Free and Fun Summer Learning Activities

Are you looking for some free AND fun learning activities to do with your children this summer?  These might just do the trick!

Do your kids like…
*Reading exciting books?  (mysteries, choose your own adventures, etc…)
*Getting creative in the kitchen?
*Science experiments?
*Arts and crafts activities?
*Mini Bible studies?
*Creative Hands-On projects?
*Solving History mysteries?

Do you like…
*FREE?  (I started here, because I know I like it lol)
*REAL learning activities to keep everyone’s brains in shape all summer?
*FUN ideas that the whole family will enjoy doing together?
(This includes the Littles AND both boys and girls!  And mom and dad too!)
*NO FUSS projects and learning ideas that are DONE and organized for you?
*ENJOYING the summer without bored kiddos?

If you answered YES to the majority of the questions above… read on!

Summertime and the living is EASY!
This is what I’m aiming for!

Picture an afternoon at the park…nothing special, right?
Now add a picnic just like one that you read about Kirsten eating as she traveled the dusty prairie in a covered wagon.  Or try a nature walk through the woods…how many different animals can you spot?  See how quietly you can walk without disturbing a twig or leaf like you read about in the Kaya unit.
Or maybe spend a rainy afternoon making your own sarsaparilla, or having high tea and homemade scones just like Felicity!

It’s that SIMPLE!
Pick out the books, the activities, and any of the other fun ideas that your family would like to try!  Choose a few, or do them all!
The planning is already done for you!
Summer learning has never been more FUN!

*A special note to my homeschooling friends-
If you have never tried a unit study before, but wanted to, summer is the PERFECT time to give one a try!
You will find one online for almost any topic your child is interested in!

OK!  Now let the FREE & FUN summer learning begin!

Below you will find the links to SIX different units! Hope your family will enjoy one or more of them!

*Last note:
There are a few links to books on Amazon in this post.  If you click through and make a purchase, I will get a small commission, at NO extra cost to you!  And, I’ll appreciate it greatly!  🙂

Discover Native America with Kaya !

Meet Kaya, her family, and her tribe, the Nez Perce.
As you read, imagine walking through the forests and streams that Kaya did… or galloping across the fields on one of the tribe’s beautiful Appaloosa horses.  Learn all about Native American families, their homes, the foods they enjoyed, their work, and their beautiful art by trying some of the activities listed in this unit!
Go back in time, and lean in by the fire as you hear the brave explorers Lewis and Clark tell of their adventures, the amazing discoveries they made along the way, and even a miraculous intervention that saved their whole trip!!
You can also find out what the journey was like from the perspective of their faithful dog in the book, “Lewis, Clark, and Me:  A Dog’s Tale” !

For more books about Kaya and Native Americans, you can check out these two booklists.  They are full of all my favorite books, movies, craft kits, and hands-on learning guides sorted out by these themes!
+Kaya Book List
+American History Book List  (Native America)

Here are some of my other related resources for the Kaya Unit:

*The PDF is the complete version (45 pages!) of the unit study that you find online (organized much neater!)  Now you can have everything you need at a glance to plan and enjoy this unit!  Just PRINT and GO!
You will find each daily lesson for reading, science, geography, Bible study, etc…organized week by week. ALL with live links!  I’ve also included some extra planners and places to take notes!

*The Printable Power Pack (which is FREE right now!), is 74 pages of printables to add to the fun!
What’s included-  Planning Sheets for each week, Teaching Tips for this Unit, Field Trip Ideas, Themed Copy Work, Vocabulary Word Search Puzzles & Bingo Games, Themed Creative Writing Organizers, Geography Organizers, Science Organizers, Recipe Cards, History Detective Pages, and LOTS more !

Discover Colonial America with Felicity!
Meet Felicity and discover what life was like as a colonist!
Have you ever wondered how the “United States” started?  What do a tea party and red coats have to do with it?  Find out in this hands-on unit study all about colonial America!  We will answer all those questions (and a lot more!) as we read the sometimes hilarious, sometimes hair raising stories of Felicity Merriman, an adventurous, outdoor loving young girl growing up in bustling colonial Williamsburg.  Explore life in a colony, meet Felicity’s friends both Loyalists and Patriots, prepare a  high tea, and serve a hot scone!   Learn a ballroom dance, and lots more!  You might even like to pop some popcorn and watch Felicity’s Adventure Movie!   My family loved this one!


For more books about Felicity and Colonial America, you can check out these two booklists.  They are full of all my favorite books, movies, and hands-on learning guides sorted out by these themes!
+Colonial America (Felicity) Book List
+American History Book List  (Colonial America)

My other related resources for the Colonial America: American Girl Felicity Unit Study:

  

*The PDF Version is everything you need at a glance to plan and enjoy this unit!
92 pages all organized and done for you!  You will find each daily lesson for reading, science, geography, Bible study, etc…organized week by week, and all with live links!  I’ve also included some extra planners and places to take notes!  Save the time and fuss!

*The Colonial America Printable Power Pack is 60 pages of printable FUN and the perfect companion to this unit!

Discover America’s Southwestern Frontier with Josefina!

Hola Amigos!  Welcome to the wild and colorful Southwestern American Frontier of 1824!  Celebrate the holidays on Josefina’s rancho. Hear the mariachis, dance with friends, and taste the cinnamon sweetness of freshly baked biscochos!  Travel the streets with the Wise Men for Las Posadas  (The Night of Las Posadas is a sweet book to add in!).  Then get your provisions and your packs ready, load up your wagons, and hit the Santa Fe Trail!  Life is FULL of danger and adventure on the Southwest Frontier-  build a campfire and learn some old western songs, listen for the sounds of coyotes in the distance, and try a recipe from the chuckwagon!  Meet some of Josefina’s friends and neighbors too.  Keep a good watch out though, not all of her neighbors were friendly!

For more books about Josefina and the Southwestern American Frontier, you can check out these two booklists.  They are full of all my favorite books, movies, and hands-on learning guides sorted out by these themes!
+Southwestern American Frontier  (Josefina) Book List
+American History Book List  (Frontier America)

Companion printables for American Girl Josefina & Southwestern Frontier America Unit Study:

*The PDF Version is the complete unit study (with live links), planners, note pages, week at a glance, and lots more!  Over 100 pages!

*The Josefina Printable Power Pack is 65 Printable Pages, the perfect companion for the Southwestern Frontier Unit Study (American Girl Josefina) !
Complete with-  Planning Sheets for each week, Teaching Tips for this Unit, Field Trip Ideas, Themed Copy Work, Vocabulary Crossword Puzzles & Bingo Games, Themed Creative Writing Organizers, Geography Organizers, Science Organizers, Artist Study, History Detective Pages, and LOTS more !

Discover Pioneer America with Kirsten!

All aboard!  Welcome to the year 1854!
Imagine yourself as a young child…you board a ship in Sweden, cross a stormy ocean, sail into New York harbor, and finally travel across the prairies to a brand new home, in Minnesota!  This is an exciting, hands-on study of our country’s Westward Expansion.  We will be discovering what pioneer life was like through the eyes of Kirsten Larson.  As we read about her adventures traveling west, we will explore the lives of some of the other pioneers she meets along the trail, enjoy some Swedish treats that Kirsten’s mama cooked for her, build a log cabin, or maybe a teepee, and take a test to see how well you would have traveled the old wagon trail!

For more books about Kirsten and Pioneer America, you can check out these two booklists.  They are full of all my favorite books, movies, and hands-on learning guides sorted out by these themes!
+Pioneer America  (Kirsten) Book List
+American History Book List  (Pioneer America)

Printables for Pioneer America (American Girl Kirsten) Unit Study:

*The PDF Version is 104 pages all ready and done to make this unit fun for BOTH your student and you!
You will find the entire Pioneer America- American Girl Kirsten Unit Study complete with live links, planning pages, “week at a glance”, vocabulary, field trip planner, and lots more!

*The Kirsten Printable Power Pack is 65 Printable Pages, the perfect companion for the Southwestern Frontier Unit Study (American Girl Josefina) !
Complete with-  Planning Sheets for each week, Teaching Tips for this Unit, Field Trip Ideas, Themed Copy Work, Vocabulary Crossword Puzzles & Bingo Games, Themed Creative Writing Organizers, Geography Organizers, Science Organizers, Artist Study, History Detective Pages, and LOTS more !

Discover the American Civil War with Addy!

Has there ever really been a “civil” war?
What happened in the new “united” states that caused brother to fight against brother, and families to be divided?  Did any good come from this horrible war?
Meet Addy Walker, a slave young girl from North Carolina.  Addy shows amazing courage as she escapes on the underground railroad to freedom!  But that’s only the beginning.  Now Addy must learn how to live as a free girl in her new home in Philadelphia.  We will read real life tales of Civil War spies and those who helped guide runaway slaves to find freedom.  There is a whole lot of sadness and heartbreak in these stories, but also amazing true stories of perseverance and immense bravery!  Write a secret message, crack a morse code mystery, write a song of freedom, prepare the best southern meal you’ve ever tasted, and sew a rag doll like the one Addy carried to her new home!

For more books about the Civil War and American Girl Addy,  you can check out these two booklists.
They are full of all my favorite books, movies, and hands-on learning guides sorted out by these themes!
+America’s Civil War  (Addy) Book List
+American History Book List  (America’s Civil War)

Resources for Civil War Unit Study, American Girl Addy:

*The PDF Version is the complete Civil War Unit Study (with live links!), 110 Printable Pages, Week at a Glance Pages, Daily Lesson Plans arranged by week, Planning Sheets (field trips, library list, projects, etc…), People, Places, Events, Vocabulary Pages and lots more!

*The Addy Printable Power Pack is 81 pages of Printable fun !
Each page carefully created to go along with the FREE Civil War Addy Unit !

Discover the Turn of the Century with Samantha!

Welcome to the year 1900! The new century had turned, and the world was turning too!  Pack your tea sandwiches, find a shady tree in Central Park, and watch the odd velocipedes teeter by!  Chat with your friends about the upcoming World’s Fair, and try to guess what wonderful inventions will be on show!  Welcome to the wonder- filled world of Samantha Parkington!
Life was a stark contrast to these pleasant thoughts though for many new immigrants to the United States, including one of Samantha’s friends.  Many children were not thinking of lovely Victorian tea times or even the incredible  inventions that were changing the world… instead they were working grueling hours in factories and living in cramped one room tenements.  Life was certainly changing FAST at the Turn of the 19th Century!  Grab a box of odds and ends and see what kind of machine you can invent, or read about a very cold treat discovered at the World’s Fair and try freezing your own ice cream pops!  Our family also loved this Samantha Movie too!

For more books about the The Turn of the 19th Century and American Girl Samantha,  you can check out these two booklists.  They are full of all my favorite books, movies, and hands-on learning guides sorted out by these themes!
+The Turn of the Century  (Samantha) Book List
+American History Book List  (The Turn of the Century)

Ready to try all the the American Girl Unit Studies?  

Here are the ALL IN ONE bundle packs-  with a big DISCOUNT!
Grab the American History Printable Power Packs and the PDF Versions of these units, and YOU’RE ALL SET !!
Everything you need for a whole summer of learning, creating, and MAKING MEMORIES!! 

Are you still looking for even more
FUN & FREE SUMMER LEARNING ACTIVITIES?

Be sure to check out my Pinterest Boards for ALL of these units!
I’ve tried to pin only FREE ideas that would fit right in.

*Kaya Pages:
 –Kaya:  Native America
 –Extras for Kaya Unit

*Felicity Pages:
 –Felicity:  Colonial America
–Felicity’s Christmas
–Extras for Felicity Unit

*Josefina Pages:
 –Josefina:  America’s Southwest Frontier
 –Josefina’s Christmas
 –Extras for Josefina Unit

*Kirsten Pages:
 –Kirsten: Pioneer America  
–Kirsten’s Christmas
 –Extras for Kirsten Unit

*Addy Pages:
   –Addy:  Civil War America
   –Addy’s Christmas
   –Extras for Addy Unit

*Samantha Pages:
–Samantha:  Turn of the Century America
–Samantha’s Christmas
–Extras for Samantha Unit

Wishing your whole family a GREAT SUMMER!
I’d love to hear from you-  leave a comment below, send me an email, or leave a comment on Fields of Daisies Facebook Page.