I have 20 fun summer learning activities and we’re making a rock sundial. And look at 11 Fun Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers for more summer fun.
Are you looking for fun summer learning activities? Whether you teach year-round or take the summer off there is no reason that learning must end.
One of the best things about homeschooling is that learning can be fun and takes place all year long, even in the long hot days of summer.
A simple rock sundial is not only a fun and frugal summer activity, but there is much to learn.
Look at what you learn when you make a simple rock sundial.
- good way to work on telling time
- problem-solving
- the history of telling time
- learning about the Earth’s rotation
- shadows,
- and enjoying some fresh air.
You can use this activity for preschool and up, creating more challenging tasks for different ages.
More Summer Learning Activities
Also, look at more summer learning activities below.
- 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
- Free Coral Reef Printable Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study Ideas
- Fun Pineapple Candle For Fun Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers
- Super Easy and Fun Aquarium Jar Craft For Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers
- Fun Making Ocean Layers Soap | Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers
Then, look at these fun summer learning activities.
20 Summer Learning Activities
I am also giving you a wonderful list of fun summer learning activities to keep them busy all sunny summer long including water play, tasty treats, messy fun, and many more hands-on activities.
"Elephant toothpaste" is a science experiment that I used to do with my high school students. It is a strong multi-sensory demonstration that goes great with a lot of chemistry concepts.
These super EASY to make marshmallow shooters are a must for your summer bucket list.
To help with observation we used a jar instead of a bean this time, and I was delighted to discover that my kids were just as amazed by this simple bit of science as I was so many years ago.
Kids love blowing bubbles so learning, while you play, doesn’t get any better with this easy to set up geometric bubble STEM activity.
Make a simple noodle marble run wall from pool noodles!
Ice Cream Volcano Experiment - Summer Science Activity for Kids
Kids will be excited to learn and explore when making this ice cream volcano! This is a combination of an ice cream activity and easy volcano experiments for one EPIC, memorable summer activity for kids!
Build a Nerf War Battlefield in your own backyard for an adrenaline-pumping, active play experience and STEM challenge.
In this simple experiment, your kids will learn just how potent the sun’s rays are, and why colors fade under the sun.
The Coolest Project For Kids With Craft Sticks – Engineer Launchers
This is a great engineering and crafting challenge for kids 7 years old and up. The result is part crossbow, part slingshot, all fun!
Students investigate ways that matter can change and whether these changes are reversible.
Rain Cloud in a Jar Science Experiment with Printable Recording Sheets
This rain cloud in a jar is a weather science experiment gives young children a chance to explore clouds and rain in a hands-on and engaging way!
Harness the energy of the Sun to make the best snack ever invented, S’mores!
Check out this super easy DIY weekend project that will help you turn a regular old mason jar into a glow-in-the-dark fairy light. Your kids will love how they sparkle and shimmer at night, and it’s the perfect craft for when you’ve got a little free time on your hands.
Beach Water Table Invitation (with Video) ⋆ Sugar, Spice and Glitter
This fun DIY Beach Water Table Invitation brings all the best parts of the beach to your backyard!
We kicked it off with a Soda Geyser Eruption Experiment. Have you tried this? It is so easy and the kids loved it! Like with most of our activities, it is extremely inexpensive and simple to set up
Looking for an outrageously fun parts of speech game to help kids review nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Kids are going to have a blast with this fun parts of speech activity that is perfect for summer learning
When it comes to simple activities to keep kids busy and having fun, scavenger hunts are always popular. They are also extremely versatile. You can find easy scavenger hunts geared towards toddlers and harder ones for teen
Pipe Cleaner Constellations - a Hands-on Constellation Activity
Calling all space lovers! Whether you enjoy star-gazing on a clear summer night or are in planning mode for an upcoming solar system unit or astronomy study, this hands-on STEM activity will help your kids learn about constellations, stars, and the patterns stars form in the night sky!
Because everybody should study about dragons in the summer.
Finally, look at how to make the fun rock sundial.
How to Make a Rock Sundial
Obviously, this wasn’t a foolproof way to tell time because it didn’t work at night. But it was an early innovative technique that paved the way for later more advanced time telling.
People used sundials to keep track of time by watching where the shadow falls on its surface.
The sun seems to move across the sky during the day due to the earth slowly spinning on its axis.
The various positions of the sun in the sky during the day causes the shadow to move on the sundial, showing the change of time.
You will notice each day that the shadow falls very close to where it was the day before demonstrating the accuracy of the sundial.
In the morning the shadow continues to get shorter and shorter as noon approaches.
Then, in the afternoon, the shadow gets longer and longer.
Observe the length of the shadow on the sundial throughout the day.
Is it longer in the morning or late afternoon?
Kids Rock Sundial
You will need:
- A straight stick
- 12 flat smooth rocks
- Sharpie
- Phone or clock
- Compass
Directions:
First, find an area of your yard that gets full sun all day, you can start any time of day when there is sun but it may take a full 24 hours or more to get all the times set.
Use a Sharpie or paint marker to write 1-12 on each rock.
Set a timer on your phone to go off every hour on the hour.
Push a fairly straight sturdy stick into the soil, and tilt it slightly to the north.
You can find this out with a compass or use the compass on your phone.
When you are on the hour, go check the direction in which the shadow from the stick is pointing and add your first corresponding numbered stone.
Throughout the day, on each hour add the next numbered rock to the end of the shadow until you have completed your clock.
You can repeat this experiment several times to make sure your numbers are in the correct space. Then try learning time at :30 as well as on the hour.
