4 Summer Science Fun Activities for Kids to Do at Home!
Make time for science FUN this summer! Warmer weather gives lots of unique opportunities to encourage kids’ interest in science with experiments, observation, and investigation. Whether you’re staying home or venturing out, you’ll find many chances for science discovery and FUN all around you.
Express kids’ artsy sides with pictures printed by the sun, spend time together learning about the star-filled sky, spruce up your daily routine with weather tracking, plus learn more about all of the plants in full bloom with a life cycle experiment. Follow along below for directions on four fun ideas for science activities for kids this summer.
1. Sunshine-Printed Pictures
Enjoy this interactive art and science project that makes sun-sational pictures designed by kids … and printed by the sun! This is also a great way to show how important protective shade, sunblock, and clothing can be in summer months. With this activity, the brighter the sunshine, the better your results, so get ready for fun in the sun!
TREND products used:
Choose your favorite shapes! We created many different pictures using:
- I ♥ Metal™ Hearts Mini Accents Variety Pack
- I ♥ Metal™ Dot Circles Mini Accents Variety Pack
- Sea Buddies® Mini Accents Variety Pack
- Handprints Mini Accents Variety Pack
- Maple Leaves Mini Accents Variety Pack
- Gumdrop Stars Mini Accents Variety Pack
- Dino-Mite Pals® Mini Accents Variety Pack
- Terrific Trimmers®
- STICK-EZE® Stick-On Letters
Other supplies:
- Dark-colored construction paper
- Plastic wrap and a cookie sheet
- Markers, crayons, and any other art supplies
2. Amazing Stargazing!
Get the whole family together for some amazing stargazing! Learn all about constellations and then make really cool night sky pictures using shiny star stickers to feature each formation. Can you locate them all in the sky? Take your pictures outside and give it a try. Stellar work!
TREND products used:
Other supplies:
- Black construction paper
- Light-colored crayons and glitter glue
3. Weather Watchers
What’s the weather? Let kids tell you! Weather watching is a great opportunity to reinforce many skills in science and math. Daily weather tracking builds kids’ observation, vocabulary, and memory skills, plus it’s FUN!
Choose your favorite themed calendar Bulletin Board Set with a weather wheel and weather graph. You may want to laminate the graph for maximum reusability. Display the calendar pieces, especially the weather graph and wheel low enough so kids can safely reach.
Get in the habit of watching the weather on the news or checking it in the newspaper or another source each morning. Kids move the weather wheel to reflect the day’s forecast.
Remind them to consult the weather wheel before heading out for the day! How should they dress? What accessories might they need?
Kids color in the graphing grid to mark the day’s weather using Wipe-Off® Markers or Crayons. For extra FUN, place a Weather superShapes Sticker on the graphing square! It’s neat to see how readily kids start noticing and discussing weather on their own.
Read your weather graph together to interpret different patterns to make conclusions. Has the weather lately been mostly cloudy? How many sunny days have you had? Is the weather forecast often different from the weather that happens? Why is that? Can kids predict next week’s weather?
TREND products to use:
- Calendar Bulletin Board Sets
- Weather Factors Learning Chart
- Weather superShapes Stickers
- Weather Learning Chart
- Wipe-Off® Crayons & Markers
4. Grow Seeds Grow!
Get little gardeners excited to learn about the plant life cycle and watch plants grow with this activity! You can sprout seeds year-round, but it is fun (and good reinforcement) to do it in the summer when everything is in bloom. First, learn about the life cycle of a plant using the Learning FUN Activity as a guide. Practice putting the stages in order and describe what happens in each step.
TREND products used:
Other supplies:
- Scissors
- Repurposed glass jar
- Paper towels
- Water
- Dried beans
- A planter and soil (optional)
Choose your seed! We recommend dried pinto beans or sunflower seeds which will sprout fast to help keep kids’ interest.
Follow these directions (also on the back of the Plant Life Cycle chart) to grow a bean seed into a plant:
- Fold a paper towel in half and roll it so it fits inside a glass jar (push it against the glass so it is filling the outer edge).
- Fill the jar with water and wedge a bean between the paper towel and the glass.
- Here we GROW! The bean should sprout quickly so be sure to check it daily! The roots will grow down and the stem will grow up.
- Compare the events of your bean sprout to your life cycle puzzle.
Add pieces to your plant life cycle puzzle as each stage happens. Once you have grown roots and a stem, fill a flower pot with soil and plant your bean. Water it and see if you can get the whole plant to grow.
For added FUN: Experiment with different growing conditions. Place the one kind of seed in a variety of jars: try one in a windowsill, in partial shade, outside, and so on. Estimate how and where it will grow the best. Great growing!
Check out our games, flash cards, and early-learning two-piece puzzles to take fun on all of your summer adventures and stay fresh for fall. Need a brain break? Try a summer-themed word find free printable!
Leave a comment