What We Are Doing This Summer in Our Homeschool + A Free Summer of Psalms Scripture Activity Book!
Summer is here and I am so excited to share our summer homeschool routine with you! I know some families take a complete break from school during the summer, and that is totally fine. But for our family, we have found that keeping a rhythm going works really well for us. Our mornings do not take that long anyway, and we all do better with some structure in our days. So while our summer homeschool routine is definitely more relaxed, we are still showing up each morning and keeping the things in place that help our family thrive.
Today I want to share what our summer is going to look like, some chapter books I am excited to read with my kids, and a brand new resource I created that I am offering for free because it came straight from my heart for my own family and I would love for yours to enjoy it too.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
A Summer of Psalms Scripture Activity Book
As I was thinking about what I want to focus on with my kids this summer, I kept coming back to one thing. I want to grow as a family in memorizing Scripture together. We read the Bible every morning and pray together, and that has been such a sweet anchor in our days. But I felt like the Lord was putting it on my heart to be more intentional about actually memorizing His Word together as a family.
So I decided to create a Summer of Psalms Scripture Activity Book! It covers 12 weeks of the Psalms with activities to help the whole family memorize Scripture together in a fun, hands on way. I designed it with my own kids in mind, wanting something that would be engaging for them while also being meaningful for all of us.
During our morning devotional time this summer, we will read through the Psalms together and use this book to help us memorize and reflect on what we are reading. I am so excited about it, and I truly believe it is going to be one of the most special parts of our summer.
And here is the best part. I would love to offer this to you for free! If you want to spend this summer memorizing the Psalms with your kids, you can grab the Summer of Psalms Scripture Activity Book at the end of this post. I hope it blesses your family the way I know it is going to bless ours.
Our Summer Routine
Our summer rhythm looks very similar to our school year rhythm. It is definitely more relaxed in that we do not do a subject focus each day like we do during the school year. But we still start our mornings off with our devotional time, and we still do math and language arts throughout the summer.
A typical summer morning for us starts with our family devotional time around the breakfast table. I read to my kids from The Child’s Story Bible by Catherine Vos, which has been our go to Bible for morning reading. My kids really enjoy it and it tells each passage in a warm, narrative style that keeps them engaged. My three year old son loves looking through The Complete Illustrated Children’s Bible at the pictures while I read, which is so sweet. During this time, we will also go through our Summer of Psalms book together, reading through the Psalms and working on memorizing them as a family.
After devotional time, we move into math and language arts just like we do during the school year. These are our core subjects and we keep them going year round. It does not take long and it helps my kids stay sharp and keep building on what they have learned.
My kids also spend some time in the morning doing a page or two of their Cycle 2 Weeks 13-24 Review Activity Book, and it has been so fun to see them get excited about reviewing the things they learned this year!
Getting Outside as Much as Possible
My biggest goal for this summer is to be outside as much as we possibly can. If it is nice, we take everything outside. Devotional time, meals, read alouds, all of it. There is something so special about reading the Bible together outside in the fresh morning air or doing a read aloud under a tree.
I especially love taking advantage of the nice mornings and evenings when it is not too hot. Those are the best times to be outside with the kids, and we try to soak up every bit of it. Whether it is eating breakfast on the porch, taking a walk, or just playing in the yard, being outside makes everything feel lighter and more joyful. Summer goes by so fast and I want to make the most of these long sunny days with my kids.
Bibles We Love
I wanted to share a few of the Bibles we use and love in our home because I get asked about these a lot.
The Child’s Story Bible by Catherine Vos is what I read to my kids during our morning devotional time. It stays very close to Scripture while telling each passage in a way that is accessible and engaging for young kids. I love it and my kids love it.
My seven year old has her own Bible, the NIrV Adventure Bible for Early Readers. My husband and I have been reading out of that Bible to our kids before bed, and it has been really special for her to have her own copy of God’s Word that she can read and follow along with.
We have also used The Complete Illustrated Children’s Bible in the past, and right now my three year old son enjoys looking through it at the pictures while I read from the Bible to them in the mornings. It is a great option for little ones who are not quite ready to follow along with the text but still want to be part of Bible time.
Reviewing Cycle 2 Memory Work
Even though our school year has officially ended, we are not done reviewing! My kids are working through their Cycle 2 Weeks 13-24 Review Activity Book this summer, and I love that it gives us a fun, easy way to keep all that memory work fresh without starting anything brand new.
It has been so fun to watch my girls get excited about reviewing the things they learned this year. They will flip to a page and say “I remember this!” and it just makes my heart so happy. All of that faithful, steady work throughout the year is paying off, and reviewing it over the summer helps make sure it really sticks.
If you are looking for an easy way to keep reviewing memory work over the summer, I have both the Cycle 2 Weeks 13-24 Review Activity Book and the Cycle 2 Weeks 1-12 Review Activity Book available in my shop!
Chapter Books We Are Excited to Read This Summer
One of my favorite things about summer is having more time for read alouds! We always read at lunch time and before bed, and during the summer we often add in extra reading time outside too.
Here are the chapter books I am excited to read with my kids this summer:
- Stuart Little by E.B. White
- The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
I love choosing classic books that are full of beautiful language and wonderful stories. There is something so special about reading these timeless books with my kids and knowing that generations of families have enjoyed them before us. I cannot wait to curl up with these this summer!
Making the Most of Summer
Summer in our homeschool is not about doing more. It is about keeping the rhythms that serve our family well while making space for more play, more time outside, and more slow, unhurried moments together. We keep our core subjects going because it works for us and it does not take long. We review our memory work because the kids enjoy it and it keeps everything fresh. And we are adding in something new this summer with our Psalms study that I believe is going to draw our family closer to the Lord and to each other.
Whatever your summer looks like, I hope you find a rhythm that feels right for your family. And if you want to join us in memorizing the Psalms this summer, grab your free Summer of Psalms Scripture Activity Book and let’s do it together!
I hope this post encouraged you and gave you some ideas for your own summer! If you have any questions or want to share what your family is doing this summer, please comment below. I would love to hear from you!
Get Your Psalms of Summer Scripture Activity Book!
If you would like a free printable Summer of Psalms Scripture Activity Book, just enter your email below. This book is perfect for helping your family memorize 12 weeks of the Psalms together this summer through fun, hands on activities. It will be delivered straight to your inbox!
