Keeping Learning Going Over the Summer–While Still Having Fun
As the school year comes to a close, many families begin looking forward to slower mornings, vacations, outdoor adventures, and a well-deserved break from busy schedules. Summer is a wonderful time to relax and reconnect as a family, but it can also be a time when children experience regression in language, communication, academic, and social skills if opportunities for continued learning are limited.
The good news is that keeping learning going over the summer does not have to feel like school at home. Some of the most meaningful learning happens naturally through everyday routines, conversations, play, and shared experiences.
Learning Happens in Everyday Moments
Children learn best when language and communication are connected to real-life experiences. Everyday activities provide countless opportunities to build vocabulary, communication skills, critical thinking, and social interaction.
Simple summer activities can become powerful learning experiences:
Grocery shopping
Cooking together
Visiting the playground
Nature walks
Beach or pool trips
Family outings
Gardening
Arts and crafts
Bedtime conversations
Narrating what you are doing, asking questions, encouraging choices, and expanding conversations all help support continued language growth.
Reading Can Be Fun and Flexible
Summer reading does not need to look like formal school assignments. Reading together can be playful, interactive, and connected to your child’s interests.
Ideas for summer reading:
Visit the local library
Attend library story times or summer reading programs
Read books related to summer activities
Use picture books and visual storytelling
Act out favorite stories
Create stories from family photos or vacations
Watch ASL stories and retell them together
Even a few minutes of reading and storytelling each day can help maintain important literacy skills.
Learning Through Play
Play is one of the most important ways children learn. Through play, children develop language, problem-solving, social skills, creativity, and emotional regulation.
Summer play ideas include:
Sensory bins and water play
Pretend play and dress-up
Building with blocks or LEGOs
Scavenger hunts
Outdoor games
Cooking activities
Arts and crafts
Camping or backyard adventures
Parents and caregivers can support language by describing actions, modeling vocabulary, asking open-ended questions, and encouraging children to explain their ideas.
Supporting Communication and ASL Over the Summer
For families learning or using ASL, summer provides wonderful opportunities to continue building communication skills naturally throughout the day.
Ways to support ASL learning:
Sign during meals and routines
Learn signs connected to summer activities
Label items around the home
Watch ASL stories and videos together
Practice signs during outings
Encourage the whole family to participate
Consistent access to communication helps children continue growing in confidence and language skills.
Encouraging Independence
Summer is also a great time to help children build independence and confidence through everyday responsibilities.
Children can help:
Pack bags for outings
Prepare snacks
Help cook meals
Clean up toys and materials
Make simple choices
Order food at restaurants
Follow routines independently
These daily experiences help support communication, problem-solving, and self-advocacy skills.
Connection Matters Most
Perhaps most importantly, summer is a time to slow down, connect, and enjoy time together. Learning does not have to be perfect or highly structured to be meaningful. Conversations, shared experiences, play, laughter, and connection all support continued growth.
Small moments matter. A trip to the park, a bedtime story, a conversation at dinner, or a shared summer adventure can all become opportunities for language, learning, and connection.
Wishing all of our families a safe, relaxing, and joy-filled summer!