10 Educational Summer Workshops and Activities for Kids

Summer is officially here! But are you worried that your kids won’t retain anything they learned during the school year? Help them avoid the summer slide. Get them involved in these fun, educational summer workshops and activities. Not only will this help keep their brains active, but they will also develop new skills and experiences to give them a head start for the upcoming school year. 

Summer Workshops and Activities for Kids

So, your children are officially on summer break. Have you been wondering how to keep them entertained for the next several weeks? Perhaps they’ve already settled into a  steady routine bouncing between their devices, watching t.v., and asking for another snack. And while it’s somewhat nice to be off of the rigid school year schedule, you certainly don’t want to throw all structure out the window during summertime. And just because they’re on a break from school doesn’t mean that they need a complete break from learning all summer long. Allow your kids’ creativity to continue flowing this summer by exploring educational summer workshops and activities for kids. 

The cost of summer camp can start to add up quickly, but have you thought of the other fun and educational summer workshops and activities offered for a low cost or even free? These activities give your children plenty of opportunities to be creative and entertained while learning something new.  

Summer is a great time to explore and try something different, and I’ve rounded up several options below to get your ideas flowing. In addition, getting your kids involved in choosing their summer camp “schedule,” adding these workshops and activities to their summer agenda will help ward off the boredom that can occur from sitting around the house.  

Browse through the list below to come up with a schedule to keep your kids busy, happy and learning all summer long. 

Join the 21 Day Family Wellness Challenge

Technology Summer Workshops for Kids

Apple Camp 

Apple offers free summer workshops for kids each year aptly named Apple Camp. The camp occurs at their local retail stores, and are three-day events that give kids an opportunity to use Apple products to create projects including photography, music, and movies to showcase their creativity. Most stores participate, and there is a registration process. 

Learn about Apple Camp here.  

Microsoft Free Summer Camp for Students 

Microsoft offers free summer camps where children aged 8-10 years old can learn creative and critical thinking skills. Some of the camp topics are: 

• Harry Potter Creative Coding Workshop 
• Gaming Summer Camp 
• Get Creative with Ohbot the Talking Robot 
• STEM Saturdays 

In addition, they offer the DigiGirlz program geared towards high school girls. These programs are great opportunities for kids to learn more about coding and computer programming.  

Learn about Microsoft camps here.  

Free Crafts and Building Workshops for Kids

Summer is a great time for kids to try out new DIY and arts & crafts projects. And even if you’re not “crafty,” you can still expose your kids to these through local events in your area. These workshops need to be on your calendar during the summer. 

Home Depot Kids Building Workshops 

Head to Home Depot on the first Saturday of each month for a free kids building workshop. These fun workshops will have your kids building crafts from birdhouses to jewelry boxes. Kids are offered a free apron, certificate, and a pin to signify their success.  

Check the schedule here.  

Lowe’s Build and Grow Classes 

Lowe’s also offers workshops, every Saturday at 10 am, where kids can learn to build wooden projects. They are gifted free supplies including goggles and apron.  

Find out more about these classes here.

Lakeshore Learning 

Saturday is also a busy day at Lakeshore Learning, as every week they have Arts & Crafts Day on Saturday from 11am to 3pm. The kid-friendly projects are usually centered on learning skills such as learning numbers and the alphabet.  

Get the details here.  

Michaels 

Arts and crafts retailer Michaels offers in-store demonstrations and projects for children age 3 and up. Topics, dates, and times vary. Upcoming topics include Birdhouses, Sea Treasures, and Jungle Journey to name a few. All of these sound like fun arts and crafts activities for the kids. 

Get the details here.  

Bass Pro Shop’s Family Summer Event 

This year, Bass Pro Shop is offering their Family Summer Event every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday starting from June 22 through July 21. These events are aimed to teach a new generation about enjoying the outdoors. Workshop topics include watersports, fishing, and more. 

Find your local store and learn more about this summer event here.  

Other Summer Adventures for Kids 

Free Local Library Events 

Did you realize that your local library is good for more than just borrowing books? Many library systems offer fun learning activities for kids and families as well as reading material. In addition to the Summer Reading Program, kids and parents can attend free events at the library related to arts & crafts, music, water safety, learning a language, and STEM. 

Look beyond the bookshelf the next time you’re at the library. Pick up an event calendar or visit your library’s website to see what events are being offered this summer. 

Find a local library here. 

Museum Programs 

Many museums offer summer programs for kids on a variety of art, history, and cultural topics; and some of them are even free! They offer activities and programs ranging from full-fledged themed camps to special events and activities. Check your local museum’s event calendar to learn what’s being offered.  

National Park Service Junior Rangers 

The NPS Junior Ranger program is an activity-based program offered to kids ages 5 to 13 that is conducted in almost all parks. Kids complete a series of activities during a park visit, share their answers with a park ranger and receive an official Junior Ranger patch and Junior Ranger certificate. Kids can participate in the Junior Rangers program during a one-time visit to the park or over the course of several visits.  When you visit the park with your child(ren), have them pick up an activity book to complete the activities on safety, lighthouses, animals, nature and more; then turn in their completed booklet for their reward, patch or certificate. There is even a “virtual” option to this program that allows kids to do some of the activities at home if you’re unable to get to a participating park. 

Learn more about this program here. 

It’s easy for kids to get bored over the summer. In addition, year after year teachers spend the first few weeks of the school year re-teaching material from the previous school year. Check out these summer workshops and activities for kids. Not only will you keep your kids busy during the long days of summer, but they’re sure to learn skills they can use for a lifetime.