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101 things to do this summer  This thread currently has 521 views. Print Print Thread
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ABQlearningresources
May 7, 2009, 6:42pm Report to Moderator Report to Moderator
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creative ideas from an homeschool.com e-newsletter

Quoted Text
1
Make a scrapbook of everything you do this summer
The Basics of Scrapbooking
http://www.scrapbookscrapbook.com/beginners.html
2
Have a picnic
Planning a Picnic
http://www.the-picnic-site.com/
3
Learn how to play soccer
How to Play Soccer
http://www.ehow.com/PrintArticle.html?id=2044097
4
Visit another country
Lonely Planet Destination Guides
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/  
5
Go to a ballgame
Major League Baseball Team Schedules
mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/schedule/index.jsp  
6
Get a job (parent permission)
Teens 4 Hire
http://www.teens4hire.org/  
7
Become a photographer
BetterPhoto for Kids and Teens
http://www.betterphoto.com/photography-for-kids.asp  
8
Make dinner for your family
Do-It-Yourself Dinner Party Project (PDF)
http://www.reynoldskitchens.com  
9
Compare a book to a movie
Compare and Contrast Essay (PDF)
http://www.csudh.edu  
10
Write a poem
30 Days of Poetry
http://www.msrogers.com/English2/poetry/30_days_of_poetry.htm  
11
Learn about fireworks
How Stuff Works: Fireworks
people.howstuffworks.com/fireworks.htm  
12
Bake some cookies
Science of Cookies
http://www.bakingandbakingscience.com/cookies.htm  
13
Take a boat ride
Boat Safe Kids!
http://www.boatsafe.com/kids/index.htm  
14
Sketch a picture of your house from the outside
Perspective Drawing
http://www.artyfactory.com/perspective_drawing/perspective_1.htm
15
Go to camp
Smart Start to Business
http://www.youthpreneur.net/camps
16
Visit a farm
4-H Virtual Farms
http://www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/virtualfarm/main.html  
17
Take a walk and record the sounds
Listening to Nature
http://www.museumca.org/naturalsounds/  
18
Embrace Other Cultures
Culture Quest
http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/cquest/
19
Keep a journal of what you do during the Summer
Keepsake Diary
http://kids-indoor-activities.suite101.com/article.cfm/keep_a_summer_journal
20
Cut up an old greeting card picture and make a puzzle
(parent help)
How to make your own jigsaw puzzle
tn.essortment.com/howtomakeyour_rgzx.htm  
21
Start a band
Make Music! Start a Band
http://www.mustcreate.org/kid_home/kids3_1.shtml  
22
Learn how to make a movie
Digital Movie Making for Kids
http://www.adobe.com/education/digkids/intro_video/making_of_movie.html
23
Blow up balloons, put notes inside and hand them
out to friends
Message in a Balloon
http://www.nmhct.nhs.uk/pharmacy/nmha-activities.html  
24
Go backpacking
The Beginning Backpacker
http://www.backpacking.net/beginner.html  
25
Learn how to oil paint
Free Art Lessons
http://www.interactiveartschool.com/free-art-lessons.html
26
Create a web site
Lissa Explains HTML for Kids
http://www.lissaexplains.com/  
27
Go camping
Go Camping America Kids Pages
http://www.gocampingamerica.com/kidspages/  
28
Learn how to use Microsoft Office
Free Tutorials for Microsoft Office
http://www.baycongroup.com/tutorials.htm
29
Help an elderly person with house or yard work
(parent permission)
20 Great Reasons to Volunteer
http://www.volunteermatch.org/volunteers/resources/tipstricks.jsp  
30
Visit the zoo
National Zoo Animal Web cams
nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/default.cfm  
31
Learn a foreign language
Free Online Language Courses
http://www.word2word.com/coursead.html  
32
Make an obstacle course in your back yard
How To Set Up An Obstacle Course
http://www.ehow.com/how_3113_set-obstacle-course.html  
33
Make a treasure hunt
The Ultimate Treasure Hunt
http://www.allthatstuff.net/treasurehunt.htm  
34
View and learn about Modern Art
Destination Modern Art
http://www.moma.org/destination/
35
Learn about the Animals that live on our planet
A Library of the World’s Animals
http://www.learnanimals.com/
36
Recycle bottles and donate the money to a local charity
The Internet Consumer Recycling Guide
http://www.obviously.com/recycle/  
37
Explore the Universe
A Learning Center for Young Astronomers
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html
38
Build a tree house
The Tree House Guide
http://www.thetreehouseguide.com/  
39
Create a new world
World Building
teenwriting.about.com/library/weekly/aa071602a.htm  
40
Set up a lemonade stand
Lemonade Stand Game
http://www.coolmath-games.com/lemonade/  
41
Learn how to make ethnic food
Ethnic Recipes
http://www.bhg.com/recipes/food-slide-shows/ethnic-food/
42
Attend a concert
Buy tickets
http://www.ticketmaster.com/section/concerts
43
Have family game nights
What Game Should We Play?
http://www.hasbro.com/familygamenight/en_US/  
44
Learn about science
Latest Science News
http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/
45
Make a collage from magazine words and pictures
Collage
pbskids.org/zoom/activities/do/collage.html  
46
Create a terrarium
How to Make a Terrarium
http://www.ehow.com/how_9374_make-terrarium.html  
47
Learn how to help the environment
Environmental Kids Club
http://www.epa.gov/kids/index.htm
48
Discover new games to play
Nature Games
http://www.ultimatecampresource.com/site/camp-activities/nature-games.page-1.html
49
Go to a museum
Find a museum in your area
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_museums_in_the_United_States
50
Make a fire plan
Home Fire Safety
http://www.usfa.fema.gov/kids/flash.shtm  
51
Make up bubble solution and have a contest
Casey Carle's "Secret" Bubble Solutions
http://www.bubblemania.com/faq/solution.html  
52
Find a pen-pal (parent permission)
Pen Pal Directories
http://www.stonesoup.com/main2/penpal.html  
53
Plant something
Gardens for Beginners
http://www.geocities.com/mastergardener2k/  
54
Learn about Plants and our Environment
ThinkQuest
http://library.thinkquest.org/3715/
55
Host a yard sale
How to Plan a Yard Sale
http://www.ehow.com/how_137461_yard-garage-sale.html  
56
Build a sandcastle
Sandcastle Tools
http://www.sandcastlecentral.com/toolpages/  
57
Donate some of the toys and clothes you no longer use
How To Donate Toys
http://www.ehow.com/how_10124_donate-toys-children.html  
58
Research your family tree
Free Genealogy Information
http://genealogy.about.com/cs/free_genealogy/a/free_sites.htm
59
Fly a kite
Professor Kite and the Secret of Kites
http://www.gombergkites.com/howgen.html  
60
Invent your own board game
Design Your Own Board Game
la.essortment.com/boardgamedesig_rxcu.htm  
61
Make your own comic book
Comic Creator
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/comic/
62
Create a book cover for your writing projects
Book Cover Creator
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/bookcover/
63
Act in a play
So You Want to Put On a Play?
http://www.writewords.org.uk/articles/theatre1.asp  
64
Learn to Cook
Introductory Cooking Lessons
http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/kids-cooking-lessons-cit-intro.html
65
Make a bird feeder
Easy birdfeeders for young children
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/make-easy-bird-feeders.html
66
Organize a bike safety clinic
Bicycle Safety Command Center
http://www.state.il.us/kids/isp/bikes/  
67
Spend time with your grandparents
10 Great Activities
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson136.shtml  
68
Learn how the Internet works
Learn the Net
http://www.learnthenet.com/english/section/intbas.html
69
Dig for fossils
Dinosaur Dig
http://www.sdnhm.org/kids/fossils/  
70
Write a song
Notes on Songwriting
http://www.robinfrederick.com/write.html  
71
Tie-dye some t-shirts
How to Tie-Dye
iaia.essortment.com/tiedyedyefa_rmel.htm  
72
Make your own banana split
Yum!
http://parentingteens.about.com/cs/recipesforkids/ht/bananasplit.htm
73
Create a themed dinner
Theme Dinner Ideas
http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/theme-dinner-ideas.html
74
Tour the World
Google Earth Style
http://earth.google.com/tour.html
75
Throw a pajama party
Make it a success
http://www.ehow.com/how_2047629_plan-pajama-party.html
76
Learn some new outdoor games
Games Kids Play
http://www.gameskidsplay.net/  
77
Make something from recyclables
Crafts from Recycled Products
http://www.makingfriends.com/recycle.htm  
78
See a movie with a friend
In the theatre or on DVD
http://www.movies.com/
79
Make homemade ice cream
Kitchen Theater Science in a Scoop
http://www.carnegiemuseums.org/cmag/bk_issue/1996/julaug/dept4.htm  
80
Build a time capsule
For the entire family
http://www.ehow.com/how_6637_make-family-time.html
81
Get a magazine subscription (parent permission)
Magazine Listing
http://www.magsonthenet.com/chilmag.html  
82
Organize a scavenger hunt
Outdoor Scavenger Hunts
http://www.lovetheoutdoors.com/camping/kids/scavengerhunt.htm
83
Go swimming
Video Clips of the Swimming Strokes
wellness.lattc.cc.ca.us/real/strokes.html  
84
Paint a portrait of your best friend
Draw Your Friend
http://www.arts.ufl.edu/art/rt_room/sparkers/friend_portrait/
portrait_friend.html  
85
Start a collection
How to Start a Collection
http://www.ehow.com/how_10563_start-collection.html  
86
Write a fairy tale
Fractured Fairy Tales
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/fairytales/
87
Travel in time
Odyssey Online
carlos.emory.edu/ODYSSEY/MidElem_Home.html  
88
Stargaze and track the moon phases
Moon information
http://www.moonconnection.com/
89
Learn how to sew
Learn to Sew
http://cyberseams.com/
90
Visit a National Park
National Park Service Guide
http://www.nps.gov/parks.html  
91
Rent a video of a ballet
Easy to Read Profiles of the Histories of Ballets
classicalmusic.about.com/od/historyofballet/  
92
Roast marshmallows
How to Roast a Marshmallow
http://www.ehow.com/how_1164_roast-marshmallow.html  
93
Watch the birds
Tips on Getting Started with Bird Watching
http://www.birdwatching.com/tips/kids_birding.html  
94
Arrange a bouquet of flowers
Learn how to make a beautiful display
http://interiordec.about.com/library/weekly/aa021403b2.htm
95
Learn to blog (parents’ permission)
How-to
http://learn2blog.pitas.com/
96
Re-decorate your room
Decorating Gallery
http://www.hgtv.com/topics/bedrooms/index.html
97
Learn to play chess
Chess is Fun
http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/chess/chess.html
98
Adopt a pet (parent permission)
http://www.petfinder.com/
99
Keep your brain going
Brain Teasers
http://www.brainconnection.com/teasers/  
100
Teach someone to use email
How eMail Works
http://www.learnthenet.com/english/html/20how.htm  
101
Create your own holiday
A Month With No Holidays? Make Up Your Own!
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson018.shtml  
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jenidlg
May 8, 2009, 5:54am Report to Moderator Report to Moderator
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Cool!  Thanks Carissa!
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ABQlearningresources
June 11, 2010, 6:15pm Report to Moderator Report to Moderator
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here is the 2010 version:

Quoted Text
101 Things to do this Summer

  1. Have an old fashioned weenie roast—and make your own condiments. There are over 100 recipes for mustard in the below links:
    http://www.recipezaar.com/Dill-Pickle-Relish-124054
    http://www.melborponsti.com/inxmtd.html
    http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/5/Best_Tomato_Catsup15315.shtml

  2. Interview your grandparents. They're interesting people! Find out what games they played when they were young, what their parents were like (your great-grandparents), what kind of clothes they wore, etc. If you can, record the interview. You'll be glad you did. http://genealogy.about.com/cs/oralhistory/a/interview.htm

  3. Learn a new talent. What do you really wish you could do? Talk to your parents about it—they can help you achieve your goals.

  4. Do yard work for an elderly neighbor. It will make you feel good and your neighbor will really appreciate it.

  5. Give yourself, your friend, or your Mom a pedicure. Your Mom may even take you to get some new polish! Try some fun colors like bright yellow, lime green or sky blue. http://www.essortment.com/all/homepedicure_rsyy.htm

  6. Make handmade gifts and cards for upcoming special events/occasions. If none are looming, make some up! Your cat's birthday, perhaps?

  7. Learn about musicals. Watch Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, West Side Story and Fiddler on the Roof. Note how modern music has incorporated musical lyrics from these productions. Discuss how these musicals would be different if made today. These are FUN musicals—you will enjoy them.

  8. Read The Little Prince. This is a phenomenal piece of literature with multiple layers, and it's a short read. Discover why it has been translated into more than 180 languages and why it has sold more than 80 million copies making it one of the best-selling books ever.

  9. Walk around your block and pick up all the litter you can find. Take a trash bag... or two...

  10. Lie outside at night and watch the sky for shooting stars. Find out why shooting stars aren't really stars at all.
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question12.html

  11. With your parent's permission, redecorate and rearrange your bedroom. You can get Oops paint for as little as a dollar a gallon at your local paint/hardware store.

  12. Learn the alphabet in sign language.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_manual_alphabet

  13. Spend one afternoon of quality time with each individual person in your family. Have a tea party with your little sister, play cards with you brother, and hang out with your Dad. Enjoy those that you love.

  14. Plant an herb garden. Talk to your Mom about what herbs she likes to cook with. Then eventually, snip some herbs and make a recipe with her.
http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-grow-an-herb-garden.htm

  15. Turn into an expert. Pick a topic you're really interested in and research it online. Better yet, pick one subject per week. You'll be impressed with all you've learned by the end of the summer.

  16. Read Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Greene and watch the video starring Kristi McNichol and Bruce Davidson. You can find the movie on YouTube.

  17. Check out your local paper to discover any neighborhood, free-admission activities. Lots will be going on in your community and you don't want to miss a thing.

  18. Get up at dawn and appreciate the coolness and peaceful feeling of the early morning. Compare it to the sweltering afternoon.

  19. With your family, float down a slow river on an inner tube. Or maybe, not so slow of a river—tubing is a blast!

  20. Play badminton. It's a fun game. Compare it to ping pong and tennis. Just because you're good at one doesn't mean you're good at the others. Why is that? http://www.badminton.org/badminton-rules.html

  21. Learn about bats, why they are important and why they are beneficial. You can even build a bat house.
http://www.batroost.com/bathousesandfreebathouseplans.aspx

  22. Have a piñata party. Make your own.
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Pi%C3%B1ata

  23. Have a pajama day. Stay in your pajamas all day long. But don't make this a habit!

  24. Attend your sibling's game and REALLY root for him/her.

  25. Bake a cake and then decorate it. There are a number of cake decorating shows on television--watch a few and then see what you can do. Have fun with it. http://www.wilton.com/decorating/decorating-basics

  26. Get ahead! Enroll in Laurel Springs summer school program.

  27. Get together with friends and play some childhood games like "Sorry", "Candyland" and "Operation".

  28. Give your dog a bath, play ball with him, and take him for a walk. Spoil him for a day.

  29. Make dinner for your family.

  30. Make a scrapbook of your summer activities.
http://www.teachkidshow.com/teach-your-child-how-to-make-a-scrapbook

  31. With your parent's permission, get a job or an internship.

  32. Learn to sew, embroider or crochet. Maybe your grandmother can teach you.

  33. Every day, look up and learn 2 new words from the dictionary.

  34. Learn to play chess. Chess is Fun.
http://www.princeton.edu/~jedwards/cif/intro.html

  35. Have a neighborhood outdoor game day. Revisit 4-square, Red Rover Red Rover, Duck Duck Goose, Mother May I and Hide and Go Seek.

  36. Attend a first aid class. You never know when this knowledge will come in handy.

  37. Research your family tree. Maybe your parents and grandparents can help. http://www.kidsturncentral.com/topics/hobbies/kidsgenealogy.htm

  38. Choose a day—or two—and perform random acts of kindness. See how others respond. It's very rewarding.

  39. Talk to your parents about what you'd like to learn next year in your homeschool program. Chances are your parents are looking at curriculums now—so now is the time to speak up!

  40. Find a mentor. Want to learn a specific skill or knowledge. See if someone in the community can be your mentor. This can be a family member, family friend, or someone you don't even know yet.

  41. Finger paint!

  42. Celebrate National Fudge Day and National Eat Your Vegetables Day. Read the June 11 Daily News at Homeschool.com for some fun ideas on how to combine the two. It's entitled Chocolate Covered Carrots!

  43. On a really hot day, go to the dollar movies and enjoy the air conditioning!

  44. Learn how to French braid.
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-french-braid-hair-2

  45. BE a mentor!

  46. Check out the website http://www.sporcle.com. See how quickly you can fill in the 50 states.

  47. Learn jump roping tricks. Find jump roping videos on the internet to give you inspiration. It's AMAZING what people can do with a jump rope!
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/jump-rope-tricks.html

  48. Do some crazy fun science experiments (explosions, etc) with your parent's permission of course. http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts.html

  49. Learn how to make pickles. Did you know they come from cucumbers? Funny, huh? Since most kids LOVE pickles... but cucumbers, not so much. http://picklethis.com

  50. Blow bubbles with bubble gum--gigantic, wonderful, BIG pink bubbles. Have blowing contests with your siblings.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2105861_blow-bubble-gum-bubble.html
Throw the gum away responsibly when you're done.


  51. Swing on a tire swing or a rope swing. Don't have one?
Make a tire swing or Make a rope swing.

  52. Fix your bike... spruce it up... and ride with friends.

  53. Learn how to do the backstroke.

  54. Run through the sprinklers—this never gets old!

  55. Make "custom" koolaid by mixing flavors. Make multiple pitchers so you don't waste the koolaid.

  56. Develop your own superhero.
http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Super-Hero

  57. Have a water balloon fight with your siblings. But don't get mad when you get wet.

  58. Go someplace you've never gone before. It can be a park, a store down the street... pick a place and go (let your parents know where you're going).

  59. Make a new friend. Reach out to someone who has just moved into your neighborhood or to someone that maybe doesn't have a lot of friends. They might end up being your best buddy.

  60. Give your grandparents a big hug for no reason!

  61. Take an etiquette class. Learn when to use specific forks and how to be polite at all times.

  62. Learn the physics of skateboarding.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/skateboarding

  63. Barter your services. Want to ride a horse? Offer to clean out stalls in return for riding time. Want to take guitar lessons? Offer to mow the instructor's lawn in return for lessons. Get your parent's permission and then make sure you follow through on your end.

  64. Think about what you want to be when you grow up and find out what type of education is required. Go online and determine the demand for that field and the starting salary. Some adults do what they love regardless of the compensation, others go into a field because of its high pay.
http://www.careeronestop.org/studentsandcareeradvisors/studentsandcareeradvisors.aspx

  65. Go to the drive-in movies with your family. Drive-ins are disappearing. Enjoy them while you can.

  66. Learn how to do a cartwheel.

  67. Celebrate June 21 Summer Solstice by playing songs with the word summer in them. http://oldschool.tblog.com/post/1970011044

  68. Go to a garage sale... or two... or three. They're great fun.

  69. Exercise in the pool. It's so much easier than on dry land—and more enjoyable too.

  70. Clean your room for absolutely no reason, other than to surprise your Mom.

  71. Play hide and go seek—in the DARK! Turn off all the lights in the house... and play for hours. Warning—this can get a bit raucous. Parental permission required.

  72. Learn how things work. Explanations of how gps and the fax machine work are scheduled in the Homeschool.com news. Every month, we are going to explain how one piece of technology works. You can find out how just about anything works by going to http://www.howstuffworks.com.

  73. Try a food you've never tasted before. Come on... take a bite!

  74. Dream big!

  75. Check out the website http://www.freerice.com. Learn and help people at the same time.

  76. With your parent's permission, have a yard sale and donate the proceeds to charity.

  77. Learn to whistle.

  78. Understand the science behind fireworks. http://www.howstuffworks.com/fireworks.htm

  79. Build a time capsule.
http://www.kids-party-paradise.com/time-capsule.html

  80. Make a bird feeder out of a used milk container. Learn what kinds of seeds will attract the birds you want (make sure there are lots of dark sunflower seeds in the mix).

  81. Write a play and act it out.
http://www.teachkidshow.com/teach-your-child-how-to-write-and-produce-a-play

  82. Start a collection. What do you like? Rocks, stamps, figurines?

  83. Go a day without phone calls, texts, tv, radio or computers. This might be difficult!

  84. Make banana splits.
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-a-banana-split

  85. Make a terrarium. http://www.stormthecastle.com/terrarium

  86. Devise a fire plan for your home.
http://earlychildhood.suite101.com/article.cfm/developing_a_fire_safety_plan_with_kids

  87. Become a tourist in your own town. What do tourists see when visiting your area? Have you seen these same attractions?

  88. Make up with someone. Go ahead, end the feud!

  89. Make a bucket list of things you want to do before you are 12, 16, and 18. Share this with your parents. See how you can start crossing things off your list.

  90. Learn all about wolves. http://www.wolf.org/wolves/learn/learn.asp

  91. Understand the physics behind roller coasters. They aren't as dangerous as they seem! http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics

  92. Eat healthy! http://helpguide.org/life/healthy_eating_diet.htm

  93. Find out how hot air balloons work. Depending on where you live, you might be able to go on one or at least watch them take off. Did you know they actually make a lot of noise? http://www.howstuffworks.com/hot-air-balloon.htm

  94. Read the book The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter. If you can, watch the 1958 feature film adaptation produced by Walt Disney Productions and then compare the two.

  95. Make your own video. Humorous? A music video? Your choice.

  96. Learn how to bowl. http://www.wikihow.com/Bowl

  97. Make pink lemonade bars.
http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/pink-lemonade-bars-83236

  98. Do something...anything you choose... to make you a better you.

  99. Learn to read music.

  100. Make and fly a kite.  There are 19 kite possibilities at-- http://www.howtomakeandflykites.com

  101. Last but not least... get ready for school to resume.  Summer is GREAT but so is the fall!

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