Summertime is often one of the most exciting times for families. As the school year winds down and families plan day trips and vacations together, why not weave the fun of learning into it all? The promise of more time spent together and longer days full of fun and adventure are some of the best memory making opportunities for a family.

Sometimes, when we are so busy having fun, we can overlook simple opportunities to carry learning into summer. Today I want to share with you 4 fun ways you can build more learning opportunities in your summer. Don’t worry, these are low-stress and don’t require a lot of preparation, or money, I promise.

1. Scavenger Hunts

Scavenger hunts are the perfect way to have fun and learn all at the same time! Oftentimes scavenger hunts provide us with the chance to use our analytical thinking skills, navigational skills, team work, and of course exercise our body all at the same time. We also find a lot of joy and laughter accompany our family scavenger hunts, too.

There are so many great free printable scavenger hunts that you can easily change the theme for maximum fun and learning. We enjoy all the different themed scavenger hunts you can find on the web for any season or occasion. In honor of summer here are 20 free printable summer scavenger hunts to get you and your family started.

2. Read Aloud

Reading aloud is one of our family’s all time favorite activities to relax and learn about what ever we are interested in at the time. If we are going on a trip, we always grab books at the library to study up on the place we are traveling. This has been an amazing tool to keep the learning alive while practicing reading skills and group discussions.

We enjoy taking turns reading aloud to one another no matter where we are. The nice thing about books is that you can put them in a bag or backpack and read them in the park, in the car, on a plane, at the beach, or anywhere else your family may go.

3. Campfire Spelling Bees

This is a family favorite. What better way to take the stress out of spelling then to have a little family-friendly spelling bee around the ambiance of the campfire? As a matter of fact, just last night, we made s’mores and had a family spelling bee in our backyard! We start off spelling words associated with what we are doing and then begin to find things in our surroundings to spell.

This is always a huge hit with our three children and never ceases to build spelling and vocabulary at the same time. Oh! And the parents definitely learn a lot too. Our campfire spelling bee is truly a fun and jam-packed learning experience for all.

Hopefully these ideas will have you and your family learning more this summer as you enjoy all those fun family activities you have planned. With a little intentional planning, there are no limits to the learning and fun you can have together while making summer memories! If you are looking for even more great ways to learn together this summer, here are 7 more ways to do so.