Are you ready to launch some fun summer projects – what about ones that are a bit unusual but teach? It is a time when you can give your child time to explore or direct your children in an organized way. Depending on the ages of your children the amount of direction may be less focused for the older ones.

How do you spell summer? F-U-N Summer Projects!

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One of my goals as a homeschool mom was to give my children time to think and create on their own. I really believe that children don’t have time to really think. School is typically made up of reading the information or have it read to you – then answer the questions. Kids often ask, “What is the right answer?” Giving the children time to explore when they are younger in a directed way (to keep them out of trouble) is a good idea.

When they were younger I gave them tools such as measuring cups and other household items that they could play with, pouring water in and out, and measuring. I gave my young son a box of rubber bands (and yes he made a mess with them and I kept finding them stuffed under cushions and other unlikely places for weeks after), but he loved the texture of the rubber and lined them up and put them into buckets and boxes. As the children get older the items can become more involved.

Recyclables become a great treasure trove for kids to build and create. These can be anything from plastics to glass. In an upper-level art class I took, we used small posters and then took glass, broke it, and used the flat pieces with clear glue to create a mosaic on top of it. The results were stunning. Clear glass or colored glass can be used. Paper towel rolls are great for creating different projects as well.

We used maps to track our journey from home (southwest Florida) to Georgia one year. I used maps glued to file folders and the children placed their names on the folders. The kids could tack our journey using road signs as we crossed into different towns. It took us two days with lots of stops in between, but the kids didn’t ask me, “How much longer.”

Another one of my homeschool goals was to teach using fun projects to do it. Teaching skills that are not often covered in school such as money management, planning, etc. Give the children a chance to add to the following list of ideas and you will be surprised at how many they come up with themselves.

You can place one fun summer project idea into a paper bag and draw out ideas randomly. You may need to plan for certain things, but you can put these on a calendar to do one time a week. You can assign different people (or ask for volunteers). You can put the older children in charge of organizing as well. It is a good time to oversee their “people skills,” and ask them to use nice words and encourage each other. One year I had “banned words” implemented like the words can’t, stupid, or shut up were not allowed. (Remember you are the parent and what you say goes!)

I hope this gives you some ideas of what you can do this summer and hopefully, this will get you started with many, many ideas of your own. Stay tuned for my summer projects for the kids show coming up soon

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