After taking the month of May off from core schoolwork, we’re ready to get into our summer routine.
I’m really excited for the routine and unit studies we want to do this summer. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.
It was really hard for me to figure out what I wanted our routine to look like this year. I almost didn’t create a visual routine for this summer but I’m glad I did. It helps keep us all on the same page and the kids know what to expect.
Summer Routine
I knew I wanted outside time, free play and some learning time to be a part of each day when we are home.
Our routine ended up looking like this:
- Slow Mornings
- Get Outside
- Lunch and Learning
- Quiet Time
- Afternoon Free Time
- Dinner and Family Time
Did you notice in the picture that I didn’t include any times?
Last year I included time blocks, and I ended up hating it. More often than not we did not meet the time blocks, and I felt behind all day.
This year we’re just going for a routine/ rhythm that helps us enjoy the slowness of summer and get things done.
Devotional
We do Devotional (some people call it morning time) each morning during the school year and continue with it during the summer.
During devotional we:
- sing a song
- do scripture study (this year we’re studying the Old Testament and using Come Follow Me FHE)
- pledge
- read aloud
This summer we’re also going to be adding some America 250 history videos, books and activities to our morning devotional time.
Learning BINGO
For my two big kids I decided to make a Summer Learning BINGO board instead of a check list. Each day they need to do a minimum of two squares (reading and piano) and they need to get blackout by Friday night.
I included a variety of learning activities on their Bingo boards to keep them engaged and learning this summer. You can get the editable BINGO board in this post if you want to try it this summer.
My two youngest are going to be doing some learning activities with me (they aren’t to the point of doing independent work).
Unit Studies
This summer I’m planning on doing some fun Unit Studies that we just struggle to get to during the school year or that are perfect for the summer months.
Yellowstone
The first Unit Study we did was about Yellowstone (we did this in May before our trip with Grandma and Grandpa). Over a week we did some fun science activities, read alouds, worksheets and the big kids did presentations teaching us about the National Park.
Caterpillars and Butterflies
This unit we’ve been doing for a couple of weeks and taking it really slow with a few books, movies and activities here and there. The big part of this unit has been watching the caterpillars we got change and learning about the life cycle process.
90’s Week
I’m not sure if I should call this a unit study…but it is history for my kids.
We’re going to do a 90’s themed week this summer complete with the Nintendo 64, a landline(ish) phone, internet rules to make it feel like the 90’s, favorite 90’s snacks and movies….and so much time to be bored.
Theme Parks
This summer we’re going to Lagoon with extended family (using our GetOut Pass) so why not turn it into a fun unit study about theme parks?
Sewing
My kids have been asking to sew for months, and we just haven’t gotten to it. The plan is to take a week or two and sew.
I’m think we will do pillowcases with all the kids and then the big kids can do some other projects. My daughter wants to sew a dress/skirt, and my son wants to make a quilt.
I personally would love to make a flag quilt, but we will see how the summer goes.
Backyard Survival and Stars
Learning about the stars, setting up a tent, building a fire and campfire cooking are all things we want to do during our backyard week.
Summer Reading
Another big part of our summer learning plans is reading. The kids are doing several fun Summer Reading Rewards programs which makes reading during the summer extra fun.
We’re also continuing with read alouds this summer during devotional, lunch, in the car and at night.
We are currently reading Dragon Slippers as our devotional read aloud and the second National Park Mystery Series book at night when dad is home.
Other books on our summer reading list (I’m hoping we get to):
- Princess Academy
- A Long Way From Chicago
- The Hundred Dresses
- Everything on a Waffle
- Rush Revere and the Star Spangled Banner
- We’re Red, Weird, and Blue! What can we do?
- and continuing on with the National Park Mystery Series.
Summer Bucket List
We will also be spending time doing all the fun things on this years summer bucket list.
That’s all we’ve got planned for our summer homeschool routine.
More fun Summer Posts:
Make Ice Cream in a Bag (Printable Recipe)
Film Canister Rockets
Patriotic Paper Plate Wreath Craft