Whether you are a homeschooling family or not, as summertime approaches it can feel daunting.

For some, summer means trying to juggle children at home more while continuing to work. For others who homeschool, but take the summers off, this part of the year can feel aimless and unproductive. For those who homeschool year-round, it may look like continuing the school year rhythm but feeling the call of summer vacations and sunny days at the lake or pool.

Related: Benefits of Year-Round Homeschooling

In my family, I want to set myself and my children up for a season of intentionality. I want to look back and feel like our summer was marked with memories, fun, and rest, but also learning and growing.

Here are a few rhythms I like to put into place to maintain a sense of calm and order in your days while leaving space for the spontaneity of lazy days, sunny outings, or long weekend trips.

In this blog post: 

• Summer nature study
• Family devotions
• Home care and life skills 
• Handcrafts
• Morning Time
• Summer stories

Summer nature study

Summer is a great time to study nature. You could choose one day a week to dive deep into a fun nature topic, or be more organic in your routine and allow topics to emerge during the season. Or you could simply get outside and visit nature spots in your surrounding area.

My family uses Treehouse Nature Study as the guide for these studies. Each week focuses on a nature theme and provides books, songs, hand rhymes, poetry, art, and projects. You can pick and choose from the guide how much or how little to use each year. Here are some ideas from Treehouse Nature Study: Summer to get you started.

• Start a summer garden and learn about composting
• Try solar printing with a simple Sun Print Kit
• Make sun tea
• Have a Summer Solstice Party to celebrate the first day of summer
• Visit an aquarium
• Collect, identify, and sort seashells

To see what a full week looks like from Treehouse Nature Study, download Summer Flowers week below for free.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Summer Flowers Week from Treehouse Nature Study: Summer

Related: Sunflower Dissection Activity for Kids [Free Unit Study]

Family devotions

Gathering with your family and creating space to dig into the Bible together is a lovely way to start or end each day. Don’t overcomplicate it. Try choosing a book of the Bible to read over the summer and read a short passage each morning and discuss. The book of Matthew or Proverbs are great books to start in.

This year my family is using Rooted Family Bible Curriculum. Most mornings my husband leads our family devotional over breakfast to start our day. We will read a passage, discuss the meaning, and pray together as our day is starting.

Related: Identity in Christ Children's Bible Lesson [FREE Download]

Morning Time

In our family, Morning Time anchors our days year-round. Even if you don’t homeschool in the summer (or at all), try implementing a sacred time to gather in the mornings and include rich subjects like poetry, art study, music, and a read-aloud. This time can be used to keep some structure and gentle learning opportunities to bridge the gap between school years. Put your own curated resources in a basket, or use a resource like Treehouse Nature Study that has it all laid out for you.

Related: Our Homeschool Morning Time

Home care and life skills

Summer is a great time to create new habits and routines for children. You could start a new chore routine using these chore charts or choose a few areas you want your family to improve on. Use the chore chart to set attainable goals and track your progress each week.

You could also write a list of practical life skills such as cooking tasks or home care you would like your children to work on and focus on teaching them over the summer. Here’s a free list of 100 Life Skills to give you ideas.

Related: 100 Life Skills to Intentionally Teach your Children

Handcrafts

When the heat is just too much to be outdoors, summer afternoons are the perfect time to break out the craft materials and work on skills like crocheting, sewing, and paper modeling. Try a lot of small projects or work on one large project throughout the summer. Here is a round-up of 12 handcrafts for children, with links to materials and tips for getting started.

Related: The Best Handcrafts for Children (+ Tips to Teach Them)

Summer stories

Even if you aren’t doing your full load of homeschooling, don’t stop offering the best books to your children. Choose a specific time of the day for your children to read independently or for you to read aloud. The summer is also a great time to listen to audiobooks and podcasts. I recommend sourcing books from book lists you trust. We love reading with the seasons, and summer is no different! To fill our baskets, I refer to the book list each week in Treehouse Nature Study: Summer to gather books related to the summer nature theme we are studying. Each week focuses on one nature theme such as the sun, seashells, or reptiles, and includes a book list of fiction, non-fiction, and reference selections about the theme.

Along with the nature study books, I have discovered many wonderful summer picture books that I pull out at this time of year. 

Download the 20 Sunny Summer Picture Books List for free!

Related: My Favorite Preschool and Early Elementary Book Lists

Ready to join us this summer? Grab your copy of Treehouse Nature Study: Summer and head to our online Facebook community to walk through this nature study together!