“It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.”
―Maud Hart Lovelace, Betsy-Tacy and Tib
Minnesota summers are brief, yet magical. Make the most of the summer sun and backyard fun by trying out some of these kid-approved summer DIY activities from PBS Kids!
10 Activities to Make the Most of your Minnesota Summer
Make Sun Prints
When sunlight interacts with our bodies, it warms us. When sunlight interacts with light-sensitive paper, it changes the color of the exposed paper and leaves a silhouette (like a shadow) of any object placed on top of the paper. In this activity, observe the sun’s energy while also experiencing nature and making art!
Homemade Fossils
With some basic kitchen ingredients, your child can have fun learning about fossils in this hands-on educational activity. Dinosaur Train has some great resources to explain what fossils are, and how fossils are clues that give us an exciting glimpse into the past lives of animals, and plants and dinosaurs!
Water Blob
Make the perfect activity for hot summer days: a water blob! Using simple materials like a plastic bag, duct tape, and water, you can transform your yard into an exciting play mat! Take it a step further by adding soft objects to the plastic, like fish, to create an underwater world!
Turn a Pool Noodle into Horse Stick
Turn summer break into summer fun with this one-of-a-kind pool noodle horse. This easy DIY activity encourages imagination… turn your yard into a rodeo, a horse show, or a dude ranch, with these charming pool noodle horses! “Giddyup! Neigghhhh!”
Fruit and Veggie Caterpillars
Does your child love all things nature? Add some friendly insects to your backyard party invite list by assembling these tasty fruit and vegetable snacks that look like caterpillars. Not only do they look cute, but they promote healthy summer snacking. Take this activity a step farther by using your own vegetables in your garden!
Use Math While Baking Peg’s Honey Cake
Peg (Peg + Cat) and her friends find math all around them, including in the kitchen. As you bake and decorate a delicious honey cake, look for all the ways you use math — from measuring the ingredients, to the setting the oven temperature and timer, to decorating the cake with geometric patterns. Happy baking! Get kindness bonus points by delivering some to neighbors and family members!
Glow Worm Bracelet
A surefire sign that summer is here is a yard that is filled with twinkling lights from lightening bugs and other creatures that glow! Glow worms, jellyfish, fungi and other creatures produce a special chemical reaction called bioluminescence to emit light. These easy-to-make and adorable glow worm bracelets are a fun summer craft activity.
Paint With Nature
Get outside and have fun with nature, using natural objects (leaves, flowers, or anything else!) as brushes or stamps to paint creative art projects. Get the whole family involved on a hike, then have a mini art exhibit to show off the final pieces.
Make Art With Nature
This art activity is all about exploration and expression. Your child will explore the world around them and express creatively using materials they find in it. Display the artwork in your home as a sweet reminder of summer when this season is over.
Block Painted Hide-and-Seek Rocks
These block-painted hide-and-seek rocks are a craft project and an activity rolled into one! Use simple paints and rocks from the yard.Think about spreading joy by adding messages of hope to the ricks and leaving some around the neighborhood for others to find!
Enjoy these DIY activities! Have a joyful summer of learning, reading, making, exploring and spending quality time with the ones you love!
Looking for more?
PBS KIDS Summer Activity Book
© Twin Cities Public Television - 2020. All rights reserved.
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