Check out these summer activities for preschoolers to try during summer camps or hot days hanging out at home. Around here, the learning and fun never stops, even when school’s out. Be sure to check out the rest of our seasonal and holiday activities for preschoolers when you’re done here.
Below, you’ll find a range of summer-themed ideas, from math to science to art (and more!). Just what you need when writing your summer lesson plans or planning some fun days home with the kids.
The summer preschool activities will definitely keep the kids engaged and creatively learning. Plus, you can adjust pretty much all the ideas shared below based on the children’s ages and needs. You can also make some changes when it comes to materials you already have on-hand if needed.
Related: Camping Activities for Preschoolers
The school year is over, which means it’s time to bring on summer. I adore teaching, but I also love the extra time I get with my kiddo when school is out.
I know I keep referencing preschoolers, but I have it on good authority that older kids get a kick out of these activities, too!
Summer Activities for Preschoolers
I’ve broken down the activities into categories so they’re easier to find. This page will house all of Fun-A-Day’s summer activities, so be sure to check back periodically.
Since this is a collection of summer ideas, you’ll find multiple links below. Click on the individual blue, underlined links to be taken to material lists, directions, and more details on each activity.
Summer Art and Crafts for Preschoolers
Little artists will love getting creative with these arty summer activities for preschoolers!
- The car painting for kids activity is probably our most well-loved summer art idea!
- You only need a few materials for the shell painting fun.
- Try painting with coconuts during your next coconut unit or art summer camp.
- Cut up some old pool toys for these pool noodle crafts.
- Make your own sidewalk chalk paint before heading outside with your preschool artists.
- Turn your painted shells into colorful shell sculptures.
- Let the kids make a fireworks painting with splat art.
- Check out even more summer crafts for preschoolers, too!
Math Summer Activities for Preschoolers
There’s so much math learning to be had while school’s out.
- Make a watermelon geoboard to explore shapes and fine motor skills.
- Practice counting with an ice cream math activity that includes printable numbered cones.
- Use the summer calendar numbers to explore number identification and more.
- The shark calendar numbers work well with an ocean preschool theme.
- American flag calendar numbers are great around July 4th.
Summer Science Ideas
Don’t forget about your preschool scientists this summer!
- Set up a coconut experiment with a few simple ingredients.
- Let the kids help you set up a sand volcano experiment with homemade play sand.
- Add some chill factor to a hot summer day with a frozen fairy tale science activity.
- Make ocean slime with the kids, then be sure to add some ocean animal toys!
- Explore a coconut five senses activity that ends with a coconut taste test.
- Finally, check out a big list of summer science activities to try with the kids.
Sensory Summer Activities for Preschoolers
There are so many ways to engage in sensory play during the summer!
- This shark sensory bottle is perfect for Shark Week or as part of an ocean unit.
- Make a simple ocean sensory bin with ocean animal toys and water beads.
- Add some scent to the sensory play with coconut cloud dough.
- Have the children help make their own play sand with a few simple kitchen ingredients. This is one of our favorite summer activities for preschoolers!
- Jell-O soap foam is such a fun, colorful, and scented sensory activity to try when it’s hot.
- Put together a coconut water beads sensory initiation for the kids. I think this one smells heavenly!
- Encourage the children to count how many shells they can add to the ocean sensory bottle as they make it.
- See if your students can hear all the pins they knock down while playing a coconut bowling game.
- Colored ice sensory play makes for a colorful and cool experience in the summer heat.
- Grab some car cleaning supplies and set up a kids car wash!
- Assemble a water wall for kids and watch as they play for hours on end! Just make sure you have enough water available.
You can find even more summer sensory bin ideas if you need more sensory fun this summer!
Preschool Summer Literacy
Now, let’s take a look at some summer activities for preschoolers that are literacy-based!
- Explore math alongside early reading skills with the watermelon printable book.
- Choose which summer printable book you prefer. One has all the words printed, while the other gives the kids a chance to practice writing high frequency words.
- Pair the summer read it build it write it printable with your favorite summer manipulatives, like shells.
- Be sure to check out even more summer literacy activities for preschoolers when you’re done here!
Even More Summer Activities for Preschoolers
I’ve put together a variety of summer-themed collections, as well. These have a lot of ideas from my site, as well as from all around the web:
Which of these summer activities for preschoolers would your kids like the best? You can try them at home, invite some friends over for a play group, or use them to plan your preschool summer camps. Be sure to check out my Summer Activities Pinterest board for even more ideas.
Summer Lesson Plans
Let my sister site, Preschool Teacher 101, save you a ton of planning time with done-for-you early childhood resources. Our goal is to make your teaching life easier with well-developed products so you can focus on your students.
Our summer lesson plan bundle is a great place to start. It comes with 4 weekly lesson plan sets ready to use. Click on the image below to get yours:
Be sure to check out The Pack, our membership program for preschool and kindergarten teachers. Our members get access to our materials at a very steep discount.
You can also find us on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Materials for the Summer Fun
While each of the above activities have their own supply lists, I thought I’d put together a basics list for you. So here are some items to have on-hand for some of the summer activities for preschoolers you’re planning (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
- Shells
- Ocean animal toys
- Flour
- Oil
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
- Liquid watercolors
- Coconuts
- Water
- Washable tempera paint
- Water beads (ONLY if using with older children who won’t put things in their mouth, ears, etc.)
What things do you like to keep in your supply stash for the summer months?
Originally published June 2016.
