Autism Society of Larimer County

101 Things To Do This Summer Selected By: Homeschool.com Sponsored by: Ablaze Academy Online Learning Academy It's already May; and many of our readers who have endured difficult winters are eagerly awaiting summer. It's never too early to begin planning for summer vacation. Homeschooling parents often take on an additional role of being Summer Camp Director and camp counselor. With some focused attention and coordinated calendars, your kids can benefit from a great variety of relaxing and productive projects all summer long. Homeschool.com has compiled a comprehensive list of websites that offer a wonderful selection of summertime activities for you and your family. Please make sure to examine the individual websites to identify the projects and resources that will work best for you. Many sites, such as the art museums and astronomy sites, can provide stimulating projects each week for your whole family to embark on together, no matter where you're living. Other activities are ideal for the home; while still others can easily dovetail with your summer travel plans. May 6, 2009   Sign Me Up! for this e-zine   Suggest new topics for your kids, as many sites have a wide array of offerings with multiple levels of challenge — from elementary grades through high school. You'll see that many projects can also be woven into a dynamic summer school program. Summer is an ideal time for students to learn new skill sets that may take "extra" time to master. Because more "free" time is available in the summer than during the typical school year, many homeschooling families choose goals that can progress over a two or three month period. Selecting several short-range summer projects for your kids (such as crafts) and longer-range projects (such as developing a garden, or a sky chart) is a good family activity in itself. Doing this will enhance the special breadth and beauty of summertime, and you'll find that everyone will appreciate this unique season of blossoming! 1 Make a scrapbook of everything you do this summer The Basics of Scrapbooking http://www.scrapbookscrapbook.com/beginners.html 2 Have a picnic Planning a Picnic http://www.the-picnic-site.com/ 3 Learn how to play soccer How to Play Soccer http://www.ehow.com/PrintArticle.html?id=2044097 4 Visit another country Lonely Planet Destination Guides www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/  5 Go to a ballgame Major League Baseball Team Schedules mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/schedule/index.jsp  6 Get a job (parent permission) Teens 4 Hire www.teens4hire.org/  7 Become a photographer BetterPhoto for Kids and Teens www.betterphoto.com/photography-for-kids.asp  8 Make dinner for your family Do-It-Yourself Dinner Party Project (PDF) www.reynoldskitchens.com  9 Compare a book to a movie Compare and Contrast Essay (PDF)  www.csudh.edu  10 Write a poem 30 Days of Poetry www.msrogers.com/English2/poetry/30_days_of_poetry.htm  11 Learn about fireworks How Stuff Works: Fireworks people.howstuffworks.com/fireworks.htm  12 Bake some cookies Science of Cookies www.bakingandbakingscience.com/cookies.htm  13 Take a boat ride Boat Safe Kids! www.boatsafe.com/kids/index.htm  14 Sketch a picture of your house from the outside Perspective Drawing www.artyfactory.com/perspective_drawing/perspective_1.htm 15 Go to camp Smart Start to Business http://www.youthpreneur.net/camps 16 Visit a farm 4-H Virtual Farms www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/virtualfarm/main.html  17 Take a walk and record the sounds Listening to Nature www.museumca.org/naturalsounds/  18 Embrace Other Cultures Culture Quest http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/cquest/ 19 Keep a journal of what you do during the Summer Keepsake Diary http://kids-indoor-activities.suite101.com/article.cfm/keep_a_summer_journal 20 Cut up an old greeting card picture and make a puzzle (parent help) How to make your own jigsaw puzzle tn.essortment.com/howtomakeyour_rgzx.htm  21 Start a band Make Music! Start a Band www.mustcreate.org/kid_home/kids3_1.shtml  22 Learn how to make a movie Digital Movie Making for Kids http://www.adobe.com/education/digkids/intro_video/making_of_movie.html 23 Blow up balloons, put notes inside and hand them out to friends Message in a Balloon www.nmhct.nhs.uk/pharmacy/nmha-activities.html  24 Go backpacking The Beginning Backpacker www.backpacking.net/beginner.html  25 Learn how to oil paint Free Art Lessons http://www.interactiveartschool.com/free-art-lessons.html 26 Create a web site Lissa Explains HTML for Kids www.lissaexplains.com/  27 Go camping Go Camping America Kids Pages www.gocampingamerica.com/kidspages/  28 Learn how to use Microsoft Office Free Tutorials for Microsoft Office http://www.baycongroup.com/tutorials.htm 29 Help an elderly person with house or yard work (parent permission) 20 Great Reasons to Volunteer www.volunteermatch.org/volunteers/resources/tipstricks.jsp  30 Visit the zoo National Zoo Animal Web cams nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/default.cfm  31 Learn a foreign language Free Online Language Courses www.word2word.com/coursead.html  32 Make an obstacle course in your back yard How To Set Up An Obstacle Course www.ehow.com/how_3113_set-obstacle-course.html  33 Make a treasure hunt The Ultimate Treasure Hunt www.allthatstuff.net/treasurehunt.htm  34 View and learn about Modern Art Destination Modern Art http://www.moma.org/destination/ 35 Learn about the Animals that live on our planet A Library of the World's Animals http://www.learnanimals.com/ 36 Recycle bottles and donate the money to a local charity The Internet Consumer Recycling Guide www.obviously.com/recycle/   37 Explore the Universe A Learning Center for Young Astronomers http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html 38 Build a tree house The Tree House Guide www.thetreehouseguide.com/  39 Create a new world World Building teenwriting.about.com/library/weekly/aa071602a.htm  40 Set up a lemonade stand Lemonade Stand Game www.coolmath-games.com/lemonade/  41 Learn how to make ethnic food Ethnic Recipes http://www.bhg.com/recipes/food-slide-shows/ethnic-food/ 42 Attend a concert Buy tickets http://www.ticketmaster.com/section/concerts 43 Have family game nights What Game Should We Play? http://www.hasbro.com/familygamenight/en_US/   44 Learn about science Latest Science News http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/ 45 Make a collage from magazine words and pictures Collage pbskids.org/zoom/activities/do/collage.html  46 Create a terrarium How to Make a Terrarium www.ehow.com/how_9374_make-terrarium.html  47 Learn how to help the environment Environmental Kids Club http://www.epa.gov/kids/index.htm 48 Discover new games to play Nature Games http://www.ultimatecampresource.com/site/camp-activities/nature-games.page-1.html 49 Go to a museum Find a museum in your area http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_museums_in_the_United_States 50 Make a fire plan Home Fire Safety www.usfa.fema.gov/kids/flash.shtm  51 Make up bubble solution and have a contest Casey Carle's "Secret" Bubble Solutions www.bubblemania.com/faq/solution.html  52 Find a pen-pal (parent permission) Pen Pal Directories www.stonesoup.com/main2/penpal.html  53 Plant something Gardens for Beginners www.geocities.com/mastergardener2k/  54 Learn about Plants and our Environment ThinkQuest http://library.thinkquest.org/3715/ 55 Host a yard sale How to Plan a Yard Sale www.ehow.com/how_137461_yard-garage-sale.html  56 Build a sandcastle Sandcastle Tools www.sandcastlecentral.com/toolpages/  57 Donate some of the toys and clothes you no longer use How To Donate Toys www.ehow.com/how_10124_donate-toys-children.html  58 Research your family tree Free Genealogy Information http://genealogy.about.com/cs/free_genealogy/a/free_sites.htm 59 Fly a kite Professor Kite and the Secret of Kites www.gombergkites.com/howgen.html  60 Invent your own board game Design Your Own Board Game la.essortment.com/boardgamedesig_rxcu.htm  61 Make your own comic book  Comic Creator http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/comic/ 62 Create a book cover for your writing projects Book Cover Creator http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/bookcover/ 63 Act in a play So You Want to Put On a Play? www.writewords.org.uk/articles/theatre1.asp  64 Learn to Cook Introductory Cooking Lessons http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/kids-cooking-lessons-cit-intro.html 65 Make a bird feeder Easy birdfeeders for young children http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-easy-bird-feeders.html 66 Organize a bike safety clinic Bicycle Safety Command Center www.state.il.us/kids/isp/bikes/  67 Spend time with your grandparents 10 Great Activities www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson136.shtml  68 Learn how the Internet works Learn the Net http://www.learnthenet.com/english/section/intbas.html 69 Dig for fossils Dinosaur Dig www.sdnhm.org/kids/fossils/  70 Write a song Notes on Songwriting www.robinfrederick.com/write.html  71 Tie-dye some t-shirts How to Tie-Dye iaia.essortment.com/tiedyedyefa_rmel.htm  72 Make your own banana split Yum! http://parentingteens.about.com/cs/recipesforkids/ht/bananasplit.htm 73 Create a themed dinner Theme Dinner Ideas http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/theme-dinner-ideas.html 74 Tour the World Google Earth Style http://earth.google.com/tour.html 75 Throw a pajama party Make it a success http://www.ehow.com/how_2047629_plan-pajama-party.html 76 Learn some new outdoor games Games Kids Play www.gameskidsplay.net/  77 Make something from recyclables Crafts from Recycled Products www.makingfriends.com/recycle.htm  78 See a movie with a friend In the theatre or on DVD http://www.movies.com/ 79 Make homemade ice cream Kitchen Theater Science in a Scoop www.carnegiemuseums.org/cmag/bk_issue/1996/julaug/dept4.htm  80 Build a time capsule For the entire family http://www.ehow.com/how_6637_make-family-time.html 81 Get a magazine subscription (parent permission) Magazine Listing www.magsonthenet.com/chilmag.html  82 Organize a scavenger hunt Outdoor Scavenger Hunts www.lovetheoutdoors.com/camping/kids/scavengerhunt.htm 83 Go swimming Video Clips of the Swimming Strokes wellness.lattc.cc.ca.us/real/strokes.html  84 Paint a portrait of your best friend Draw Your Friend www.arts.ufl.edu/art/rt_room/sparkers/friend_portrait/ portrait_friend.html  85 Start a collection How to Start a Collection www.ehow.com/how_10563_start-collection.html  86 Write a fairy tale Fractured Fairy Tales http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/fairytales/ 87 Travel in time Odyssey Online carlos.emory.edu/ODYSSEY/MidElem_Home.html  88 Stargaze and track the moon phases Moon information http://www.moonconnection.com/ 89 Learn how to sew Learn to Sew  http://cyberseams.com/ 90 Visit a National Park National Park Service Guide www.nps.gov/parks.html  91 Rent a video of a ballet Easy to Read Profiles of the Histories of Ballets classicalmusic.about.com/od/historyofballet/  92 Roast marshmallows How to Roast a Marshmallow www.ehow.com/how_1164_roast-marshmallow.html  93 Watch the birds Tips on Getting Started with Bird Watching www.birdwatching.com/tips/kids_birding.html  94 Arrange a bouquet of flowers Learn how to make a beautiful display http://interiordec.about.com/library/weekly/aa021403b2.htm 95 Learn to blog (parents' permission) How-to http://learn2blog.pitas.com/ 96 Re-decorate your room Decorating Gallery http://www.hgtv.com/topics/bedrooms/index.html 97 Learn to play chess Chess is Fun http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/chess/chess.html 98 Adopt a pet (parent permission) http://www.petfinder.com/ 99 Keep your brain going Brain Teasers www.brainconnection.com/teasers/  100 Teach someone to use email How eMail Works www.learnthenet.com/english/html/20how.htm  101 Create your own holiday A Month With No Holidays? Make Up Your Own! www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson018.shtml