30+ Summer Activities for Middle School Kids

Summertime is not just for young children. These 30 summer activities for middle school kids will not only keep them engaged, but it allows them to burn some of the energy they have in reserve during the long year of schooling. Also, look at my page homeschool middle school for more fun tips.

I have gathered up 30 ideas and I’m hoping one of them will inspire you and your kids to savor the moments of homeschooling middle school. They go by fast.

• Play games. My bunch still loves games like Checkers and Life and any type of card game.
• Try a new sport. Though my boys love traditional sports, they have been trying ping pong lately.
• Take a craft class together. My friend Cynthia and her son did a pottery class together.

Summer Activities for Middle School

• Take up singing. Don’t worry if you can’t carry a note. I bought a karaoke machine before we left the states and we loved practicing our singing at the house.
• Check out some summer classes at the museum or zoo.

• Create a summer reading list together. Give your children more latitude in deciding what they want to read. Everyone needs to read books that are just for sheer joy.
• Volunteer at a pet shelter. If you have an animal lover and they are a bit mature, pet shelters are always looking for responsible volunteers.
• Take up baking. Most kids this age either love to cook or bake.  Chocolate chip cookies are a great motivator with my boys in learning how to bake.

Homeschooling Middle School Kids

• Ice skating. My boys love to iceskate in the summer when the days are hot. It also burns off excess energy. I love the quiet and calm at home when we come back because they are too tired to start any sibling rivalry.
• Take them to a homeschool convention.  You know they don’t just sell curriculum there. My boys picked out hands-on science projects and crafts they liked to do. It can also be an opportunity for them to look at curriculum they will be using in the upper grades.

• Swimming. No need to say more.
• Take up dance classes. Normally in summer the classes are smaller and I find that students get more attention. If you live in place where it’s so hot that you can’t get outdoors for part of the day, an inside activity is a cool relief. We loved the classes offered by Arthur Murray studios.

Summer Learning Ideas for Teens

• Learn programming. Tiny actually has an interest in this and we might give this a try this summer.
• Mentoring. Is your child a care giver? Then he or she might enjoy looking at summer programs where they can mentor.
• Gardening or even container gardening. How long has it been since you made a terrarium?

Don’t forget summer is a great time to do a living book and hands-on science exploring about plants, fruits and nuts!

I love these series of books because you can use them for grades K – 8.

“The NaturExplorers series was written with 1st-8th graders in mind.

 All of the activities in the studies are very adaptable for all ages, though, and specific ideas are included for incorporating your older and younger students.”

• Learn to make jewelry. I did this when I was in middle school. Nowadays, any Hobby Lobby or craft store carries beginner supplies.
• Learn to work with leather. Leather can be expensive, so start with those cheaper chamois wash cloths they sell at Walmart to dry your car with and make a pouch, shirt or choker from it. These fun leather crafts are a fun way to begin learning about working with leather.
• Go to free concerts. We use to live close to a major college and they had free concerts outside with a variety of musicals from classical to modern that my boys enjoyed going to.

• Try a new water sports like whitewater rafting. Certainly not for the faint of heart, but if you have a water lover he or she may enjoy taking lessons.
• Check out you library summer reading program.

Summer Fun for Teens

• Take up a summer job. Some jobs like a babysitter, dog walker and pet setting services just require a mature young person.
• Make a lava lamp. Beckons me to my childhood.
• Learn to sew. I sewed my first pillow in middle school. It’s a shame that skill didn’t stick with me until today.
• Learn to Cook.

• Take an online class. You’ll love this fun Poetry and a Movie. Click here for Online Homeschool High School Poetry (No Teaching Involved).
• Interview a grandparent. This year we have had both sets of grandparents real ill. We are making a chart of questions that Tiny has been wondering about their life and when we return to the states, he will be interviewing them.

• Take an elective class for high school now. There is no need to wait until high school to take an elective they might be interested in. Too, by taking a class during the summer, they can take their time and it still goes on their high school transcript when they enter the high school years. Look at A to Z List: Middle and High School Homeschool Electives.
• Learn photography. My niece took up some basic photography during her summer years. Most classes for beginners don’t require any fancy equipment in the beginning. It is a great way to see if a passion turns into a profession as they grow older.

Fun Learning Ideas for Summer

• Art lessons for the art lover. Sometimes we just don’t have time to get it all in during the school year and taking up art during the summer keeps it fun instead of “school”.
• Take up reenacting. My sister and her daughters would do history like this during the summer. Living history, hands down beats a dry textbook.
• Head to the beach. I remember my summer times at the beach roasting corn and marshmallows. Nothing means summer more than spending a day and evening at the beach.

More Summer Homeschool Ideas

• 20 Fun Summer Learning Activities And Make A Rock Sundial
• A to Z List: 100 Fun Summer Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
• 25 Summer Homeschool Ideas To Keep The Learning Spark Alive
• 30+ Summer Activities for Middle School Kids
• 11 Fun Summer Activities for Middle Schooler

Those ideas are just some of the things we have done and pop into my head.

What about you? What are your favorite activities to do during summer time for middle school kids?

You’ll love these other ideas:

• A to Z List: 100 Fun Summer Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
• Successful Entrepreneur-3 Best Homeschooled Teen Resources
• Teach Your Homeschooled Teen the Art of Studying (without nagging)
• How To Homeschool Middle School – Why Eclectic Of Course!
• How to Build Middle School Curriculum Directly From Amazon
• 3 Unique Things a Homeschooled Teen Learns From a Teacher’s Manual.
• How to Use Summertime to Put a Foot in Homeschooling
• 7 Advantages to Starting Your Homeschool Year in the Summer