Summer Learning Activities To Do With 4-Year-Old Preschoolers

Just because my 4-year-old is out of school, doesn’t mean that I can’t incorporate some fun summer learning activities for her.

We are deep into the middle of the summer and we have been doing all the summer things.

From summer camps to swimming to playing at parks to visiting the zoo.

And even going on a family vacation.

We have been having a blast this summer because that is what summer is about.

But even with it being summer, I still think it’s important that my daughter is still learning so that by the time the school year rolls back around, she is retaining what she learned from her previous school year.

With that being said, some of the activities that we have already been doing have also been learning opportunities.

So I capitalized on some of those opportunities.

Here I will be sharing some fun summer learning activities that are great for 4-year-old preschoolers.

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What Are 4-Year-Olds Learning?

Before I dive into summer activities that are great for learning with 4-year-olds, let’s talk about this.

What are 4-year-olds learning?

That’s really important to know since we are trying to prepare for the next stage in their educational journey.

At 4, most young children were in or are heading to Pre-K in the fall.

So it’s best to keep in mind that what they should be learning should align with what they would learn in Pre-K.

For those that have been following along with the blog, then you would know that my daughter has been in preschool this past school year.

She was too young to start Pre-K last year so in order to make sure she didn’t fall behind, I enrolled her in a preschool that followed an educational curriculum that would prepare children for Pre-K.

Some of the things that they learned in her preschool program were:

• Saying and recognizing their full name
• Tracing and writing their name
• Learning to write, count, and recognize numbers
• Learning to write and recognize the letters of the alphabet
• Learning the colors and shapes

Along with these things, my daughter is also learning how to spell and somewhat write her name.

So she has been learning a lot this past year in her preschool.

And I want to somewhat keep it rolling through the summer.

This is why I have been intentional about incorporating some type of learning activity every day or every other day.

While also keeping it fun because learning can be fun.

Especially at this age.

Now that we have an idea of what 4-year-olds are learning, let’s get into some fun learning activities to do with them.

Summer Learning Activities To Do With 4-Year-Old Preschoolers

Preschool Workbooks

If you read my previous post on some of the preschool learning activities I do with my daughter, then this first thing is no surprise.

And that is workbooks.

• Read More: Preschool Learning Activities For 4-Year-Olds

During the school year, I shared that we worked through 2 to 4 pages of a workbook every day after school.

This is what they did every day at her preschool so I just keep it up at home.

Now that is summer, I just kept the same routine.

She either does her workbook during a quiet time when her sister is napping or after her nap if she decides to take one.

I will link the workbook that we are currently using below.

Practice Writing With Sidewalk Chalk

While on the topic of honing those writing skills, a great summer activity that you can also do is practicing writing with sidewalk chalk.

Especially on those days when the weather is really nice.

I told you all above that my daughter has been learning how to write her name.

So when she plays with the chalk, she likes to practice writing her name.

Other things she likes to draw are shapes, smiley faces, and she even tries to people and animals.

Give your kiddo some chalk and let them draw whatever their heart desires.

Start A Small Raised Bed Garden

Another great outdoor learning activity is starting a small raised bed garden with your kiddo.

We actually started our garden in the middle of spring and now we are watching our plants grow and flourish this summer.

Gardening is a great learning opportunity for younger children to learn how to take care of plants and grow their food.

We have been growing peppers, onions, broccoli, lettuce, and one of my daughter’s favorites, strawberries.

Along with the food we are growing, my daughter also wanted to plant some sunflowers and bluebonnet flowers so we also have those we are tending to.

Since we are in the middle of summer here in Texas, we have been watering in the evenings when it is much cooler.

This has become a part of our evening routine and my daughter loves watering the garden with me.

The raised bed that we have is this one from Walmart that I can link below.

Join The Summer Reading Challenge At Local Library

Something that we have been doing the past two summers is the summer reading challenge at our local library.

And we are doing it for the third time this summer.

At our local library, the summer reading challenge is a way to encourage summer reading by offering incentives when you read for a certain amount of time.

You can win different prizes for completing different milestones such as reading for 5 hours, 10 hours, 15 hours, and lastly 20 hours.

The good thing about this challenge is that you don’t have to do it all in one day.

What we do is take 10 to 15 minutes a day to read a book or two before bed and we log that towards the challenge.

Once you have reached a certain milestone, you can take that log to the library to get your prize and then receive another log to start working towards the next prize.

Not only is this a great way to incorporate daily reading, but it also associates fun with reading.

Most libraries offer something like this during the summer so be sure to check out yours to see if you can join in.

Attend Storytime At Local Library

Something else to do at your library is attend the story times for younger children.

If you have been keeping up with me over on social media, then you already know that we frequent the library often.

It is one of the fun places that I like to take my girls.

• Read More: Fun Places To Take A Toddler

I already take my younger one to the storytimes because it gives her something to do since she is home with me.

But now that school is out, I also take my older daughter as well.

She loved going to the storytimes when she was younger and she still enjoys them now.

During the summer, our library does a lot of themed storytimes that are really fun for younger children.

They have puppets and other props they use to tell stories and afterward, there is a themed craft that you can do as well.

So they get a double dose of learning through reading and crafting.

Visit Children’s Museum

Another great place to visit during the summer is the children’s museum.

There is so much to do at a children’s museum and it’s rooted in interactive STEM play so they will be learning a lot.

Your child will likely get to experiment with water and air dynamics and get to create a few different art projects of their own.

Some children’s museums even have a large jungle gym that children can play in as well.

We have even visited a children’s museum where they had a mini town in it for kids to engage in imaginative play.

My girls love going to our local children’s museum so we have been making it a point to go a couple of times a month during the summer.

Make Crafts At Home

And the last of the summer learning activities that are great for 4-year-olds is making crafts at home.

Crafts don’t have to be limited to the library and children’s museum.

You can easily do crafts at home with your kiddos.

This a great screen-free activity to do during the summer with young kids.

Something that you can do easily is pick a day during the week and turn it into a weekly craft day to do with your child.

You can head to places like the Dollar Tree, Five Below, or even the dollar spot in Target and have your kiddo pick out something that they would like to.

Or if you are a mama who loves Pinterest, there are so many options to pick from there as well.

Making crafts is a great way to hone those fine motor skills that kids will need in school.

Not only will your kiddo enjoy doing this, but they will enjoy it even more if you do it with them.

Your Turn

Well, those are some of the summer learning activities that I like to do with my 4-year-old daughter. I want to hear from you all now. What are some learning activities that you like to do with your preschoolers? I would love to hear from you in the comments and while you are still here, check out my previous post below. Until next time!

• Read More: Toddler-Friendly Activities To Do On A Family Vacation

Love,

Just Jass