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Explore the Outdoors: Top Summer Ideas and Free Scavenger Hunt

May 4, 2025 | Leave a Comment
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I have some summer ideas to be sure your kids can stay inspired or recharge. Also, look at my post Free Summer Unit Study For Kids.

Too, if you want to continue summer learning, I will share ideas for summer learning.

Besides, summer is about relaxing or stepping back from your routine.

Explore the Outdoors: Top Summer Ideas and Free Scavenger Hunt

Whether you go far or stay local, nature has endless ways to inspire you.

For example, there are outdoor concerts, farmers market, open-air movies (one of my boys’ favorites when done poolside) and even food truck festivals to savor.

Don’t forget stargazing, sitting around a fire pit or heading to the beach for more summer fun.

Table of Contents

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  • SUMMER READS FOR KIDS
  • SUMMER IDEAS FOR LEARNING
  • HOW TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE SUMMER SCAVENGER HUNT

SUMMER READS FOR KIDS

Next, look at grabbing some of these fun books to read while you’re soaking up the sun.

13 Books About Summer to Read to Kids and For Kids to Read

Grab some of these fun books about summer to add to a summer unit study or to learn about the change in the season.

Summer: An Alphabet Acrostic

In a companion volume to Autumn: an Alphabet Acrostic and Spring: an Alphabet Acrostic, sandy beaches, juicy watermelons, and porch swings are just a few of the warm-weather delights featured in acrostic poems about summer.

The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate―Discoveries from A Secret World

Are trees social beings? In The Hidden Life of Trees forester and author Peter Wohlleben convincingly makes the case that, yes, the forest is a social network. He draws on groundbreaking scientific discoveries to describe how trees are like human families: tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, support them as they grow, share nutrients with those who are sick or struggling, and even warn each other of impending dangers. Wohlleben also shares his deep love of woods and forests, explaining the amazing processes of life, death, and regeneration that he has observed in his woodland.

A Frog in the Bog

There’s a small green frog on a half-sunk log in the middle of the bog. He eats one tick, two fleas, three flies, four slugs, and five snails. And the frog gets a whole lot bigger. Then a hungry gator shows up, ready to eat the big fat frog. The frog opens his mouth wide to scream and out comes everything he’s eaten! And the frog gets a whole lot smaller.

The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read

It's not easy to teach a cat to read, but one boy tries to anyway in this sweet and silly picture book debut that captures the challenges and rewards of learning to read.Nick loves to read books--and he loves to play with his cats, Verne and Stevenson. So naturally Nick decides it's a great idea to teach his cats to read.

And Then Comes Summer

When the days stretch out like a slow yawn, and the cheerful faces of Johnny-jump-ups jump up . . . then it’s time to get ready for summer! From flip-flops and hide-and-seek to fireworks and ice-cream trucks, from lemonade stands and late bedtimes to swimming in the lake and toasting marshmallows, there’s something for everyone in this bright and buoyant celebration of the sunny season.

The Lorax (Classic Seuss)

Dr. Seuss’s beloved story teaches kids to treat the planet with kindness and stand up and speak up for others. Experience the beauty of the Truffula Trees and the danger of taking our earth for granted in a story that is timely, playful, and hopeful. The book’s final pages teach us that just one small seed, or one small child, can make a difference. 

Summer Story: Introduce children to the seasons in the gorgeously illustrated classics of Brambly Hedge!

It was such a hot summer. The sky was deep blue and the sun never faltered. All along Brambly Hedge, the mice did their best to keep cool. Poppy Eyebright sought refuge in the mossy shadows of the mill wheel; Dusty Dogwood took to walking by the banks of the cooling stream. Dusty and Poppy spent more and more time together, so no one was at all surprised when they announced their engagement. They decided on a very unusual setting for the wedding ceremony, but even they didn't realise just how unusual it was prove to be!Also look out for Spring Story, Autumn Story and Winter Story!

The Raft

Nicky is convinced that his summer with his grandmother in the Wisconsin woods is going to be the worst summer ever. She cooks food that he doesn’t like, there’s an art studio where her living room should be, and he’s expected to do chores—including fishing, the most boring chore ever.

But one afternoon, while Nicky is trying to catch their dinner, a raft drifts down the river towards him. The raft has a calming magic about it, affecting both Nicky and the wildlife of the river and woods. Through the raft and the adventures it brings him on, Nicky finds new common ground with his grandmother, a fellow river rat, who encourages him to explore his newfound talent for art.

Summertime in the Big Woods (Little House Picture Book)

The winter is finally over, and now it is summertime. Laura and Mary are busy all day helping Ma in the garden and playing outside.

We Were Tired of Living in a House: 55th Anniversary Edition

"We were tired of living in a house.

So we packed a bag with

sweaters and socks and scarves

and mittens and woolen caps.

And we moved to a tree...."

So begins this whimsical tale of four small children, a dog and a cat who decided they were tired of living in a house. They try a tree, a pond, a cave and the seashore, but in each place something unusual happens to make them move on to the next place-and finally home.

Blueberries for Sal

Sal and her mother a picking blueberries to can for the winter. But when Sal wanders to the other side of Blueberry Hill, she discovers a mama bear preparing for her own long winter.  Meanwhile Sal's mother is being followed by a small bear with a big appetite for berries! Will each mother go home with the right little one?With its expressive line drawings and charming story, Blueberries for Sal has won readers' hearts since its first publication in 1948."The adventures of a little girl and a baby bear while hunting for blueberries with their mothers one bright summer day. All the color and flavor of the sea and pine-covered Maine countryside.

Over and Under the Canyon

Over and Under the Canyon takes young readers on a thrilling tour of a desert canyon ecosystem. Over the canyon, the sun scalds the air, baking desert mud to stone. But under the shade of the cliffs hides another world, where bighorn sheep bound from rock to rock on the hillside, roadrunners make their nests in sturdy cacti, and banded geckos tuck themselves into the shelter of the sand. Discover the wonders concealed in the curves of the canyon, the magic of a desert wildflower bloom, and all the unexpected creatures that bring the desert to life.DISCOVER AMAZING ANIMALS: Kids are endlessly curious about the natural world and the wildly varied animals living in it—and the desert is FULL of amazing and surprising animals!

Over and Under the Waves

Award-winning duo Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal return in this latest addition to the Over and Under picture book series, this time exploring the rich, interconnected ecosystem of the ocean!Over the waves, the sea lions bark and seagulls wheel and call. The bay is smooth and bright in the sun. But under the waves, there's a whole hidden forest, full of whales and wolf eels, sardines and sea bass, leopard sharks and luminous jellies, as well as the waving kelp that shelters them all. Discover the magical depths of the kelp forest, and all the fascinating creatures living just a paddle's length away—over and under the waves.SO MANY FASCINATING FACTS: Kids are endlessly curious about the natural world and the wildly varied animals and plants living in it—and the ocean is FULL of amazing and surprising life!ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS MADE WONDERFUL: Preservation of our wilderness—and of our oceans in particular—is essential, and this book makes such a great, upbeat jumping-off point for discussions of the importance and wonder of our world's natural habitats and ecosystems.

Now, look at some summer ideas for learning.

Where possible, I included ideas for multiple ages.

SUMMER IDEAS FOR LEARNING

  • Free Summer Handwriting Worksheets & Setting Up A Writing Station
  • 10 Kindergarten Sensory Bin Ideas | How To Make A Summer Sensory Bin
  • 8 Best Summer Unit Studies For Kindergarten | Free Ant Study
  • Free Summer Unit Study For Kids and Fun Starfish Craft
  • A to Z List: 100 Fun Summer Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • 25 Summer Homeschool Ideas To Keep The Learning Spark Alive
  • 20 Fun Summer Learning Activities And Make A Rock Sundial
  • Fun Making Ocean Layers Soap | Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers
  • How to Use Summertime to Put a Foot in Homeschooling
  • 5 Homeschool Things to Toss By the End of Summer
  • 7 Advantages to Starting Your Homeschool Year in the Summer

In addition, here are some fun summer ideas to cure the doldrums.

Explore the Outdoors: Top Summer Ideas and Free Scavenger Hunt
  • How to Make an Ocean-Inspired Sea Shell Necklace | 8 Summer Beach Crafts
  • Summer Wood Crafts: How to Make a Teen Bikini Box
  • How to Make Fluffy Lemonade Summer Slime With Kids
  • How to Make Fun Watermelon Seed Slime For Summer Learning
  • Fun Pineapple Candle For Fun Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers
  • Super Easy and Fun Aquarium Jar Craft For Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers
  • 11 Fun Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers
  • 30+ Summer Activities for Middle School Kids

Finally, look what is included in the summer scavenger hunt for multiple ages.

HOW TO DOWNLOAD THE FREE SUMMER SCAVENGER HUNT

First, look at the themes of the summer scavenger hunts that are included in this download.

  • water fun
  • nighttime summer
  • summer treats
  • summer sounds
  • camping
  • backyard & garden
  • beach ocean
  • summer adventure

Now, how to grab the freebie. It’s a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get my emails in your inbox and you get this freebie.

1) CLICK HERE ON THIS LINK TO SIGN UP ON MY EMAIL LIST & TO GET THIS FREEBIE

2) Grab the freebie instantly.

3) Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, summer, summer activities, summer crafts, summerideas

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