9 Insanely Fun But Educational Summer Activities for Middle School Kids

School might be done for the summer, but that’s no reason for your kids to stop learning!

After all, some of the best teachings happens outside the classroom. And there are loads of fun, interesting, and educational ways to keep your child’s brain fizzing and popping over the next few months.

Educational summer activities help them keep momentum, and (hopefully) result in them being warmed up and ready to dive into the new school year come September.

Whether you want to reinforce what they’ve learned at school, or introduce them to new concepts and topics, these 9 activities will tick every box — and kids will have fun doing them!

9 fun yet educational activities for middle schoolers

Sun’s shining? Great! Head outside for a nature-based lesson. Rain calling off play? No problem — there’s tons to do inside as well…

Cooking

Cooking with your kids is a wonderful way to keep them entertained, and lighten your load when it comes to mealtimes!

Baking, learning new recipes, and putting together family meals can be brilliant kids activities for the summer — and cooking can be surprisingly educational as well. Learning to cook can provide lessons in science, train good life skills, and expose kids to new, global cultures.

Why not rustle up some french fries, and blow your little one’s mind when you tell them french fries don’t actually come from France! This 26-page worksheet bundle of French food introduces them to Mille-feuille and Macarons — both fairly hard dishes to make. Maybe stick to Croque Monsieur (grilled ham and cheese sandwiches!) instead?

Arts and crafts

Drawing, painting, and making things helps drive your kids’ creativity and will hone their fine motor skills, too. You can even throw in a few history lessons at the same time — learning about artistic movements and the cultural or political impact of artists on the world.

The most enjoyable educational activities for kids are usually the ones that make the most mess, so don’t be afraid to get the paints out and have a bit of fun!

Nature walks

Getting out and about in the great outdoors is a fantastic idea during the summer, and a family hike can be turned into an educational activity in just a few steps.

Challenge your kid to spot 5 different bird species, or identify 10 different trees, and get them learning about nature, biology and the environment while stretching their legs.

Make musical instruments

Some parents might wince at the idea of musical instruments in the home during summer. And sure, the thought of the initial squawks and squeals of early morning flute practice might be off-putting, but learning to play music is a wonderful life skill — and fantastic for a child’s development in other areas as well.

If money’s tight, or you have a sneaky suspicion their new “hobby” will be short-lived, why not encourage your child to make their own instrument instead? You’d be surprised how many excellent instruments can be made from basic materials lying around the house. And the combination of crafts, creativity, and music makes this one of the best kids activities for the summer.

The best bit? You’ve not dropped several hundred dollars on a drum kit that’s soon to be neglected!

Reading

Perhaps a welcome break from the noise of the suggestion above, setting aside an hour or two each day for “reading time” is fantastic all year round.

Countless studies have shown that kids who read more do better in school, across a range of disciplines. And a good book can have your kids engrossed for weeks at a time! Make a reading list which covers a range of themes and subjects, and schedule in some time to discuss and analyze the books they’ve read over the last week.

You might even learn a thing or two yourself!

Stargaze

Looking up into the night sky can be an eye-opening experience for young minds, and provides a huge range of opportunities for teachable moments.

Talk to your kids about astronomy, space travel, and the Big Bang. Or take a completely different approach and discuss myths, legends, gods, and monsters as represented in the constellations. Whichever approach you take, discovering the extraordinary world of the sky at night is a brilliant educational summer activity.

Start a collection

Collecting rocks, leaves, or dried flowers can be a fun activity for your kids, encouraging their foraging and exploratory instincts. Nature collecting can also be a great way to learn about geology, botany, and nature as well.

There are a number of great resources online — like the Audubon Society and the US Geological Survey — that can help your little naturalists get started. And you can reinforce their day’s haul with a few quick lesson plans on minerals, fossils, and the earth we all share.

Home science experiments

It is amazing how many science experiments can be done with just a few cupboard ingredients — and how easy so many things are to blow up!

Home science experiments are some of the most thrilling educational summer activities that you can do with your kids — whether it is building your own volcano, making slime, or creating a tornado in a bottle!

As we’ve said before: the messier a lesson, the more your kids will love it. So grab your aprons and safety goggles, and get stuck in!

Write a journal

Writing a journal, or creating a scrapbook, is a lovely way for kids to mark any meaningful experiences they have over the summer. These records are also great for encouraging creativity, writing, and thoughtfulness as well.

But don’t throw it away when summer ends. Whatever they produce will be full of wonderful memories, they’ll want to return to, as they get older.

Ready for summer?

Still worried how you’ll fill the next few months with entertainment? We’re here to help.

KidsKonnect has a huge range of brilliant worksheets, covering everything under the (summer) sun! Check them out.