Make Summer Count- Fun Reading & Math Ideas
Read Stories Together - Summer is a perfect time for families to enjoy books together. Read to your children, or if they’re already readers, have them read to you—or take turns! Talk about the story, ask questions, and explore the ideas together. The key is to keep reading fun and engaging. Ask your child questions like:
“What happened in the story?”
“What do you think will happen next?”
“How do the characters feel? How do you know?”
“What is the problem in the story? How does the problem get solved?”
“Where is the setting of the story?” (setting is where the story takes place)
Read Nonfiction Too- Many kids love reading about real things—animals, sports, robotics, current events, or dance. Help them find nonfiction books or articles that match their interests and talk about what they’re learning. Ask your child questions like:
“What is the main topic or subject of this nonfiction book or article?”
“Can you find three interesting facts you learned from the text?”
“What pictures, charts, or diagrams help you understand the information better?”
“Why do you think the author wrote this nonfiction book or article?”
“What new vocabulary words did you learn from this nonfiction text?”
Make Library Visits a Habit- Regularly visit the library to explore books, magazines, and movies connected to your child’s interests. Be sure to check out both fiction and nonfiction selections for a well-rounded experience.
Explore Culture Through Reading- Pick a country to learn about together. Read stories from or about that place, cook its food, visit a museum, or explore its art. Learning through books can lead to meaningful cultural experiences.
Discover Local Adventures- Take advantage of free or low-cost opportunities in your community—like events at parks, visits to community gardens or farmers markets, and trips to museums (many offer free admission days for children). Exploring the world around you through hands-on experiences makes learning exciting and memorable.
Connect Books to Real Life- Plan activities related to what you’re reading. Watch a movie adaptation, visit a museum or zoo, or take a trip tied to a book’s setting. Visit the places in the stories!
Start a Learning Journal- Capture what you and your child are discovering together. A journal, scrapbook, or even a homemade postcard can be a fun way to reflect, build writing skills, and preserve memories. It’s a meaningful way to reinforce learning while creating something lasting. Start with a Book – Summer Writing
Tap Into Community & Online Resources- Many libraries, museums, and parks offer summer reading programs. If that’s not an option, the internet has plenty of engaging options. Explore these recommended links:
Practice math through everyday activities — measuring ingredients for recipes, counting change at a store, or estimating time and distance on a trip.
Shape Hunt (K-2)
Kids find and sort shapes around the house or outside (circles, squares, triangles). Older kids can classify by attributes like sides or angles.
Money Shopping Game (K-5)
Use play money to “buy” and “sell” items. Younger kids practice counting coins, older kids calculate change or make budgets.
Pattern Making with Beads or Buttons (K-3)
Make repeating or growing patterns using colored beads or buttons. Older kids can create more complex patterns or sequences.
Reading Math Books (K-5)
Find nonfiction math storybooks or magazines that explain cool math concepts or puzzles.
Create a Math Journal (K-5)
Encourage kids to write down daily math observations, new concepts, or challenges they solved.
Cooking and Baking (K-5)
Use measuring cups and spoons to practice fractions, addition, and multiplication while making snacks or treats.
DIY Shape Collage (K-5)
Cut out different shapes from colored paper and glue them to make pictures or patterns. Talk about the shapes and how many are used.
Create Your Own Board Game (K-5)
Design a math-themed game that uses dice, counting spaces, or solving math problems to move forward.
Math Scavenger Hunt (K-2) – Look for items in nature by number (e.g., 4 leaves, 3 round rocks, 5 twigs).
Hopscotch Math (K-5)– Use numbered squares to solve addition or multiplication problems as kids hop. Practice skip counting, or create math problems to solve by jumping to answers.
Math with Water Play (K-5)
Fill containers of different sizes and measure how many cups or liters each holds. Compare, add, or subtract water amounts.
Water Balloon Toss Math (K-5) – Call out a math problem before each toss; correct answers earn the throw.
Graphing Nature Finds (K-2)
Collect leaves, rocks, or flowers, then create bar graphs or pictographs to display the data.