Do you need fresh ideas for summer activities? 😎
It’s easy to get stuck in a rut doing the same things every summer.
As a teacher or childcare staff member, you have the opportunity to provide meaningful experiences for the children in your care.
Summer is a wonderful time of year for infants and toddlers to explore and learn through creative play.
Promote their development and create lasting memories. Take a look at 8 exciting summer enrichment activities to use in the classroom! ☀️🏫
The Importance of Summer Enrichment Activities
Teachers play a critical role in the development of children, not just during the school year, but also during the summer months. It is essential to engage children in enriching activities during the summer to ensure that they continue to learn and grow, even when they are not in the classroom.
Let's dive into some reasons why summer enrichment activities are crucial for children!
Download our FREE teacher lesson plan template to design curriculum with ease!! ✍️
Avoid Summer Learning Loss
Summer learning loss is a phenomenon that occurs when children lose the knowledge and skills they gained during the school year because they are not engaged in educational activities during the summer.
This loss can be particularly significant for children from low-income families who may not have access to the same educational resources as their peers.
Engaging children in enriching activities during the summer can help prevent learning loss and ensure that they are ready to succeed when they return to school in the fall.
Promote Social and Emotional Development
Summer enrichment activities provide children with opportunities to interact with their peers and develop their social and emotional skills.
For example, outdoor activities like picnics and nature walks encourage children to work together, share, and communicate effectively. These activities can also help children develop empathy and emotional regulation skills, which are crucial for their long-term success.
Enhance Physical Development
Engaging lessons can help children develop their gross and fine motor skills. For example, water play and outdoor art activities require children to use their hands and bodies in new ways, promoting the development of their fine motor skills.
Similarly, activities like nature walks and gardening require children to move and explore their environment, promoting the development of their gross motor skills.
Encourage Creative Expression
Enriching summer activities provide children with opportunities to express themselves creatively. For example, outdoor art activities allow children to explore different materials and techniques, helping them develop their artistic skills and creativity.
These activities can also boost children's confidence and self-esteem as they discover new talents and abilities.
Child painting
8 Imaginative Summer Activities for Kids
Here are some summer activity ideas that are perfect for infants and toddlers.
1) Water Play: Water play is a classic summer activity that children of all ages love. For infants and toddlers, it can be as simple as filling a shallow basin with water and providing some cups and spoons for them to play with. You can also set up a small inflatable pool or sprinkler for them to splash around in. Water play is a great way to help children develop their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and sensory exploration.
2) Nature Walks: Summer is the perfect time to take infants and toddlers on nature walks. Even a short walk around the block can be a great opportunity for children to explore their surroundings, look for bugs, and collect leaves and other natural materials. If you have access to a nearby park or nature reserve, take advantage of it and plan a nature walk with the children in your care. Encourage them to use their senses to explore and describe what they see, hear, and smell.
3) Outdoor Art: Art activities can be done outdoors in the summer, providing children with a unique and inspiring environment to create in. Set up an outdoor art station with paints, chalk, and other materials for infants and toddlers to use. You can also encourage them to create art using natural materials like leaves, flowers, and rocks. Outdoor art activities help children develop their creativity, fine motor skills, and sensory exploration.
4) Sensory Bins: Sensory bins are a great way to provide infants and toddlers with a fun and educational activity. Fill a large bin with rice, beans, sand, or other materials, and provide spoons, cups, and other tools for children to explore and play with. Sensory bins are a great way to help children develop their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and sensory exploration.
5) Music and Movement: Music activities are great for infants and toddlers, as they help promote their physical development, coordination, and language skills. Play some music and encourage children to dance, clap their hands, and move around. You can also use scarves, ribbons, and other materials to create a sensory and movement experience.
6) Picnics: Picnics are a great way to enjoy the outdoors with infants and toddlers. Spread out a blanket and offer some snacks and drinks for children to enjoy. You can also incorporate some nature exploration by having a scavenger hunt for things like leaves, flowers, and rocks. Picnics provide children with a fun and social activity that also promotes their language and social skills.
7) Nutritional Summer Activities: Summer is the season for delicious fruits like watermelon, berries, and peaches. Cut up some watermelon and other fruits and provide them as healthy snack for infants and toddlers. You can easily use fruits in a cognitive game by writing out the names of each fruit on a notecard and helping your students match them!
8) Hands-On Gardening: Gardening is a great way to teach infants and toddlers about nature and encourage physical development. Plant some flowers or vegetables and involve children in watering and caring for them. You can also incorporate some sensory exploration by letting children touch and smell the different plants.
Tip: Tired of organizing activities by hand? Save time with digital lesson planning! Simply put the type of lesson, date, time, level of child’s engagement, and...
There you have it! A personalized record of each developmental activity that’s saved and stored on a child’s record for easy access. (Easy-to-use tech is the way to go)!
LineLeader Engage: Documenting each child's activity/mood
Start a new chapter with creative activities for summer.
Engaging children in enriching activities during the summer is essential for their development and success.
As a teacher, you have a unique opportunity to provide children with meaningful experiences that promote their physical, social, emotional, and cognitive growth.
By incorporating some of the activities mentioned above into your summer plans, you can help ensure that the children in your care continue to learn, grow, and thrive even during the summer months.
Want more amazing resources?
Download our FREE teacher lesson plan template to make designing outstanding curriculum a breeze! ✍️
Additional Blog Resources
- Learn how to create a positive classroom environment.
- Effectively ask your boss for new childcare technology.
- Discover how to get the resources you need from your center director.
- Infant nutrition is a tricky subject. Include balanced meals in the classroom!
- See exactly how to support emotional intelligence in children.
- Identify which modern resources educators need (and how to ask for them)!
- Understand effective ways to transform challenging behaviors in the classroom.
- Embrace inclusivity and diversity in education by taking a look at ways to celebrate pride month 2023.
