8 Summer Activities for Kindergarten

By the time the countdown to summer rolls around, the kindergarten classroom starts to feel a little different…

Students are more independent, they know the routines, and they’re chatting about beach trips, popsicles, camping, and summer birthdays before the day even starts.

But honestly, it can be one of the most fun times of the year to teach!

It’s also the perfect time to switch things up with summer activities for kindergarten classrooms that feel lighter, more hands-on, and a little more playful while still reviewing important skills.

These 8 summer activities for kindergarten are low-prep, hands-on, and perfect for those final weeks of school, summer learning, or even summer school.

#1: May & June Crafts That Spark Summer Fun

You know an activity is good when students think it’s art time… but they’re actually reviewing phonics and math!

These 12 May and June crafts (4 math, 4 phonics, 4 writing) turn skill review into beach buckets, ice cream cones, ocean scenes, and summer writing projects that students *love* to make.

The best part? They’re intentionally designed for kindergarteners with:

• Big pieces
• Easy cutting lines
• No complicated prep
• No crafting olympics for the teacher

Students will practice skills like:

• CVC and CVCe words
• Beginning blends
• Teen numbers
• Addition and subtraction &
• Shape attributes…

… all while building beach, ocean, and summer-themed projects!

Plus, the finished projects make adorable bulletin boards for the final stretch of the year.

#2: Roll, Spin, Color, Repeat

Give a kindergartener a spinner, and suddenly they are LOCKED IN!

That’s why roll-and-spin summer activities for kindergarten work so well during the final weeks of school.

Students will roll, spin, color, solve, and repeat in these 15 literacy centers & 15 math centers while practicing skills they’ve worked on all year long.

But because everything is wrapped in summer themes like:

• Camping
• Ocean
• Picnic
• Beach fun

… it feels fresh again.

A true EOY miracle!

#3: Morning Work With Summer Energy

Mornings just hit differently at the end of the year because students are chatting about popsicles, vacations, splash pads, and summer plans before the day even starts.

That’s why summer-themed morning work can be such a fun addition to your lineup of summer activities for kindergarten!

These daily math and literacy pages include alllllll the summer-y themes while still reviewing key kindergarten skills like:

• Addition and subtraction
• Place value
• Shapes
• CVCe words
• Blends
• Sentence building

The structure stays consistent throughout the week, so students know exactly what to do each morning… yes, even on those final days!

The biggest teacher win in May and June? Hearing: “Oh! I already know how to do this one!”

#4: Summer Sounds BUMP

There’s something deeply thrilling to kindergarteners about “bumping” somebody off a game board…

This free Summer Sounds reading game gives students practice with CVCe word families while they roll, read, and cover matching pictures.

But once you turn it into a BUMP game? Suddenly, everyone becomes intensely invested.

They’re reading.
They’re decoding.
They’re strategizing like tiny game show contestants.

Whether they play independently or with others, students get tons of reading practice while feeling like they’re simply playing a summer game with friends!

#5: Silly Summer Stories

Summer writing tends to become much more exciting when students are allowed to get a little ridiculous… the sillier the writing activity, the better!

Because if you tell kindergarteners to “write a story,” you’ll usually get:
“I went to the park.”

But if you tell them:
“Your story MUST include a crab, a watermelon, and a water slide…”

Now we’re talking!

This activity is simple:

1. Brainstorm fun summer-themed words together (think: sandcastle, watermelon, ice cream truck, crab, water slide, etc.)
2. Students will pick three words to use
3. Students will write a story with all three of their chosen words

The results are incredible.

“The crab ate 45 watermelons while building a sand castle in the ice cream truck.”

Pure literary excellence.

And while your kiddos think they’re just being funny, they’re actually practicing:

• Sentence structure
• Storytelling
• Vocabulary
• Writing conventions
• Creativity

Once they finish writing, students can illustrate their stories and share them aloud with the class for extra speaking and listening practice.

#6: DIY Pool Noodle Popsicle Patterns

This summer activity for kindergarten is colorful, active, and ridiculously easy to prep.

Cut pool noodles into smaller pieces and color the ends with markers or paint dots. Students will use the pieces to create, extend, and copy patterns.

Try:

• AB patterns
• ABC patterns
• AABB patterns

Want to level it up? Call them “popsicle pieces” and let students build giant patterns around the room!

#7: DIY Beach Ball Blend Toss

Grab a cheap inflatable beach ball and write blends, digraphs, or sight words all over it with a marker.

Students will toss the ball to a partner, and whatever their thumb lands on, they have to:

• Read it
• Say a word with it
• Use it in a sentence

It’s simple, fast, and perfect for squeezing in literacy practice during those extra wiggly end-of-year days!

#8 FREE End-of-Year Class Games

Need something fun for those final days together?

These free end-of-year class games are a perfect way to celebrate your classroom community while keeping students moving and interacting.

The freebie includes:

• Pair and Share
• Find Someone Who

They’re simple, fun, and full of those sweet end-of-year moments your students will remember long after summer starts!

Simply fill out the form below, and the *EOY Class Games* freebie will be on its way to your inbox!