No matter where you are you can create your own summer science program this year. Why make your own summer science program? There are a few great reasons: it's cheap, you can do it on your own time, it's easy (because we have a ton of plans for you), and it provides some great interactive time with your kids.
Looking for an instructor led summer science program? If you are on Bainbridge Island or live in the greater Seattle/Kitsap county area I have great news! You can check out some amazing local summer science camps (ok, I am biased). Not on Bainbridge or the surrounding area? Check out this list of cool national summer science programs that are often free!
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Let’s make a summer science program
This is perfect for homeschool or unschool parents who are used to creating their own curriculum units, but if you are a parent with kids in public/private schools this is an easy to follow guide of activities you can do to create your own summer science program. Each linked activity has information on how to do the project, shopping lists, downloads, and images to help you through!
1. Become an engineer.
Embark on a slew of engineering challenges to bring delight, construction, life skills, and more to the summer. While engineering challenges can be frustrating, they also reap huge rewards when it comes to developing a growth mindset, a sense of accomplishment, and a place to build for fun.
- Build a Lego set blindfolded
- Build a giant catapult or opt for a tabletop catapult
- Stack Oreos on a geometric paper tower
- Build a drawing robot (which has great overlap to our circuits summer science project list)
- Design a marshmallow tower
- Engineer bubble wands to create cool 3D bubble shapes
- Create a confetti popper (great for young hands)
- Build a straw bridge
- Create a laser microscope (which has overlap with our light and lasers summer science project list)
2. Cool off with water play
Summer can be hot, so why not use your summer science project to focus on cooling off? Here are some fun ideas to put a new spin on your sprinkler!
3. Learn circuits
Circuit building is something that kids barely brush upon in school, yet it is one of those science projects that they can never get enough of. Create your own learning circuits unit for your summer science program to keep your learners engaged with delight.
4. Discover light and lasers
Summer has plenty of sun, so why not incorporate that into a summer science project learning about light and lasers?
5. Do science with slime
Have your kids been begging to make slime? Then this is the perfect summer science project list for you as we take slime into the world of science as a tool for discovery!
6. Whip up some kitchen science
There is a ton of information on kitchen science out there, but here are a few of our favorite summer science project ideas to keep your tummies full!
- Create fizzy ice cream with dry ice
- Do our seashore to plate challenge (bonus, do a clam dissection if you want to!)
- Bake a pie
- Make constellation cookies
7. Discover our natural world
Sometimes we can get so into science that we forget to take a look around us. If you want to connect or reconnect with nature, check out these summer science projects.
- Go on a bear hunt and learn about animal tracks
- Create endangered species habitats
- Dig for fossils (for real)
- Find out what our sun is made of
- Play with gravity
I hope you enjoyed these summer science project unit ideas! Let us know how they go for you and be sure to link back!