From their first dip in the deep end, to their first slumber party of the season, summer can be an incredible time of growth, connection and freedom for kids.
But how can you evoke the best the season has to offer when your kids are camped out at home?
Let’s take a look at five engaging summer activities you can do with your kids at home to keep the spirit of summer alive and well.
#1 Backyard Scavenger Hunt
Summer is the perfect time to explore, and a backyard scavenger hunt teaches kids to be close observers while fostering their appreciation for the great outdoors. Here’s how to make a memorable one:
- Create a list of items found in your local beach, park or even backyard. You can choose common items like feathers or mica sheet stones, or uncommon, hard-to-spot ones like monarch butterflies.
- Next, give kids a pail or paper bag to collect their items. If you like, you can even give them binoculars or magnifying glasses to scale their observation.
- Set a timer and, if necessary, appoint chaperones to ensure kids’ safety and keep time. If you have a large group, split kids into buddies or groups and make it a team effort.
Once the time is up, come together for a show and tell. You can even award a small prize to the team that finds the most objects on their list!
#2 Build Your Own Weather System
Take advantage of a sunny day by teaching kids about the earth’s water cycles.
For this simple and educational experiment, you’ll need:
- 2 sealable plastic bags (like Ziplocs)
- A permanent marker
- Water
- Strong tape
- Blue food coloring
- Tablespoon
- Some sand or dirt and rocks
Here’s how to do it:
- On a sunny morning, have the kids draw a scene on both plastic bags: a body of water, a sun, a rain cloud and rain.
- Next, fill your cup with water and add 1 droplet of blue food coloring.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the blue water to each plastic bag. If you like, add sand, dirt or rocks to one of them, then seal.
- Put one bag in a sunny spot and the other in the shade or indoors.
- In a few hours, check on both bags and note your observations.
In this experiment, kids will be able to observe the various parts of the water cycle in real time:
- Evaporation
- Condensation
- Precipitation
- Collection
#3 Sheet Cake World-Building
Take advantage of a rainy day to indulge kids’ sweet teeth and imaginations! Kids will love getting crafty in the kitchen with this colorful, delicious activity.
You’ll need:
- Cake mix
- Cake decorating items
- A sheet pan for baking
Depending on your group’s size, you might want to make 2 or 3 cakes and break kids out into groups. Have the kids use the edible items you have available to decorate the cake into a world of their own.
Here are some inspiring world ideas to get started:
- Atlantis
- Ancient societies
- Fairytale-inspired
- Monster madness
- Animal menagerie
Just be sure to leave room for dessert!
#4 Oobleck (Gesundheit!)
Oobleck—a zany hybrid between solid and liquid—will ignite kids’ tactile senses and scientific minds.
You’ll need:
- Cornstarch
- Water
- A small bowl
- A cup
- A fork
- A dropper
- A measuring spoon
Here’s how to do it:
- Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to your bowl and fill your cup with water.
- Using the dropper, add water from your cup to the cornstarch, drop by drop. You can let kids pass the dropper between one another, inviting them to observe as they go.
- Gradually, after about 20 drops have been added, ask one child to stir the cornstarch with a fork, crushing any clumps.
- Keep adding water. Once you’ve added around 150 drops, you should have a curious solution on your hands—oobleck!
Have the kids poke, prod and delight in the mysterious solution. To make it even more fun, add some food coloring and give each kid a bit to play with. Older kids and budding scientists will love to learn about this strange substance, known as a Non-Newtonian fluid—a type of substance that defies Newton’s laws of viscosity.
#5 Virtual Field Trips
If it’s not feasible or within your budget to venture abroad this summer, why not host a virtual field trip in your home? Have kids jot down their top 5 dream destinations on paper, then break out Google Maps and get to exploring. You can let them design their dream itinerary, or take them sight-seeing around the country of their choice.
To sweeten the deal, try creating a staple of the local cuisine in your kitchen for an exploratory lunch or dinner!
Take a Break from Boredom at Camp Galileo
If the kids are ready to break out of their normal routine this summer, there’s no better place to experience the extraordinary than Camp Galileo.
With more than 70 camp locations across the United States, Camp Galileo is where the next generation of innovators exchange ideas, create novel experiments and hit their stride. Our friendly educators inspire curiosity and engagement with inventive activities and exploratory exercises that help kids build connections for life.
From kindergarten to 8th grade, Camp Galileo provides kids with hands-on, educator-led STEAM activities, outdoor adventures and more. We also provide a Counselor In Training program for 8th-10th graders at select locations. Find a camp near you and spark something new this season.
Sources:
- Lohner Svenja, Science Buddies. “Make a Miniature Water Cycle Model”. Science Buddies. 18 May 2021. https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/water-cycle-in-bag?from=YouTube.
- Rowland Teisha, Science Buddies. “Oobleck: A Recipe for a Mesmerizing Mixture”. Science Buddies. https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/oobleck-colloid.
