Summer Literacy Activities

Summer vacation has finally arrived! One of the toughest parts about the end of the school year is keeping kids engaged and reading when it is so beautiful outside. Here are some great ideas from Childhood101 about outdoor literacy activities.

  • Read outside. Grab a few books and head outside. Bring along a blanket to sit on, find a tree to lean up against or cuddle up in an outdoor fort. Read together or allow your child time to him or herself – whichever feels appropriate.
  • Create your own nature ABC book. Go on a nature hunt with your little one. Look for something to represent each letter of the alphabet. Then take a picture of that image. Print out the photos to form your very own ABC book.
  • Use nature for letter making. Kids just learning their letters will have fun shaping letters using items found in nature such as rocks, sticks or flower petals.
  • Go on a scavenger hunt. If your child isn’t yet reading, create cards with pictures of items to find and the corresponding words underneath. Kids already reading can search for items using a written list instead.
  • Keep a nature journal. While a traditional nature journal usually focuses on discoveries and sketches, include any kind of writing the kids want to include about their outdoor adventures.
  • Discover field guides. In addition to traditional children’s books about animals, choose field guides with quality photos and simple facts.
  • Make a backyard field guide. Once young children are familiar with field guide basics, try making your own. Children can practice drawing, letter writing and more as they create their own backyard field guide.
  • Read about nature indoors. If your child has a specific interest in the great outdoors encourage that passion by reading about it whenever you normally read together.
  • Explore StoryWalk. Be sure to check out the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library’s StoryWalk at Riverside Park. The StoryWalk is a fun and innovative way for people of all ages to exercise their bodies, as well as their minds. Take a walk clockwise around the StoryWalk and come to seventeen display posts which contain pages of a children’s picture book.
  • Complete the walk to read a book in its entirety. The library changes the stories near the first of each month. The StoryWalk at Riverside Park begins by the bandshell (left of the Riverside Park sign) and ends at the Waterfalls Pavilion.

Recent Articles