Summer is a magical time for early years children, filled with endless opportunities for play, exploration, and learning. With the warm weather and long days, it’s the perfect season to engage your little ones in activities that stimulate their minds and bodies.
At Devon Nurseries, we’ve come up with a variety of summer activities for early years, from outdoor adventures to creative indoor projects. These activities are designed to be fun, educational, and easy to set up.
1. Nature Scavenger Hunt
When the sun is shining (which isn’t always guaranteed in summer), it’s a great idea to make the most of that nicer weather and get out into the natural world. Scavenger hunts provide a lot of fun and can be made season-specific by highlighting the different plants and animals you may come across throughout the year.
Create a list of natural items for your child to find, such as a feather, a yellow flower, or a smooth stone. This activity not only keeps kids engaged but also helps them learn about the environment and its changes. Make it relevant to the summer months by including plants and flowers that are coming into bloom to make your emerging discoveries extra exciting.
2. Outdoor Science Experiments
Sunny days are the perfect time for learning about science in fun ways. An interesting way to learn about solids and liquids is to freeze some water in a lolly mould or ice tray and then put the frozen water in the sun to watch it melt!
You can also put out other items to work out what melts and what doesn’t. Try placing things like an ice cube, a wooden toy, a crayon, a cube of butter, a penny, and a square of chocolate in each hole of a cupcake tray and see which things have melted and which have stayed solid after spending time in the sun.
On indoor days you can opt for simple experiments, like mixing baking soda and vinegar to create a fizzy reaction, which can help introduce basic scientific concepts in a fun and engaging way.
3. Water Play
If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, set up a small pool or a water table. Add toys like boats, cups, and sponges for endless splashing fun. Water play is excellent for sensory development and keeping cool. You could also introduce bubbles or even ice to get your little one’s imagination firing as they make pretend soups and magic potions!
You could also take things a step further and have some fun with water balloons or running through a hose/sprinkler.
Check out our guide on the other benefits of outdoor play for early years to learn more about how this time spent outside can be valuable.
4. Picnic in the Park
For many of us, summer is synonymous with a trip to the park or beach with a tasty picnic in tow. Compile the perfect picnic for the kids with a big blanket to spread out, plenty of bite-sized, homemade snacks and some outdoor activities to while away the afternoon.
Games with frisbees, treasure hunts or relay races can be great if you’re part of a bigger group. Coordinating with friends and families for a joint picnic can also be good for actively encouraging social skills and bonding in a new environment.
5. Cooking and Baking Together
Involve your child in simple cooking and baking activities like making cookies, cupcakes, jelly, and ice lollies. Measuring ingredients and following recipes can teach maths, science, and fine motor skills.
Making frozen banana lollies is a fun way to make a cooling summer treat that the little ones can get involved with too. All you need to do is put half a peeled banana on a lolly stick, dip in melted chocolate and decorate with sprinkles, or your favourite toppings. Pop in the freezer on a tray for 2 hours, or until frozen.
6. Gardening
Give your child a small patch of the garden or a special planter pot to plant seeds and watch them grow. Gardening teaches responsibility, patience, and the basics of plant growth. Plus in the summer, you’ll probably need to be more proactive about watering your garden plants, which provides a good opportunity to reinforce lessons about care and consistently looking after things.
Tomatoes are a great plant to grow in the summer – and everyone can reap their tasty benefits! Other good plants to start sowing at the beginning of summer include green beans, sunflowers and strawberries.
7. Summer Arts and Craft Projects
Set up a crafting station with paper, glue, crayons, and other art supplies to use over the summer. Encourage your child to create their masterpieces, whether it’s painting, drawing, or making collages.
Together you can work on summer-inspired projects, like making cork sailing boats to float on the water or painting rocks and shells with summery scenes. Make use of used popsicle sticks and paint them or glue them together to build little houses, boats or whatever your little one can imagine!
8. Storytime and Puppet Shows
Read your child’s favourite books and then use puppets or toys to act out the stories – perfect during the evenings before bedtime or on rainy days! This helps to develop language skills and imagination.
Combine this with an arts and crafts day and make your own puppets and scenery before putting on your own show!
9. Outdoor Obstacle Course
Use outdoor toys, skipping ropes, and sports equipment to create a fun and engaging obstacle course in the garden or at the park.
On hot days you could also incorporate water tasks, involving paddling pools or carrying small buckets of water from one point to another.
Why not join in with your child for some bonding time? If your child gets bored, just switch the course around – there are endless ideas!
Summer is the perfect time to engage young children in a variety of activities that are both fun and educational. From outdoor adventures and creative indoor projects to learning activities and social-emotional development, there are countless ways to make the most of the summer months.