TeachersFirst's Summer Specials

Keep students engaged in fun, enriching activities this summer with the diverse learning opportunities showcased in this collection. From resources focused on robotics and coding to reading incentives at local libraries and restaurants, these summer programs strive to prevent learning loss while still feeling like a vacation. Audiobooks, online courses, exercise programs, and more round out the compilation of vetted resources. Easily share these ideas for summer academic and physical engagement with colleagues, families, and students. And complement them with our "Avoid the Summer Slide" collection for additional support to stimulate minds and strengthen bodies over the break!

   

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Coding for Climate - Take Action Global

Grades
K to 12
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Join classrooms worldwide for a three-week event teaching computer science foundational skills to K-12 students. Register your class to receive information and participate in the activities...more
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Join classrooms worldwide for a three-week event teaching computer science foundational skills to K-12 students. Register your class to receive information and participate in the activities delivered to your inbox during April. Week 1 introduces the challenge, and classes select their project using the options that address climate problems such as pollution, deforestation, etc. It is time for coding. During Week 2, students explore topics and work together to create a plan based on their target problem. Week 3 is all about collaboration. Meet with class partners in a global virtual exchange to discuss ideas. When complete, submit student projects and view other participants' solutions in May. Suggested tools for projects include Scratch reviewed here, Minecraft, Python, Lego Education reviewed here, Micro:bit, and HTML.

tag(s): climate change (87), coding (88), collaboration (87), seasonal (17), STEM (263)

In the Classroom

Register your class and join classes from over 150 countries to participate in Coding for Climate activities. Engage and prepare your students to participate by creating Multimedia Text Sets for exploration that include climate awareness activities and information. Learn more about Multimedia Text Sets by viewing the archive of OK2Ask: Using Multimedia Text Sets for Student Knowledge Construction, reviewed here. Encourage students to learn more about coding by offering time to explore different coding platforms. Visit the TeachersFirst Edge coding category found here to find many different options for coding.

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Fun Stuff for Kids and Teens - The Smithsonian Institution

Grades
K to 12
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Find an abundance of games and learning activities for kids and teens at this engaging site from the experts that The Smithsonian Institution provides. Scroll through the homepage to...more
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Find an abundance of games and learning activities for kids and teens at this engaging site from the experts that The Smithsonian Institution provides. Scroll through the homepage to find activities divided into several categories, including Art, History, and Culture activities and collections, Science and Nature, Art, History activities and collections, and an Art Meets Science collection. Activities include webcams, interactive ebooks, and simulations. Many of the included materials are in Spanish; some activities require downloading from the AppStore from Google Play.

tag(s): alphabet (51), animals (281), colors (64), countries (69), egypt (46), folktales (34), habitats (87), insects (69), inventors and inventions (71), light (52), makerspace (41), museums (44), musical instruments (46), nutrition (134), oceans (147), plants (145), puzzles (143), seasonal (17), space (213), stars (66), STEM (263), summer (28), water (102), weather (164), webcams (10), women (137)

In the Classroom

Add Fun Stuff for Kids and Teams to your science and art bookmarks to use across many different content areas. For example, one activity is called Journey Through an Exploded Star; share a link to this interactive with students to explore before introducing lessons on stars and supernovas. Ask students to share their learning and add questions using IdeaBoardz, reviewed here. Create an IdeaBoard with two columns (or more if desired), then share the link with students to share information and questions with peers. Encourage student engagement in animal-related learning by introducing them to the Art Meets Science Collections. Afterward, ask students to create multimedia projects incorporating animals as art to showcase scientific concepts like habitats, conservation, and human interactions. Find many different templates and presentation ideas at Genially, reviewed here.

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Leaps and Logs: A Summer Learning Game - Microsoft

Grades
2 to 12
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Leaps and Logs is a summer learning activity for students aged eight and older available to play online or using a paper version. Students use the provided gameboard and instructions...more
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Leaps and Logs is a summer learning activity for students aged eight and older available to play online or using a paper version. Students use the provided gameboard and instructions to complete their choice of challenge tasks in language arts, social studies, science, STEM topics, and the arts. Play continues until students land on the FINISH space.

tag(s): gamification (73), Microsoft (84), seasonal (17), STEM (263), summer (28)

In the Classroom

Share this activity with parents and students to encourage learning over the summer on your class website or end-of-year newsletter. Encourage students to share their activities and to remain active over the summer using Flip, reviewed here. Create a topic for students to share their progress throughout the game and discuss how they complete tasks. For example, one of the coding activities challenges students to create a carnival game in Microsoft MakeCode, reviewed here. Ask students to share and discuss their game in Flip and compare their creations to those of others.
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Purdue University Kids STEM Degree - Purdue University

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K to 8
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Purdue University offers STEM "degrees" for kindergarten through middle school students available for completion individually or as a class. Select a grade level band from the six options...more
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Purdue University offers STEM "degrees" for kindergarten through middle school students available for completion individually or as a class. Select a grade level band from the six options to access the ten videos required. After watching the short videos, complete the accompanying quiz to receive a code. Collect all ten codes and complete the form to request your certificate of completion. Videos cover various STEM topics, such as seasons, fossils, and the environment. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.

tag(s): adaptations (14), colors (64), energy (130), environment (240), forces (37), fossils (39), habitats (87), mass (19), number sense (70), plants (145), seasons (36), soil (16), sound (74), space (213), STEM (263), summer (28), sun (69), tides (6), volcanoes (55), water cycle (22), weather (164)

In the Classroom

Use this site to offer your students STEM "degrees" in several ways. As a class, complete an activity weekly as an introduction and review of science content by including the video as part of a computer center activity. Work together to complete the quiz for each video, then request a certificate to recognize your class's accomplishment. Another option is for students to work toward achieving certifications on their own. Share this site on your class newsletter for students to complete over the summer as an exciting way to engage in science activities and earn a STEM degree. One benefit of having the option to choose from different grade levels is the ability to differentiate learning by offering various courses to students based on their interests and abilities. Some students may choose to earn several degrees in different grade levels. Support and encourage students to pursue STEM degrees by taking pictures of completed degrees and adding them to your class website. Extend learning by asking students to research one of the topics, then share a presentation with peers using Canva Edu, reviewed here. Canva Edu offers many options for creating and personalizing presentations including slides, infographics, and flyers.

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Bookopolis Summer Reading Headquarters - Bookopolis

Grades
K to 12
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Get reading this summer by participating in activities shared by Bookopolis, reviewed here. Play Read-O to earn a free book by completing a Bingo...more
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Get reading this summer by participating in activities shared by Bookopolis, reviewed here. Play Read-O to earn a free book by completing a Bingo card and emailing a picture of the five in a row Bingo completion to Bookopolis. Take the summer reading challenge to read ten books or 10,000 pages to earn a badge and a free book. Second through eighth graders can join virtual book clubs that meet by Zoom over the summer. The book clubs are divided into two grade levels: second through fourth grade and fourth through eighth grade. In addition to the summer activities, check out the suggested book lists available for all grade levels.

tag(s): book lists (161), seasonal (17), summer (28)

In the Classroom

Include information and links to Bookopolis Summer Reading Activities in your end-of-year newsletter to parents. Encourage students to participate in the activities by sharing and discussing the information before the school year ends. Use Symbaloo, reviewed here to create a curation of summer reading links and activities for families, then share the link to your Symbaloo collection for families to find all options in one location. Encourage students to read and share their reading over the summer by creating a topic on Flip, reviewed here. Find example topics on Flip's Discovery library, such as the one located here that encourages students to share and discuss their summer reading titles. Sign in to Flip to view the previous link. Share the link to your Flip topic on your class website and newsletter.
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Planet Fitness High School Summer Pass - Planet Fitness

Grades
8 to 12
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Planet Fitness offers a free summer pass at participating locations for teens ages 14-19. The pass is available from May 15 through August 31 and provides access to equipment and ...more
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Planet Fitness offers a free summer pass at participating locations for teens ages 14-19. The pass is available from May 15 through August 31 and provides access to equipment and fitness classes. Preregister to receive a digital pass located on your Planet Fitness app. In addition to the digital pass, the app also includes a variety of workouts categorized by fitness levels that guide participants toward achieving personal goals. Also, Planet Fitness is keeping a leaderboard tracking participating schools in the US and Canada; the top five schools from each country are eligible to win a $10,000 grant.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): fitness (38), seasonal (17), summer (28)

In the Classroom

If there is a Planet Fitness near you, encourage students to sign up and participate in fitness activities offered over the summer. If there isn't a nearby location, ask students to check with local gyms to see if they offer free summer activities for students. Engage and motivate students by asking them to design and share flyers about the benefits of good fitness. Canva for Education, reviewed here, and Genially, reviewed here, offer many options for creating visually appealing and interactive flyers. Ask students to create charts and graphs as they participate in their summer fitness program as a motivational tool. LiveGap Charts, reviewed here, offers a free online chart maker that doesn't require registration and includes many templates to customize the look and information shared on charts.
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What Do Snowmen Do In Summer? - TeachersFirst

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K to 8
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What Do Snowmen Do In Summer? - is one of the TeachersFirst Help! I lost my media/library specialist collection found here that...more
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What Do Snowmen Do In Summer? - is one of the TeachersFirst Help! I lost my media/library specialist collection found here that features topics and resources that focus on integrating literacy with technology. The Introduction and Background Knowledge discuss how important it is, yet how hard it is, to keep children engaged in literacy once summer vacation arrives and the weather gets nice. The Activities suggest how to get books into kid's hands with links and ideas for where to find them. Some exciting ideas for activities are offered, such as Camp Book-it, Chuck E Cheese Reward Calendar, and a few others. The last section of the article suggests Extension activities you may not have thought about regarding summer literacy. Ideas found on this resource include correlation to ISTE and AASL National School Library Standards.

tag(s): commoncore (75), literacy (110), summer (28)

In the Classroom

Browse through the suggested activities found in this article. Then, create a Wakelet, reviewed here, page of books and ideas, and post it on your teacher or school webpage. If the school library is open during the summer, ask them to post your Wakelet page, too. Wakelet gives you the ability to have a cover image and background for your wakes, which makes them much more engaging and easily identifiable, especially for young or visual students!

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Scholastic Home Base - Books - Scholastic

Grades
2 to 6
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Scholastic Home Base includes books and games to keep students motivated to read over the summer. Select any of the book titles to begin reading excerpts from the selected title. ...more
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Scholastic Home Base includes books and games to keep students motivated to read over the summer. Select any of the book titles to begin reading excerpts from the selected title. Video trailers provide a short introduction to books found on the list. Next, choose the play portion of the site to enter Home Base, a virtual world for players to explore and interact with book characters.

tag(s): game based learning (170), summer (28)

In the Classroom

Engage and motivate students to read over the summer by sharing Scholastic with parents or your web page. Consider creating a Google Jamboard, reviewed here, for students to share their experiences with classmates when playing the games and suggest books for others to read.

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Twinkl - Twinkl

Grades
K to 6
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Twinkl provides elementary curriculum resources in all subjects, including many based upon international standards. Although much of the site includes content that requires a paid membership,...more
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Twinkl provides elementary curriculum resources in all subjects, including many based upon international standards. Although much of the site includes content that requires a paid membership, Twinkl includes many valuable free resources. Use the search bar to find free resources by grade level or content area, including activity booklets, teaching packets, posters, and more. Save favorite resources within your Twinkl account for later use. Use the links at the bottom of the home page to find additional free tools such as Twinkl Create. Twinkl Create is an interactive that includes templates that guide you by creating personalized banners, word mats, flyers, and much more.

tag(s): back to school (63), holidays (163), summer (28), Teacher Utilities (146), worksheets (70)

In the Classroom

Bookmark Twinkl for use throughout the year to find teaching resources for holidays, content topics, and homework ideas. Take advantage of Twinkl Create to easily make and differentiate charts, banners, word mats, and other classroom use printables. When saving favorite materials found on the site, set the popup reminder to remind you to use it later in the year. For example, when you find the End of Year packet, save it to your account and set a reminder for late spring so that it can be included with other items to include when wrapping up the school year or sending home materials for practice over the summer. Twinkl includes free teaching packets by grade level; these packets include activities customized for different ability levels. Use items from teaching packets as part of your center activities or send them home for additional practice as needed. After downloading materials, make your lessons digital using Kami, reviewed here. Use the free version of Kami to upload documents and add highlights, text, comments, and shapes before sharing with students.
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Sync: Audio Books for Teens - AudioFile

Grades
6 to 12
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Sync is a free summer audiobook program for teens. The program runs for 13 weeks starting at the end of April and provides participants with two thematically paired audio books/short...more
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Sync is a free summer audiobook program for teens. The program runs for 13 weeks starting at the end of April and provides participants with two thematically paired audio books/short stories weekly. Listen to a short introduction to the book before reading. After enrolling with Sync, follow the directions for the Sora app browser version or downloadthe app from iTunes or Google Play. Use the explore feature within the app to find and borrow weekly titles. Be sure to view the FAQ for additional information on accessing and participating in Sync.

tag(s): audio books (22), independent reading (85), seasonal (17), summer (28)

In the Classroom

Share Sync with your students to promote summer reading and provide a variety of reading topics. Play the audio introduction to gain student interest. Click the Toolkit on the left menu to download posters for featured books for each week of the summer. Post the information on your classroom or school website for availability to parents and students through the summer. If it is too late to participate in the program or listen to a weekly title, use the book list provided to locate the titles in your community library for checkout either in person or digitally at the beginning of the new school year. Encourage students to reflect upon the books using an online journal such as those found at Penzu, reviewed here. Penzu journals offers templates and you have the ability to add images or your own illustrations to sections of journals. Extend student learning by highlighting important areas of text within the books using WordSift, reviewed here. Copy and paste in key portions of any book into WordSift to visualize the text within a word cloud. Use the word cloud to explore and discuss new vocabulary or frequently used terms. Use Sync as a model for students to hear text read using intonation and phrasing. Ask students to create podcasts sharing their writing using Spotify for Podcastors (wasmAnchor), reviewed here. Refer students back to the audiobooks they listened to as a helpful reminder on how to engage listeners through the spoken word.

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Camp BOOK IT! - Pizza Hut

Grades
K to 6
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Camp BOOK IT! is a summer home reading program where students in grades K-6 earn monthly rewards for achieving reading goals. After enrolling in the program, parents use the digital...more
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Camp BOOK IT! is a summer home reading program where students in grades K-6 earn monthly rewards for achieving reading goals. After enrolling in the program, parents use the digital dashboard to track their student's reading progress during June, July, and August. Move the slider to certify completion of the preset goal to receive a certificate to redeem at Pizza Hut for a personal pan pizza. Other features found on this site include a series of ongoing articles with activities and book recommendations; under Resources at the top, slide to Teacher Toolbox to find activities and calendars to track reading.

tag(s): independent reading (85), seasonal (17), summer (28)

In the Classroom

Share Camp BOOK IT! with parents to encourage reading over the summer months. Use this program as an opportunity to collaborate with parents to engage students in reading by providing a reading list for students that includes books that appeal to your students. Use Padlet, reviewed here, to share suggested titles of books for students, and use the stream feature to organize the titles into different categories. Encourage students to add comments to your Padlet, sharing their book reviews. Enhance your students' summer reading experience by creating a topic using Flip, reviewed here, and ask students to contribute video book talks discussing their reading. Another idea is to create a Summer Bingo topic. Attach a Bingo form to your Flip topic with different squares to complete. Ideas might be reading a biography, starting a new book series, or sharing a book with a friend.
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Summer Reading Journal - Barnes and Noble

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K to 6
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Barnes and Noble provides a summer reading program for students in grades 1-6. The list starts with titles for reading divided into three grade bands. Students complete the journal...more
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Barnes and Noble provides a summer reading program for students in grades 1-6. The list starts with titles for reading divided into three grade bands. Students complete the journal by listing eight books they read from the list, then sharing their favorite portion of the book and a short explanation of why. Upon completion, students bring their record to Barnes and Noble between July 1 and August 31, to receive a free book.

tag(s): book lists (161), seasonal (17), summer (28)

In the Classroom

Although this list is for the current Barnes and Noble reading program, it provides ideas to add to any summer reading book list shared with students and parents. Create a list using Google Docs or Padlet, reviewed here to share a variety of reading materials to engage students in summer learning. Encourage students to share their summer reading by creating a collaborative topic using Flip, reviewed here. Ask students to share what they are reading and a short review with a video response. Encourage students to add comments to book reviews sharing their thoughts about the reading materials.
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PBS Summer of Possibilites - Play Your Way - PBS Kids

Grades
K to 3
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Not just for summer! Enjoy learning at home all year-round with PBS Kids Summer of Possibilities. Download the free Summer Activity Book for new daily adventures such as using bath...more
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Not just for summer! Enjoy learning at home all year-round with PBS Kids Summer of Possibilities. Download the free Summer Activity Book for new daily adventures such as using bath time to explore math or learn how to make a bird feeder. Scroll through the site to find reading charts, map skills, activity booklets, themed collections such as Observing Nature, Sharing Your Creativity Through the Arts, and much more. Did you find this site too late for summer? No worries, there are plenty of activities to do throughout the entire year. Be sure to check the bottom of the page for the "What's On Today" PBS shows.

tag(s): calendars (40), literacy (110), preK (255), reading lists (80), summer (28)

In the Classroom

Take advantage of the many free activities on this site; be sure to share with parents for ideas on learning at home. Consider having a "summer" day in the middle of winter as you enjoy summer activities in the warmth of the indoors. Share with parents at the end of the school year as a great resource for learning during the summer months.
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Ultimate Camp Resource - Ultimate Camp Resources

Grades
K to 12
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Enter the world of Ultimate Camp Resources and find a myriad of songs, games, and more to use at home, at camp, or in a classroom. Download and print all ...more
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Enter the world of Ultimate Camp Resources and find a myriad of songs, games, and more to use at home, at camp, or in a classroom. Download and print all skits, songs, games or just the one you're interested in. Some of the songs even have videos!

tag(s): back to school (63), crafts (54), family (53), makerspace (41), seasonal (17), songs (44), sports (77), summer (28)

In the Classroom

Bookmark this tool for the first week of school or any time that you want to experience some "team-building" in your class. Use this site to find games and activities for classroom icebreakers. Find ideas on this site to build relationships among students. There is even an Art Project section (scroll to the bottom menu to find it) that has lots of crafts for your makerspace! Share this site with parent helpers to find ideas for classroom parties.

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CurriConnects Booklist: Adventures in Summer - TeachersFirst

Grades
K to 12
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This collection of books is all about summer! Summertime brings many adventures: vacations, camp, wild weather, fireworks, and more! Travel aboard a cruise ship, explore a mysterious...more
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This collection of books is all about summer! Summertime brings many adventures: vacations, camp, wild weather, fireworks, and more! Travel aboard a cruise ship, explore a mysterious island, learn about summer weather, meet some tiny creatures living in hotels, and make this a summer reading adventure to remember. This collection of books offers both fiction and information texts. CurriConnects thematic book lists include ISBN numbers for ordering or searching, interest grade levels, ESL levels and Lexiles''''® to match student independent reading levels to challenge, not frustrate. For more on text complexity and Lexiles''''®, see this information from the Lexile Framework. Don't miss other CurriConnects themes being added regularly. If your library does not have the books, try interlibrary loan!

tag(s): book lists (161), independent reading (85), summer (28)

In the Classroom

This collection is perfect to share with students (and families) prior to the summer break. Keep minds fresh during the summer. Allow students (or partners) to choose their own book. If you want to "spice" up your final month of school, allow students to start summer (in their minds). These books provide experience with both fiction and nonfiction informational texts. They often require students to draw inferences about the "facts." Allow students (or partners) to choose their own book. Share this list with your school library/media specialist or public library, as well, for them to "pull" books in support of your end of school-year reading. Extend the experience by having students create visual presentations of the concepts they learn. Challenge students to create a presentation using Prezi, reviewed here, or Slides, reviewed here.

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Kidscamps.com

Grades
K to 12
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This comprehensive directory lists thousands of summer learning opportunities for kids of all ages. Day and overnight camp choices include those focusing on sports, special needs, family,...more
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This comprehensive directory lists thousands of summer learning opportunities for kids of all ages. Day and overnight camp choices include those focusing on sports, special needs, family, self-improvement, arts, adventure, and academics. The site also includes advice for parents about selecting, paying, and packing for summer camp.

tag(s): seasonal (17), summer (28)

In the Classroom

Provide this link on your class website during the Spring.

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NEH Summer Seminars - NEH

Grades
K to 12
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A collection of summer seminars provided by NEH. ...more
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A collection of summer seminars provided by NEH.

tag(s): grants (16), professional development (395), seasonal (17), summer (28)

In the Classroom

Share this opportunity with your colleagues in social studies, world cultures, and more. If you do take the trip, TeachersFirst encourages you to create a travel blog so that others may share in your experience or follow up by sharing lesson plans that come out of your experiences. Maybe the participants would like to cretae a wiki? Learn more about blogs and wikis from TeachersFirst's Blog Basics for the Classroom and TeachersFirst's Wiki Walk-Through.

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Start with a Book - Reading Rockets

Grades
K to 6
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Do you need ideas to engage students in reading over the summer? Start with a Book shares free resources based on topics kids already like, such as superheroes, music, and ...more
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Do you need ideas to engage students in reading over the summer? Start with a Book shares free resources based on topics kids already like, such as superheroes, music, and dinosaurs. Find 24 different topics with specific books and activities to get students reading and creating. In addition to the book lists and activities, Start with a Book includes book-based summer science activities and toolkits, and guides for at-home learning. Other information on the site has tips for parents on increasing reading fluency in English, Spanish, and nine different languages. Sign up for weekly text messages that deliver updates and motivational tips.

tag(s): independent reading (85), parents (60), preK (255), reading lists (80), reading strategies (98), summer (28)

In the Classroom

Share this website with parents as a resource to maintain learning over the summer break. Subscribe to the weekly text messages and pass them on to parents and guardians of your students. Use the toolkits found on this site to conduct mini science or reading camps over the summer. Share the list of books with your local library and ask them to include them on summer reading lists or to conduct mini reading camps over the summer using the toolkits. These ideas aren't just for summer! Keep these toolkits handy to use when teaching science and reading during the school year to engage students. Post the Growing Readers tip sheets on your class website throughout the school year to help parents work with students at home on reading skills.
 This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.

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