Summer Activity Calendar

“Fun-Shine” Can – Go to drjean.org/monthly activities and look for this activity on the May, 2009, website. You’ll find lots of easy, positive things that parents can do with their kids. December, 2009, also has “Simple Gifts” with recipes, games, and crafts for families.

Special Days!

Make the last few days “sweet” ones to remember with lots of special days. You might want to celebrate “Wonderful Wednesdays” the last month of the school year or plan a little celebration every day the last week of school. What many adults forget is that children are happy with “plain vanilla.” Wearing a silly hat or a shirt from a favorite sports team can be as much fun as a fancy ball!

Sports Day – Enjoy the warm weather with a “Sports Day.” Children can wear t-shirts and hats from their favorite teams. Let them bring sports equipment to share with friends on the playground.

Book Party – Encourage children to dress up like their favorite book character. Play “Guess Who I Am?” or have children describe why they like a particular character. Let them bring favorite reading material (books, magazines) from home and sit or lay wherever they want for independent reading.

Talent Show - One of my favorite memories is of a Talent Show we had at the end of the school year. I just invited all the children to think of a “talent” (song, dance, story, gymnastic stunt) they could do. We sat in a circle and they all got up and performed! We clapped and laughed and cheered!

Board Game Day – Let children bring board games from home. Set aside the last hour in the day to share games and play with friends.

Pajama Party – Have children wear pajamas and bring pillows and stuffed animals to class. Read books, watch a movie, and eat popcorn.

Career Day – Children come dressed for the career they’d like when they grow up. After sharing with friends, have each child draw a picture (or take a photograph) and make a class book.

Unbirthday Party – How about a birthday party when it’s everyone’s “unbirthday”? Play party games, sing, and decorate cupcakes. (This is also a great way to celebrate all those summer birthdays.)

Beach Party – Bring beach towels and wear sunglasses, shorts, and bathing suits. Set up sprinklers or other water activities on the playground. Play beach ball games, beach music, and have a “cool” snack like popsicles.

Teddy Bear Parade – Children bring in a teddy bear or stuffed animal and parade around the classroom. Have them write stories and draw pictures of what they like to do with their bear. Have a “tea party” with your bears.

Hat Day – Ask children to wear their favorite hat to school, or challenge them to design a hat from a paper plate and art scraps.

Luau – Make grass skirts from draw string garbage bags. Cut straws in 1” pieces and alternate stringing with paper flowers on dental floss to create a lei. Hula, surf, and eat pineapple fruit kabobs for snack.

Toy Day – Children bring a favorite toy from home and share with their friends.

Wash Day – Wear old clothes and bring sponges, pails, and squirt bottles. Let children wash tables, desks, toys, etc. (You could tie this in with a water play day.)

Sock Hop – Children get to wear silly socks to school and have a dance at the end of the day.

*Teach the children the “Twist,” “Charleston,” “Jitterbug,” “Swim,” “Pony,” or other dances from your past.

Teacher of the Day – Assign one child each day the last month of school to be “Teacher of the Day.” That child gets to sit in your desk and be in charge of circle time. They can choose a book to read to the class, a song to sing, game to play, and so forth.

I have a Sombrero - Lauren Durham came up with this folder poem like Alpha-Gator and Scat Cat while trying to come up with an activity for Cinco de Mayo. She made a folder with a cut out sombrero on it and used different color paper to go with her poem. Lauren also told us, "I use the cupcake board to sing the happy birthday rap to each letter.  We do a different letter each day.  My kiddos absolutely LOVE it!!"

I have a sombrero that is yellow.
It was given to me by a fellow.

I have a sombrero that is black.
I wear it while I eat my snack.

I have a sombrero that is brown.
I always wear it to town.

I have a sombrero that is pink.
I washed it in the sink.

I have a sombrero that is gray.
I wear it during the month of May.

I have a sombrero that is blue.
So is my shoe.

I have a sombrero that is green.
I wear it while I am acting in a scene.

I have a sombrero that is violet.
I gave it to a pilot.

I have a sombrero that is white.
It is time to turn out the light.

I have sombrero that is red.
It’s time for bed.