July feels like the Sunday of summer. It’s the perfect month to get lost in spending time with family and friends. But I am also keenly aware of the summer slide so I love to provide some summer learning for my kids. I’m always searching for fun and engaging ways to keep their minds active. Today, I’m sharing some July activities that are perfect for kids to use as boredom busters, to escape the heat, or while in the car on a road trip. So whether you are looking for activities to send home with your students, or to use at home with your own kids, you are in the right place!
Why Should Kids Be Learning Over the Summer?
Keeping our kids learning over the summer is super important. When children stay engaged with educational activities, they hold on to what they’ve learned during the school year and are better prepared for what’s ahead. Summer learning helps prevent the “summer slide,” where kids might forget some of their hard-earned knowledge.
Summer is also a great time to spark curiosity and foster an interest in learning. By weaving in fun and engaging activities, we can make sure our kiddos are not only entertained but also intellectually stimulated. This way, they develop critical thinking skills, creativity, and a passion for discovery that will serve them well beyond the classroom. I love finding creative ways to mix fun and education. The goal is to keep their minds active and their spirits high. When learning feels like play, kids are more likely to embrace it with enthusiasm and joy.
July Activities to Engage Students Over the Summer
Let’s dive into some specific activities I use in July. These July activities are designed to keep our kids engaged and learning, even as they enjoy their summer break. Here’s how I incorporate these fun and educational tasks into our daily routine to ensure our kids are having a blast while also brushing up on essential skills.
Summer Sudoku
One of my favorite July activities for summer learning are these Sudoku Summer Logic Puzzles. These puzzles are fantastic for keeping kiddos sharp while having fun. Sometimes, when people hear sudoku, they immediately write it off as being too challenging. I made sure these puzzles were perfect for kiddos from kindergarten through 2nd grade. They help develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills in an engaging way.
I use these puzzles in various ways, such as projecting them on a whiteboard for whole-class activities, creating a bulletin board with laminated pieces, and incorporating them into math centers. The puzzles are also great for independent activities, perfect for early finishers or indoor recess, and they make excellent transition tools after recess or as morning work if you happen to be in summer school.
Summer “Scoot” Write the Room
With July comes an extra burst of energy from our kiddos, and channeling that into something productive is key. One of my absolute favorites for this is the Summer Sight Word Scoot game. It’s a perfect blend of movement and learning that gets our kiddos up and active while reinforcing their sight words in a fun way.
This game is perfect for reviewing sight words throughout the summer, whether it’s at home or at summer school. I place task cards around the room or on desks. Each card features summer-themed symbols representing different letters. The kids move around, deciphering the symbols to form sight words and jotting down their answers on recording sheets.
If you are using them at home, create a scavenger hunt by hiding the cards around the house. Kids love the thrill of the hunt as they search for all the cards. To use in the car, punch a hole in the corner of each card and put them on a ring. This will keep all the cards together and easy to use in a smaller space.
Color By Sight Word July Activities
Some July activities that my kiddos love doing are the Color by Sight Word activities. These worksheets are a perfect blend of creativity and literacy practice. They read the sight word and then use the color it’s paired with to color in each space the sight word is written in. By the end, they will reveal a summer-related image!
My Color by Sight Word Summer Worksheet is designed with summer themes, making it a colorful adventure that the kids love. To get into the patriotic mood, I also have 4th of July Sight Word Coloring Pages. These are perfect for incorporating 4th of July themes into our learning activities. The kids get to enjoy festive coloring while reinforcing their sight word skills. It’s a wonderful way to blend holiday excitement with educational practice.
Both of these resources are great for building independence in our students because they’re self-grading. Our kids can immediately see if they’ve matched the colors to the correct sight words to create an accurate image. This helps them learn to self-correct and take charge of their learning. This also makes them a great activity to do at home that requires very little parent involvement. These color by sight word activities make learning fun and help maintain essential literacy skills during the break.
Light Up Learning with These July Activities
As we head into July, these engaging activities will keep our kiddos excited about learning all summer long. From Sudoku puzzles and sight word games to creative coloring activities, we’ve got plenty of July activities to make learning fun and effective. These resources not only reinforce essential skills but also foster independence and critical thinking. Let’s make the most of these sunny days by blending education with fun, ensuring our kids are prepared and enthusiastic for the upcoming school year. Happy summer learning!
For more summer learning resources, make sure to check out Fun-Filled June Activities for Students in Your Primary Classroom! In this post, you’ll find even more summer learning activities you and your students will love!
Save for Later
Remember to save this post to your favorite teacher Pinterest board to help plan out July activities!
