultralight airplanes!

Ticket to Ride Rails & Sails Board Game | Family Board Game | Board Game for Adults and Family | Train Game | Ages 10+ | For 2 to 5 players | Average Playtime 60-120 minutes | Made by Days of WonderTicket to Ride First Journey Board Game | Board Game for Kids | Family Board Game | Train Game | Ages 6+ | For 2 to 4 players | Average Playtime 15-30 minutes | Made by Days of WonderThinkFun Rush Hour Junior Traffic Jam Logic Game and STEM Toy for Boys and Girls Age 5 and Up - Junior Version of the International Bestseller Rush HourThinkFun Rush Hour Traffic Jam Brain Game and STEM Toy for Boys and Girls Age 8 and Up – Tons of Fun With Over 20 Awards Won, International Bestseller for Over 20 YearsBattleship With Planes Strategy Board Game For Ages 7 and Up (Amazon Exclusive)

 

10. Sharks for Summer Homeschool Fun

Another super popular summer homeschool fun theme - SHARKS!

Shark Week on the Discovery Channel happens the week of August 9. So, I already have it in our homeschool planner for a special learning celebration.

The boys and I will be using our free shark coloring activities, NEW unit study and activities (coming soon!), and these resources:

Books about Sharks for Kids

Pocket Genius: Sharks: Facts at Your FingertipsSharkSuper Shark Encyclopedia (Super Encyclopedias)National Geographic Readers: Sharks! (Science Reader Level 2)National Geographic Kids Everything Sharks: All the shark facts, photos, and fun that you can sink your teeth intoFull Color Version WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SHARKS: Shark Language, Social Behavior, Human Interactions, and Life Saving Information

 

Games & Activities featuring Sharks for Kids

This sharks video art lessons series is a perfect addition to this summer learning theme.

Mattel Games UNO Card Game, Shark Week Theme, for 2 to 10 Players Ages 7 Years and OlderShark Bite -- Roll the Die and Fish for Colorful Sea Creatures Before the Shark Bites Game! by PressmanHoyle Sharks are Wild - Children's Sequencing Card Game - Ages 4-6 Multicolor, StandardSharkopolyMelissa & Doug Sunny Patch Spark Shark Toss and Catch Net Pool Game With 2 Balls

 

Boost Your Summer Homeschool Fun with Cool Themes & Activities!

Fill your homeschool summer with amazing learning adventures.

Grab this FREE Summer Homeschool Fun Activities and Planner Pack! Includes 20 pages to help you plan & prepare for amazing learning fun & more:

• Monthly planning (undated) on 2 pages for June, July, & August
• Monthly planning (3 vertical columns) for all 3 months - to make it easy to map out your summer homeschool fun
• Summer Homeschool Fun Weekly Planner (horizontal) - 1 page with Ideas ~ Materials ~ Notes & 1 blank page
• Summer Homeschool Fun Weekly Planner on 2 pages (blank)
• Summer Homeschool Fun Materials & Resources page (blank)
• Summer Homeschool Themes & Ideas (blank - so you can customize!)
• Summer Homeschool Fun Notes (so you can jot down activities & more - or let your kids fill out!)
• Summer Homeschool Fun To-Do List (blank)
• Projects, Fun Days, + Activities (blank)
• Chart (with subjects) for Summer Homeschool Fun (blank)
• Summer Homeschool Fun Theme Planner
• 99 Super Cool Summer Homeschool Themes + Ideas

Which of these summer homeschool themes do you think your kids will love the most? Any themes that you'd add to our list of 99 ideas?

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