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A to Z Lists

A to Z List: 100 Fun Summer Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

March 17, 2024 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

These summer unit study ideas will keep kids of all ages having fun learning with topics they will be eager to study. Also, look at my page Best Homeschool Unit Studies.

Summer is a perfect time to get in some relaxed themed learning with unit studies.

You can make them hands-on with outdoor activities or beat the heat with a trip to an air-conditioned library to pick out the books you’ll need.

A to Z List: 100 Fun Summer Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

And if you pair a living book with a summer topic, you can have an easy summer learning activity.

Too, many homeschoolers prefer to start their homeschool year during the summer.

There are many advantages to beginning your homeschool year in the summer.

Advantages to Begin Your Year in Summer

For example, look at these advantages.

  • There is a slower start to the year.
  • You can cover one unit study for a few weeks before any other curriculum.
  • Also there is more time to give 1:1 to each child.
  • The day can be shorter to allow time for swimming and other fun summer activities.
  • In addition, some subjects like science and geography are better done outside during the summer season.

Start with this ultimate list of A to Z Summer Homeschool Unit Study Ideas and let your imaginations run wild!

A

  • Ants
  • Apples. You can grab my Apples Unit Study and Lapbook.

Summer Unit Study Ideas

  • Archaeology. You can grab my free What is History and What is Archaeology minibook here.
  • Art

B

  • Bears. Add my Daniel Boone Explorer Black Bear Unit Study and Fun Edible Bear Poop activity.
  • Beaches. Add my Free Super Seashore Watching Unit Study and Beach Lapbook to your study.
  • Berries. This strawberry unit study and lapbook is a fun start.
  • Barbeque
  • Bees. Fascinating and Fun Honey Bees Unit Study and Lapbook for Kids can be used to study bees.
  • Butterflies. Fun and Easy Hands-on Life Cycle Butterfly Activity for Kids is a hands-on activity to add along with Blue Morpho Butterfly Adaptations In The Tropical Rainforest and Fun Symmetry Craft.
  • Bats. Why Bats Are Not Birds Fun Homeschool Unit Study and Lapbook is a fun study in summer too.
  • Birds. You can grab my free American Robin Unit Study and Lapbook here.

C

  • Cats. Interesting Facts For Kids About Africa | Cute Handprint Cheetah.
  • Cows
  • Creek life
  • Camping (National Parks or outdoor survival). How to Create a Fun Yosemite National Park Camping Curriculum | DIY Firestarter
  • Character
  • Clouds

Summer Themed Unit Study Topics

Next, add some of these fun living books to your summer day.

Summer Reading List for Kids

Add one or two of these books to your kid's summer reading list.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

In the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures
along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer.

Summer of the Monkeys

The last thing fourteen-year-old Jay Berry Lee expects to find while trekking through the Ozark Mountains of Oklahoma is a tree full of monkeys. But then Jay learns from his grandpa that the monkeys have escaped from a traveling circus, and there’s a big reward for the person who finds and returns them.
His family could really use the money, so Jay sets off, determined to catch them. But by the end of the summer, Jay will have learned a lot more than he bargained for—and not just about monkeys.
From the beloved author of Where the Red Fern Grows comes another memorable adventure novel filled with heart, humor, and excitement.

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street (The Vanderbeekers, 1)

The first book in the bestselling series that the New York Times Book Review hails as “delightful and heartwarming.”

The Vanderbeekers have always lived in the brownstone on 141st Street. It's practically another member of the family. So when their reclusive, curmudgeonly landlord decides not to renew their lease, the five siblings have eleven days to do whatever it takes to stay in their beloved home and convince the dreaded Beiderman just how wonderful they are.

And all is fair in love and war when it comes to keeping their home.

Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers

Ralph was eight years old in 1906 when his family moved from New Hampshire to a Colorado ranch. Through his eyes, the pleasures and perils of ranching in the early twentieth century are experienced... auctions and roundups, family picnics, irrigation wars, tornadoes and wind storms all give authentic color to Little Britches. So do wonderfully told adventures, which equip Ralph for the path his life will take.

The Children of the New Forest

When Jacob Armitage, a local verderer, hears that Parliamentary soldiers looking for King Charles I are planning to burn down the home of the Beverley orphans he saves the children and rears them as his own grandchildren in a small cottage in the woods. But can aristocratic children, used to being served, learn to survive as simple foresters?This story was one of the first historical novels written for younger readers and has endured until today. Its classic themes of chivalry and bravery and the examples the children set are sure to be enjoyed by readers of all ages.This edition features the gorgeous illustrations of Paul Hardy throughout to add extra charm to an already incredible tale.

Trilogy (Boxed Set): Dragonsong; Dragonsinger; Dragondrums

For centuries, the world of Pern has faced a destructive force known as Thread. But now the number of magnificent dragons who have protected this world and the men and women who ride them are dwindling. As destruction falls from the sky, Menolly has only one dream: to sing, play, and weave the music that comes to her so easily—she wishes to become a Harper. But despite her great talents, her father believes that a young girl is unworthy of such a respected position and forbids her to pursue her dreams. So Menolly runs away, taking shelter in a cave by the sea. Miraculously, she happens upon nine fire lizards that could possibly save her world…and change her life forever.

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster

It’s been five years since the Sweep disappeared. Orphaned and alone, 11-year-old Nan Sparrow had no other choice but to work for a ruthless chimney sweep named Wilkie Crudd. She spends her days sweeping out chimneys. The job is dangerous and thankless, but with her wits and will, Nan has managed to beat the deadly odds time and time again. When Nan gets stuck in a chimney fire, she fears the end has come. Instead, she wakes to find herself unharmed in an abandoned attic. And she is not alone. Huddled in the corner is a mysterious creature—a golem—made from soot and ash.

Where the Red Fern Grows

Billy has long dreamt of owning not one, but two, dogs. So when he’s finally able to save up enough money for two pups to call his own—Old Dan and Little Ann—he’s ecstatic. It doesn’t matter that times are tough; together they’ll roam the hills of the Ozarks.Soon Billy and his hounds become the finest hunting team in the valley. Stories of their great achievements spread throughout the region, and the combination of Old Dan’s brawn, Little Ann’s brains, and Billy’s sheer will seems unbeatable. But tragedy awaits these determined hunters—now friends—and Billy learns that hope can grow out of despair, and that the seeds of the future can come from the scars of the past.

To Kill a Mockingbird

One of the most cherished stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the twentieth century by librarians across the country. A gripping, heart-wrenching, and wholly remarkable tale of coming-of-age in a South poisoned by virulent prejudice, it views a world of great beauty and savage inequities through the eyes of a young girl, as her father—a crusading local lawyer—risks everything to defend a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime.

Emily of New Moon

Lucy Maude Montgomery's classic tale, the first in her "Emily" series of novels, about an orphan girl on Prince Edward Island. In contrast to Montgomery's other famous series that began with "Anne of Green Gables," Montgomery wrote the character of Emily to be closer to her own personality, and elements of the narrative are autobiographical. The story introduces us to Emily Byrd Starr, who is orphaned after her father dies of tuberculosis. Moving to New Moon Farm to live with her aunts and cousin, Emily meets new friends and engages in adventures as she grows. "Emily of New Moon" was followed by two sequels: "Emily Climbs" and "Emily's Quest".

Strawberry Girl

Strawberries—big, ripe, and juicy. Ten-year-old Birdie Boyer can hardly wait to start picking them. But her family has just moved to the Florida backwoods, and they haven't even begun their planting. "Don't count your biddies 'fore they're hatched, gal young un!" her father tells her.

Making the new farm prosper is not easy. There is heat to suffer through, and droughts, and cold snaps. And, perhaps most worrisome of all for the Boyers, there are rowdy neighbors, just itching to start a feud. The land was theirs, but so were its hardships.

Teachers, grandparents, and homeschooling families continue to reach for Lois Lenski's Strawberry Girl.
As one fan commented, a reason for its continued success is that it's "a touching, realistic tale of the power of neighborly love and kindness."

The Princess and the Goblin

"The Princess and the Goblin" by George MacDonald is a classic fairy tale novel first published in 1872. The story takes place in a medieval kingdom and follows the adventures of Princess Irene, the only daughter of a queen, who lives in a castle on a mountain top. One day, Princess Irene begins to see goblins lurking in the shadows who want to capture her and take her to their underground kingdom. She eventually meets Curdie, a miner's son, who helps her to overcome the dangerous creatures. Throughout their journey, Princess Irene and Curdie face various challenges and magical events that test their courage and friendship. They encounter a wise old woman who gives them important advice, a magical thread that guides them through the darkness of the underground tunnels, and a cunning goblin king who wants to keep Princess Irene captive in his kingdom.

Wingfeather Saga Boxed Set

This collection of Andrew Peterson’s Wingfeather Saga includes all four novels in hardcover: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, North! Or Be Eaten, The Monster in the Hollows, and The Warden and the Wolf King.Janner Igiby, his brother, Tink, and their disabled sister, Leeli, are gifted children as all children are, loved well by a noble mother and ex-pirate grandfather. But they will need all their gifts and all that they love to survive the evil pursuit of the venomous Fangs of Dang, who have crossed the dark sea to rule the land with malice. The Igibys hold the secret to the lost legend and jewels of good King Wingfeather of the Shining Isle of Anniera.

D

  • Dogs
  • Dragonflies. 8 Insect Fun Facts About Texas For Kids | Easy Dragonfly Craft

E

  • Elephants
  • Eggs. Free Homeschool Chicken Unit Study and Anatomy of an Egg Felt Activity & Worksheet.
  • Exercises
  • Earthworms

More Summer Learning Activities

  • 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

F

  • Frogs. You can grab my free Loads of Toads and Frogs Unit Study and Lapbook here.
  • Fish
  • Fossils. Fun Facts About Mold Fossils & 4 Types of Fossil Activities For Kids
  • Fireworks
  • Fishing
  • Fireflies
  • Fire (how to build, science behind it).  Look at Lewis and Clark: Hands-on History. Make a Char Cloth.
  • Firefighters/dispatchers

G

  • Garden studies. You can grab my free Feasting and Foraging Unit Study and Lapbook here.
  • Grass
  • Grasshoppers

H

  • Hurricanes
  • Horses. Free Horse Unit Study for Your Horse Loving Kids
  • Hogs
Summer Unit Study Ideas
  • Hiking
  • Hygiene

More Summer Learning Activities

  • Hydration/heat
  • Herb garden

I

  • Insects. You can grab my free Amber Unit Study and Lapbook here.
  • Ice cream

J

  • Jewelry making. How to Make a Civil War Style Upcycled Necklace | 7 Little Women Book Facts
  • Juice, jelly, and jam making. Fun American Civil War Crafts for Kids and Make Raspberry Jam

K

  • Kites
  • Knots

L

  • At the lake
  • Lighthouses. 5 Cool Lighthouse Facts and Make a Chip Can Lighthouse

M

  • Mountains. Look at How Does the Power of Ice Shape Mountains here.
  • Mice
  • Moon
  • Mammals

N

  • Nocturnal creatures
  • Night study (astronomy). Start your study with Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for Multiple Ages.

O

  • Ocean studies. You can grab my free Ocean Unit Study and Lapbook here.
  • Outdoor movie theater
  • Ocean animals
  • Otters

P

  • Pizza. How to Turn a Pizza Into a Fun Edible Human Cell Model.
  • Peninsulas
  • Popcorn. Popcorn Science Mini Unit Study Which Brand Pops the Best
  • Picasso. Grab free Art Study Curriculum and Notebooking pages here.
  • Precipitation
  • Police
  • Pond life. Above & Below: Pond Unit Study, Hands-on Ideas, & Lapbook is a way to include all ages.
  • Picnics
  • Punctuation

Q

  • Qatar
  • Queens in history. Grab my free Famous Pharaohs and Queens lapbook here.

R

  • Rivers
  • Reptiles
  • Rainforest. Grab my free Amazon Rain Forest Unit Study and Lapbooks here.

S

  • Sea shells. Check out my post How to Dissolve a Seashell – Beach Hands-on Fun Activity
  • Shores
  • Sailboats
  • S’mores

And we always love nature walks anytime of the year and love this series of nature books!

Our Journey Westward
  • Stars
  • Sun/sunscreen
  • Spiders

T

  • Turtles vs tortoises. Grab my free From Egg to Sea Turtle Unit Study and Lapbook here.
  • Tortillas
  • Trees

U

  • Underwater creatures
  • Underneath the ground
  • Underwear (history)

Summer Unit Study Ideas

V

  • Vision

W

  • Water sports
  • Water crafts
  • Waves
  • Watermelon. How to Make Fun Watermelon Seed Slime For Summer Learning
  • Whales

X

  • X-rays

Y

  • Yaks

Z

  • Zebras
  • Zoology
  • Zoos
  • Zip lining

You’ll love these other ideas:

  • How to Use Summertime to Put a Foot in Homeschooling
  • Free Ocean Unit Study and Lapbook

I hope this list of 100 ideas will get you thinking about hands-on A to Z summer unit study fun!

This blog hop is organized by iHomeschool Network, a collaboration of outstanding homeschool bloggers who connect with each other and with family-friendly companies in mutual beneficial projects.

Summer is a perfect time to get in some relaxed themed learning with unit studies. Kids of all ages can have fun learning with topics they will be eager to study. Click here to look at this A to Z List: 100 Fun Summer Homeschool Unit Study Ideas!
Summer is a perfect time to get in some relaxed themed learning with unit studies. Kids of all ages can have fun learning with topics they will be eager to study. Click here to look at this A to Z List: 100 Fun Summer Homeschool Unit Study Ideas!

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Be an Exceptional Homeschool Teacher, Choose Curriculum, Hands-On Activities, Homeschool When Nobody Wants To, Middle School Homeschool, Plan For & School Year Around, Teach Unit Studies, Teach/Which Subjects to Teach/Cover EVERYTHING Tagged With: 100, 100 Lists, A to Z Lists, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, summerideas, summerschool, unit studies

A to Z List: Middle and High School Homeschool Electives

July 27, 2018 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

There are so many great options for middle and high school homeschool electives for teens that it can be hard to narrow down the choices. Also, look at my page homeschool middle school and how to homeschool high school page for more fun tips.

Sometimes we need a little nudge to remember that the freedom of homeschooling opens doors for opportunities for our kids beyond the traditional elective options.

This A to Z list of middle and high school best homeschool electives should give you a headstart in helping your teen decide what he would like to pursue.

I try to think out of the box when choosing electives.

Too, remember each teen has a very different personality. You know that, so don’t homeschool middle and high school in fear meaning take a boring and predictable path for electives.

A to Z List: Middle and High School Homeschool Electives

Although they can be, these are not the core subjects. This is the time to explore a teen’s passion no matter how odd  it may seem.

A to Z List: Middle and High School Homeschool Electives

There is no other time in a teen’s life that he will have freedom to explore even the mundane.

I know your anxious about your teen’s next journey as he enters adulthood, but let him delve into his passions and likes here. Just like you didn’t push when they were younger, don’t do it it here either.

Also, something else I learned after my first high school teen is to start earlier.

For example, by feeding one of my son’s passion for writing in the middle and high school years he has continued on with his love of writing past graduation.

High school electives can begin in middle school; it gives your child a head start in time to pursue his strengths.

Look at some of these out of the box ideas.

In addition, I’ve listed some of my lapbooks and unit study ideas. I aim toward middle grades and up for most of my unit studies and lapbook; I try to create them for multiple ages.

A

Acting
Animation
App creation/coding
Archaeology
Anatomy. My Human Body Lapbook and Unit Study post has more great ideas.
Archery
Accounting
Architecture
Agriculture
Aromatherapy
Design and Art
Art History. Art History for Kids has some more ideas on creating a study.
Astronomy. Look at my Astronomy Lapbook and Unit Study for more ideas.
Auto maintenance/mechanics

Look at tips I share on my YouTube Channel, How to Homeschool EZ

B

Baking
Ballet
Birding
Bible Study
Blogging
Bee Keeping. You’ll find a Bee Lapbook and Unit Study here on my page.
Book club
Blacksmithing

Also, your kids will love Literary Adventures which are self-paced language arts courses.

Budgeting
Business management

Also, don’t think you have to learn all these things on your own. Look at some these fantastic middle and high school courses to explore which are already laid out.

Look at some of these courses from learn music in our homeschool.

  • Music Appreciation of the Romantic Era for High School
  • 100 Delightful Classical Musical Pieces Mini Course

C

CPR
Cake decorating. Hobby Lobby used to give cake classes by private individuals. Check out Wilton to see locations.
Car care
Career exploration
Cosmetology
Cartoon Drawing
Creative Writing. Also we loved Writing Rockstar units for middle school.


Carpentry
Child Development
Construction
Costume Design
Choir
Classical music
Coding
Computer building, programming, or science


Cooking skills
Criminal Justice
Crew
Crochet
Cross fit
Culinary Study

D

Dance
Debate
Dog training
Digital Marketing
Drama
Drivers Ed counts as a half-credit with some schools.

Of course, if you can decide the credits for your teen you can make this any course you want to. You can include safety in a vehicle, safety on water, or just a Safety 101 course.

E

Early childhood development
Electric dance music/digital music
Engineering
Economics
Entomology
Energy
Ethnic culture
Ethnobotany
Etiquette
Exploring different careers

Homeschooling in Middle School Resources

  • How to Successfully Homeschool Middle School
  • A to Z List: Middle and High School Homeschool Electives
  • Fun Winter Craft Ideas for Middle School Homeschool
  • 10 Best Science Movies for Middle School
  • Which One is Really the Best Homeschool Writing Curriculum (a comparison)
  • How to Choose the BEST Homeschool Middle and High School Language Arts Curriculum & Options
  • Free Middle School Science Curriculum and Magazines

F

Fashion design
Fencing
Fishing
Floral design
First Aid. Many of the trainings for health related paths are certificate programs for persons of any age.
Film Making
Foreign languages
Forensic science. CSI: Web Adventures has some fun games and a free educator guide.
Furniture stripping, repairing, etc.

A to Z List: Middle and High School Homeschool Electives

G

Gaming development/design
Gardening
Geocaching
Geography. Local, physical, or world geography are great topics to delve deeper into by teens.

One easy resource for us we liked was Runkle Geography. Look at my post here Geography, Country Studies & Timelines.
Geology
Genetics. There are many free sites to search about ancestry and genes.
Golf
Guitar
Gymnastics

More Homeschool High School Teen Elective Resources

  • 14 Fun and (maybe Frugal) Homeschool High School Electives
  • A to Z List: Middle and High School Homeschool Electives
  • Best High School Homeschool Curriculum Packages (Accredited and Not Accredited)
  • A Homeschool Beginner’s Guide to Figuring Grades and Saving Time
  • 25 Great Homeschool High School Science Curriculum

H

Herbology
Hiking
Home design/interior design
Homemaking
Homeopathic medicine
Horticulture
Human development
Hydroponics

Studying my boys love of history, I was able to sneak in literature and history while delving into the medieval time period with Beautiful Feet Books.

I

Information technology

J

Java script
Jewelry making
Journalism

K

Knitting

L

Logic

High School Elective Ideas

M

Marine biology
Mechanics
Meteorology
Myths
Midwifery
Mineralogy
Music/Musical Instruments

N

Nature studies. There are 26 Nature Studies here on my page with lapbooks.
Naturopathy
Nursing/Art of Caregiving

O

Oceanography
Ornithology

P

Painting
Parkour
Philosophy
Photography
Physical education
Physical fitness
Piano
Plumbing
Psychology
Public speaking

Q

Quilting

R

Robotics

S

Sailing
Scrapbooking
Sewing
Social media influence
Survival skills
Swim team

T

Technology
Theater
Trail and woodland management or design

U

US Politics

V

Venturing (scouts)
Video production
Videography
Violin

W

Weaving
Web design
Welding
Wildlife management
Wood burning
Wood working
Writing

X

Xenology

Y

Yearbook
Yoga
Youth leadership

Z

Zoology

I hope this A to Z list of high school electives helps you brainstorm some options for your teen. Has your teen tried any of these high school electives yet? Are there any others you’d add to the list? 

I think you’ll love these other tips for when planning middle and high school:

  • How to Build High School Curriculum Directly From Amazon
  • How to Easily Meet the Lab Component of Homeschool High School Science
  • Best Homeschool High School Literature Suggestions For Teens
  • How to Choose the Best Middle School Literature And Favorite Resources
  • How to Choose the BEST Homeschool Middle and High School Language Arts Curriculum & Options
  • Get It Over and Done: How Do Homeschoolers Graduate Early
  • How To Homeschool Middle School – Why Eclectic Of Course!
  • Homeschooling High School: Curriculum, Credits, and Courses
  • Homeschool High School–How to Log Hours for High School?

Hugs and love ya,

There are so many great options for middle and high school homeschool electives for teens that it can be hard to narrow down the choices. You’ll love this BIG A to Z List of Homeschool Electives. CLICK HERE!!!
There are so many great options for middle and high school homeschool electives for teens that it can be hard to narrow down the choices. You’ll love this BIG A to Z List of Homeschool Electives. CLICK HERE!!!

2 CommentsFiled Under: Build Character in Homeschooled Kids, Homeschool Teens _ From Teen to Graduation, Homeschooling, Lesson Plan, Middle School Homeschool, Teach the Rebel Homeschooler, Teach/Which Subjects to Teach/Cover EVERYTHING Tagged With: A to Z Lists, high school, high school electives, homeschool highschool, homeschoolhighschool, homeschoolplanning, lesson, lessonplanning, middleschool, teens

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