Summer Writing Activities to Keep Kids Excited About Writing

The warm days are finally here in our northern corner of the country, so it’s time for summer writing activities! It felt like we skipped spring this year and hopped straight from winter winds to summer sun, but you’ll never hear me complaining about the heat after so many months of cold. 

But with these gorgeous days comes a restlessness among our younger learners. They feel it too: that pull to get outside. I get it, honestly, and I’ve learned to stop fighting it when it comes to getting our school work done. 

Not to mention, we’re always looking for new ways to approach the core subjects during the summer months to mix things up, and the following activities have proven to be game-changers for us!

Summer Writing Activities

Nature Journaling

I could go on and on about nature journaling (and I have!), because it’s such an amazing way to get kids outside and learning without them feeling like they’re doing any “work.” And there doesn’t have to be much prep, either. Just plan ahead with a few key supplies, some prompts already in mind, and let the rest flow on its own.

For some ideas to get started with your outside exploration, check out our Nature Exploration Summer Learning Choice Board! It’s free to download on TpT, so let me know what you think!

Choice Boards

Summer is the season of freedom, but learning can still happen on these less-structured days. One of my favorite way to encourage our kids to keep writing all summer long is to use a writing choice board. The one we made here is my favorite, and it’s so flexible! With 12 activities, I typically have my kids pick 3 a week, and we finish it within a month. 

The best part is these activities are really fun and not too involved, so they don’t feel like they’re bogged down with “writing work.” Instead, it’s just an excuse to get creative with our words! Check out this link to download our Summer Writing Choice Board.

Pen Pals

Never underestimate the power of going “old school!” Even in the age of texting and messaging apps, kids still love getting mail. When we moved across the country, we found that letters are such a fun way to stay in touch with friends and family. In addition to their letters, my kids like to include drawings, fun stickers, and even pretty leaves or pressed flowers they’ve found!

Writing “Craftivities”

A simple search on TpT for “Writing Craftivities” will pull up a wealth of resources! Get specific and search for summer writing craftivities, and you’ll find so many fun projects. We do at least one a week, and they never get tired of them. 

If you’re feeling creative, you can come up with your own writing craftivities too! It’s as simple as picking a topic they’re interested in, giving a fun prompt, and having them make a craft to go along with it. For example, we did a week of researching butterflies. The kids responded to the prompt “What I would do if I was a butterfly for a day…” Then they made colorful paper butterflies, we attached them to their writing pages, and hung them up for some fun springtime decor!

Keep it Light, Breezy, and Simple

Remember: it’s summer! The season of long, lazy days and sunshine. The goal is simply to keep kids excited about learning and writing while allowing them to enjoy those carefree childhood summer days.