I once saw a local school sign say, at the start of the school year:
"Welcome back to learning!"
It honestly made me mad. And sad.
I thought it was just homeschoolers who made the mistake of thinking that if it doesn't look like school work in some way, it must not be learning. But this sign showed me that the reason homeschoolers think that is because of an underlying core belief in our society:
School = learning -- and apparently, unless it's some form of paid organized learning outside of it, there is no learning going on.
But it's not true.
I don't want you to think that a summer without formal learning activities doesn't count as learning. Below is just a sample of the kind of summer activities that count as some form of learning:
- 🌱 Grow a garden (science, responsibility, phys. ed.)
- 🍳 Help cook a meal (math, reading, life skills/home ec.)
- 🧺 Sort laundry (classification, responsibility, home ec.)
- 📚 Listen to audiobooks (literacy, comprehension)
- 🎲 Play board games (math, strategy, social skills)
- 🧩 Do puzzles (spatial reasoning, visual analysis, problem-solving)
- 🎨 Draw or craft (fine motor, creativity, design thinking, art, sometimes math and science)
- ✏️ Write postcards, letters, emails or journal entries -- or even those crazy notes that are part of a game siblings are playing (writing, communication)
- 💡 Invent a game or challenge (creativity, logic, leadership)
- 🧠 Memorize a poem, song or verse (literacy, memory work, music)
- 🎵 Learn song lyrics (reading, auditory memory, music)
- 🚲 Navigate a bike route or park map (geography, spatial skills, phys. ed.)
- 🧃 Make popsicles from scratch (measurement, following directions, home ec.)
- 🦋 Observe insects or animals (science/biology, observation skills)
- 🧭 Go on a nature scavenger hunt (critical thinking, environmental science)
- 📷 Create a photo journal or summer scrapbook (LA/storytelling, tech skills)
- 🛠 Build with LEGOs or other blocks (science/engineering, planning)
- 🧪 Do a science experiment (hypothesis, observation, results)
- 🎬 Make a stop-motion video or mini movie (tech, LA/storytelling, sequencing)
- 📦 Declutter their room or bookshelf (organization/home ec., decision-making)
- 🎤 Put on a play or puppet show (literacy/LA, performing arts)
- 🎧 Listen to a kid-friendly podcast (comprehension/LA, curiosity)
- 🛍 Help plan the grocery list and budget (math, nutrition, life skills/home ec.)
- 🐾 Research a favourite animal (reading, science, note-taking, reporting)
- 🖼 Visit a museum, zoo or historical site (history, science, culture)
- 💬 Have meaningful conversations (social-emotional learning/health, language/LA)
- 🌍 Play geography games or puzzles (geography, memory)
- 🕹 Play Minecraft (logic, planning, science, tech)
- 📦 Pack for a trip or overnight (planning, sequencing)
- 🪁 Wonder aloud and look things up together (curiosity, research skills)
- 💦 Play in the sprinkler or at a spray park (phys. ed.)
- 🚲 Ride their bike anywhere (phys. ed.)
- 🛋️Create sofa or sheet forts for playing or reading in (engineering/science)
- 🦸♂️All those crazy imaginative games they come up with (creativity, LA, social skills)
- ⛺Camping (life skills, phys. ed., science)
"But Daisy, they do a lot of these things all year long!"
Yes, you're right -- and they count as learning all year long.
"But what about language arts and math? They're not getting any better at their skills with these activities."
First, don't get caught up in how math and language arts look in formal, direct instruction-type of settings. There is so much that can be done to continue to build language arts and math skills without a single planned-out lesson involving some kind of worksheet or drill. Engage with your kids in real life learning that is still connected to subject learning in some way and you'll see them continue moving forward--and they'll be none the wiser. (Okay, some kids might...)
So yes, summer learning absolutely counts—even if it doesn't come with a checklist, textbook or pre-planned curriculum.
Give yourself (and your kids) the gift of recognizing how much learning is already happening through real life, play, conversation and curiosity.
You don't need to fill every day with formal activities to "keep up" or to be learning. In fact, the kinds of experiences they’re having now are what often create the deepest learning: connected, joyful and rooted in meaning.
And if you want a simple visual reminder, feel free to grab the printable version of this list. Hang it on your fridge, tuck it in your homeschool planner or share it with a friend who's feeling unsure about their "off season."
Momma, you’ve got this!
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