With the summer season upon us, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to remain at home. Although backyards and balconies let us experience the fresh summer air and hot summer sunshine, most of us long for splashing in the water and feeling the sand between our toes. With COVID-19 extending into the summer months, it’s more important than ever to stay vigilant with social and physical distancing as another outbreak can soon be upon us. That’s why our picks for this year’s summer independent learning are all geared towards keeping the summer spirit alive in creative ways.
For those who like spending the summer months at the beach, we have an at-home experiment that could help. Other than the cool water on a hot day, the beach is a great place for those who enjoy feeling the sand between their toes. Many great beaches are accompanied by sand dunes. In this experiment, you will see how wind makes sand dunes. All you’ll need is some sand, a big electric fan, and some tools to make sandcastles. Download the experiment here.
For those who enjoy camping out in nature, we have an activity to go along with your backyard camp out. What’s your favorite part of camping? Is it the campfire, being surrounded by trees, or stargazing? Well if it’s the latter, we have a great activity to use on clear nights while camping under the stars. Start by spending the day setting up your tent in the backyard. If it’s safe and you are able in your area, have a parent help set up a small campfire. Roast hot dogs and marshmallows while telling campfire stories. When the sun goes down, take out this handy constellation map and see how many you can find in the night sky.
Maybe you prefer to spend your summer off visiting distant lands. If that’s the case, there’s plenty of virtual travel opportunities you can take part in across the globe. Go on a virtual dive of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Take a virtual tour of the British Museum in London. Visit key landmarks from around the world like the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids of Egypt. When you’re done, take a trip to one or all of the 7 continents:
North America
South America
Europe
Africa
Asia
Australia
Antarctica
For those who like to spend their summer catching up on some reading, here’s our summer reading list. Click on each title to download FREE related activity pages.
Fantastic Mr Fox (Grades 3-4)
The Lightning Thief (Grades 5-6)
Esperanza Rising (Grades 5-6)
Romeo & Juliet (Grades 7-8)
The Hunger Games (Grades 7-8)
To Kill a Mockingbird (Grades 9-12)
Don't forget, you have unlimited access to our complete catalog of free worksheets from our FREE CONTENT page.