learning fun
21 Ways to Prevent Summer Slide
activities for kids
When school’s out for summer, it’s time for sunshine, sprinklers, and a well-deserved break.
But while the slower pace is a gift, those long weeks away from the classroom can lead to summer slide.
What is summer slide? It’s a common type of summer learning loss where kids forget important skills they worked so hard to build during the year.
The good news? You can prevent summer slide with simple, engaging activities that don’t feel like school at all. In fact, the best summer learning activities are the ones that feel more like play and less like worksheets.
Whether you’re a parent looking for fun ways to keep your kids learning over summer break, or a teacher hoping to support your students at home, this list is packed with easy, screen-free ideas designed especially for preschool, pre-K, and early elementary learners.
Here are 21 creative ways to prevent summer slide- and turn your summer into a season of fun and learning.
summer learning
Literacy
activities for kids
Literacy Activities to Prevent Summer Slide
Fun ways to build reading and writing skills all summer long!
1. Join a Summer Reading Challenge
A reading tracker or bingo board adds excitement to daily reading time! Let kids mark off books or minutes read, and offer small rewards to keep them motivated.
If you’d like a done for you Summer Reading Challenge-you can get one in my TPT store HERE.
2. Have a Daily Read-Aloud Time
Reading aloud-whether it’s a parent, sibling, or audiobook-boosts listening comprehension and vocabulary. Bonus points for using silly voices!
3. Visit the Library Weekly
Your local library is a goldmine of free summer learning. Explore themed book displays, story hours, and reading contests-plus it gives kids ownership of their reading choices.
4. Write and Illustrate a Summer Storybook
Staple blank paper into a book and let kids become authors! They can draw the pictures and write simple sentences or dictate them to an adult.
5. Do a Sight Word Scavenger Hunt
Hide flashcards around the house or yard, and have kids hunt and read them. You can also try “rainbow writing” each word with different colors.
6. Send Real Mail
Writing postcards or letters to friends, grandparents, or even their teacher is a meaningful way to practice writing-and brighten someone’s day!
summer learning
Math & Stem
activities for kids
Math & STEM Activities to Prevent Summer Slide
Hands-on ways to build number sense, and curiosity!
7. Cook Together Using Recipes
Baking and cooking are real-life math labs! Kids can measure ingredients, double recipes, and learn time management-all while creating something delicious.
8. Play Board Games That Use Numbers
Math skills get a workout through gameplay. Try classics like Uno, Yahtzee, Chutes & Ladders, or even a DIY number-based game with dice and tokens.
9. Start a Math Journal
Have kids draw or write one math problem a day. Keep it light: “We picked 8 flowers and gave 3 away. How many are left?” Encourage them to solve it with drawings, stickers, or manipulatives.
10. Try Simple Science Experiments
From growing a rainbow to making a volcano, science experiments build critical thinking and observation skills. Add a notebook to record predictions and results-hello, scientific method!
11. Use STEM Task Cards or Trays
Challenge kids to build specific designs with snap cubes, pattern blocks, or recyclables. STEM task cards are great for independent play with big learning benefits.
12. Build Outside with Natural Materials
Nature is the perfect STEM playground. Encourage kids to build towers with rocks, create patterns with leaves, or design a mini stick bridge over a puddle.
summer learning
Fine Motor
activities for kids
Writing & Fine Motor Activities to Prevent Summer Slide
Keep those little hands strong and those ideas flowing!
13. Keep a Summer Journal
A simple notebook becomes a treasure trove of memories. Kids can draw pictures, write a few words, or even dictate their thoughts to a grown-up. Try themes like “My favorite summer snack” or “What I saw on my walk.”
14. Make a Summer Bucket List
Let kids help plan their summer fun! Write out a list together, then check things off and write about each one afterward. It’s goal-setting and narrative writing rolled into one.
You can grab a FREE Summer Bucket List HERE!
15. Practice Name & Letter Writing
For younger learners, tracing and writing their names (and the letters in them!) builds confidence and prepares them for the next school year. Try writing in sand, shaving cream, or chalk for a sensory twist.
summer learning
creative play
activities for kids
Creative & Playful Learning Activities
Imagination is a powerful teacher-let’s put it to work this summer!
16. Create a Weekly Theme
Turn your summer into a series of mini-camps! Try themes like Dinosaur Week, Ocean Week, or Space Week. Read books, do crafts, and explore activities that tie in with each theme-bonus: it gives structure and variety to your summer days.
17. Play “School” or “Teacher”
Let your child be the teacher! They can “teach” their stuffed animals, younger siblings, or even you what they learned this year. Teaching reinforces knowledge and builds confidence.
18. Do Book-Based Crafts
Bring stories to life with hands-on fun. After reading a favorite book, make a craft inspired by the characters or setting. (Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar? Make a fruit collage!)
19. Keep a Nature Journal
Take learning outside! On walks or backyard adventures, have kids draw or label what they find-flowers, bugs, clouds, leaves. This builds observation skills, vocabulary, and curiosity all at once.
summer learning
Easy Wins
activities for kids
Easy Parent Wins for Preventing Summer Slide
Low-prep, high-impact routines that make a big difference!
20. Set a 15-30 Minute Daily Learning Time
Just a little bit each day goes a long way! Whether it’s a printable, a hands-on activity, or reading time, this short daily habit keeps brains in gear without overwhelming anyone.
21. Celebrate Progress Along the Way
Use sticker charts, printable certificates, or plan a small end-of-summer celebration to recognize your child’s learning journey. When kids feel proud of their effort, they’re more motivated to keep going.
Summer Learning That Sticks
Preventing summer slide doesn’t have to mean hours of worksheets or structured lessons.
With a little creativity and a whole lot of play, you can keep your child’s mind active all summer long-without missing out on any of the sunshine and snacks.
Whether you try all 21 ideas or just pick a few favorites, you’re doing something powerful: showing your child that learning is everywhere. And that makes all the difference.
