Materials that make summer learning easier (and more fun)!

Part of preparing for summer is collecting the materials that will support all of our learning plans. Here’s what I’ve already gathered for this summer – and why (all links are affiliate links).

Stencil set – My girl loves stencils and these are an excellent way to support handwriting. This set has so many different options that I know she love and use, plus it’s an activity that she can do completely independently.

Supply box – Keeping everything in one spot is key, I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to stop what we’re doing and go find a pencil, or a glue stick, or a pair of scissors. Having it all in one spot makes things flow more smoothly. It also makes it really easy to grab and go if we want to work at the library, or the park, or in the backyard.

Crayola Supertips – These are my absolute favorite markers. I love the variety of colors and the slightly finer tip. They’re perfect for coloring, drawing, or fun hand lettering.

Fujifilm Instax Mini – this is just so fun. My daughter can easily use it on her own and she loves to watch the photos develop. It’s perfect for capturing memories, and for enhancing learning.

Storage Clipboard – Were constantly on the go in the summer, and having a clipboard makes it easy to complete activities pretty much any where. I can pop a pack of markers or set of worksheets and a thin book in the storage compartment and we’re off.

National Geographic Kids Books – we’re using these to structure our learning this summer, you can read how in this post. Some of the topics that we’re exploring with these amazing books are; dolphins, gemstones, volcanos butterflies, airplanes, bees, frogs, and storms. The amazing thing is that there are so many different options available, you’re sure to find some that your child will love. You can choose the single books that you want, or purchase a bundle that’s already put together.

Zip Pouches – I truly use these for everything, but when it comes to summer planning I have a pouch labeled for each day (I used my cricut to cut out vinyl labels), and at the beginning of the week I sort the materials into each day. I also keep specific workbooks in each pouch so that every Monday we do spelling and every Tuesday we do addition, etc. My daughter knows the days of the week well enough to find the pouch that we need and pull it out, plus we can take the entire pouch with us if we’re headed somewhere so she can do the activities in the car, or we can work on them together when we get to our destination.

Three ring binder – We keep our weekly plans in a binder, and after we complete the work for the week we file it behind the plans in the binder. It’s been really nice for my little one to see what she’s accomplished at the end of the summer, and it can be helpful to revisit some of the activities. I’m a sucker for a cute binder, and this one definitely fits that bill.

Disney Workbook – I actually bought this for our road trip to Disney this spring, and it didn’t get touched (surprise surprise), so I’ve added it to my summer plans. It really is well put together – all of the activities are aligned with what my daughter has been learning in school. There are a wide variety of topics covered, from basic handwriting, to reading comprehension, addition, subtraction, geometry, fractions, etc. Some topics will be easy for her, while others will be a challenge, and it’ll be a great review. I’m planning to let her pick one page each day so she gets to be in charge of what she wants to work on.

Sketchbook – My girl and I both love art and nature, so one of the activities that we’re doing this summer is weekly drawing in the park. We’ll visit a different park and just sit and draw whatever we feel inspired to draw. I’m hoping to encourage creativity and show her that she can sit and work on something for an extended period of time. This sketchbook is from Prang, which is a brand that I’ve always loved and trusted for art supplies.