School’s Out For Summer! 🎉
Summer break is all about soaking up the nice weather and having fun. We count down the days, waiting for that final bell to ring, our heads filled with grand plans of family time. The days are long and the possibilities are endless…but inevitably, at some point we will hear the words that leave parents longing for the first day of school, “I’m Bored”.
We’re here to help you beat the dog days of summer with a list of super fun activities that will keep your kids entertained for hours and even sneak in a little STEAM education into their summer days.
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Build a DIY Bike Wash
Encourage your kids to get those bikes ready for their summer rides by building a ride through bike wash. Kids will learn engineering skills as they turn PVC pipes, pool noodles, and hoses into the ultimate sprinkler system. Challenge your crew to draft a plan and map out what materials they may need. Set them loose with some duct tape and watch as they soak themselves in the pursuit of the perfect bike wash. Check out Design Mom for some helpful hints on building this water feature that will keep kids cool all summer.
Egg Drop Challenge
Gather your neighborhood kids and invite them to learn about gravity as they take on this classic challenge. All you need are some eggs and miscellaneous household items. Challenge the kids to create the ultimate vehicle to deliver their egg to the landing zone in tact. If you want to avoid a mess you can lay down a tarp or just perform this on a hot day and lead into our next activity. Check out additional tips from The Museum of Science and Industry.
So Hot You Could Fry An Egg
Get use out of those cracked eggs from the egg drop challenge by attempting to prove just how hot it is outside. This science experiment has been a summer pastime for over 100 years and it still cracks us up. (see what we did there?) On a scorching day, set up your fry station and get cracking. Some people like to pre-heat a pan in the sun before adding the egg, some like to use the sidewalk or pavement. Try out different surfaces and note the differences. (WARNING- don’t do this on your car! It will strip that paint right off.) Whatever your method, don’t expect this to happen instantly. Even on the hottest of days this will take about 20 minutes.
Host A Lemonade Stand
This classic summer activity can keep kids entertained all day, if not for a few days. Grab some supplies next time you are at the store and put those kids to work. Kids will hone their math skills as they sell their wares and make change. They will also build some entrepreneur skills by building their business, dealing with competition and marketing their goods. Encourage them to expand their business by adding new product lines and taking advantage of events with heavy foot traffic.
Sidewalk Murals
Get your art lesson in and decorate the neighborhood by creating chalk murals. All you need for this is a box of sidewalk chalk and an imagination. You can tape off patterns to create a color block mosiac design or follow this tutorial to create your very own 3-D chalk art!
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STEAM Summer Camp
If you are looking for a little more hands-off for you, hands-on for them STEAM fun, enroll your child in a fun and educational summer camp. Not only will they have the chance to meet new friends but they will secretly be learning a bit in the process too. Snapology has tons of locations that offer camps featuring everything from themed building and engineering activities to robotics and animation.
Seed Bombs
Seed bombs are a fun activity with the added benefit of delivering some beauty to your neighborhood. Check out this seed bomb tutorial and get to work. Use vegetable seeds to start your garden or wildflowers to beautify an otherwise ignored space.
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Create The Perfect Bubble Juice
Blowing bubbles in the summer is a right of passage but those little bottles don’t last forever, nor do they produce the ultimate bubbles that really impress. Try creating your own concoction and experiment with different ingredients to find the perfect solution. Believe it or not, a little Karo syrup may just be the sweet secret to success. Check out these recipes or create your own. Be sure to share you secret mix in the comments.
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Does It Float?
Create your own summer game show by asking the question, “Does It Float?” Ask kids to experiment with household materials to create a seaworthy vessel. Try materials like popsicle sticks, paper, sponges or plastic. They can simply float their creations or take it to the next level by adding some weights or even a propeller mechanism and racing their watercraft.
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A Classic Mentos Challenge
Time to dive into some chemistry with the classic Diet Coke and Mentos experiment. Be sure to keep a close eye on the kiddos during this one as this combination can pack quite a punch. To start open up a new bottle of Diet Coke. Place it somewhere flat and out of the way- because the radius is going to get sticky! Put the open end of a tube of mentos on a card and place that on top of the bottle. Remove the card and STAND BACK! Learn more about the science behind this experiment here.
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We All Scream For Ice Cream
It’s not summer without ICE CREAM and there is nothing better than making your own. Luckily it’s pretty easy to do! There is no need for an ice cream maker, all you need is a plastic bag, some ice and salt. You can follow this basic recipe and then add your own flair. Note how adding more ingredients changes how long the ice cream takes or the consistency. Once you have this method down, host your very own Ice Cream Social to celebrate all the things your kids have learned this summer!
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Comment below to let us know how many items you’ve checked off this list and be sure to share these ideas with those parents just bracing for the first “I’m Bored” of the season.
