Siena Blog

Fun Summer Activities for Students

Another summer is here, and parents might be looking for good activities to both engage their children and give a little bit of structure to the days and weeks ahead.

Ideal summer activities for school-age children often entail movement, creativity, and interactivity; they might also be multisensory and tactile to further engage children’s brains and alleviate boredom.

Scheduling some regular activities has the dual benefit of keeping children active and giving their summer days some structure. Many studies have shown the benefits of structure for children, especially those with ADHD. ADDitude has some good resources for daily schedules for parents and children to adapt for the summer.

Ideas for Indoor Activities 

• Take a trip to your local library and get a bunch of books—mix in some old favorites with new ones to keep children reading
• Pick a book or two to write or imagine a prequel, sequel, or other extension of the story as a creative exercise 
• Take on some Lego challenges inspired by Lego Masters builds (see also their Lego YouTube Channel)
• Make fidgets from Lego or other materials (these can also help with focus and anxiety management throughout the year)
• Try some fun DIY crafts, repurposing, and upcycling of various materials around the house 
• Enjoy some age-appropriate baking or cooking projects and turn your kitchen into a Mini Master Chef 
• Have a family dinner and a movie marathon—maybe with food from your Mini Master Chef kitchen
• Try some at-home science experiments, such as these suggestions from Good Housekeeping, Tinybeans, and SplashLearn
• Make slime or homemade play dough
• Create some DIY board games, paper airplanes, musical instruments, and more
• Design a puzzle scavenger hunt with clues to find certain pieces—parents and children can even take turns!

Ideas for Outdoor Activities 

• Let children practice outdoor art with some sidewalk chalk, finger painting, fence painting, or tie-dyeing 
• Plan a backyard camping night
• Cool off and engage the senses with outdoor water fun
• Experiment with some backyard science—see Steam Powered Family and Childhood 101 for good ideas 
• Have children design a DIY scavenger hunt or obstacle course to exercise their creativity and their bodies 
• Make (or expand) a backyard garden 
• Build a birdhouse or bird feeder and keep a list of which kinds of birds visit
• Take regular walks and create nature collages based on what children see and find

Whether they’re happening indoors, outdoors, or in both places, hands-on activities like these provide opportunities for creativity, imagination, and exploration. They not only keep kids occupied but also allow them to develop various skills while having a great time with their families and/or friends.

Resources for Fun Summer Activities 

See these resources for additional activities and ideas to keep school-age children engaged this summer:

• Ann Dolin of Educational Connections recently shared this post with 10 Writing Activities for Kids This Summer, which includes suggestions for elementary, middle, and high school ages.
• 100 Summer Fun Ideas for Kids and Parents (Very Well Family)
• 24 Low-Cost Summer Activities for Kids (Parents)
• 20 New Ideas and Activities to Try This Summer (PBS KIDS for Parents)
• Get Ready for Summer! Ideas for Teachers to Share with Families (Reading Rockets)

Last summer, Siena’s blog featured pieces on summer reading ideas for elementary, middle, and high school ages and tech skills to practice over summer break.

The Siena School proudly serves students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences in grades 3-12 on campuses in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Oakton, Virginia.