Ending the Summer with a Bang: 7 Fun Preschool Activities for the Last Days of Sunshine
The last days of summer are here, and you're looking for fresh, easy ideas to keep your preschooler happy and engaged. Look no further! Here are 7 low-prep, screen-free activities that use simple supplies you likely already have. From an Ocean Sensory Bin to Shake Bag Ice Cream, you'll find creative ways to make these last summer memories.
Sun Prints with Nature
Looking for a quiet, low-energy activity that teaches a little bit of science? Sun prints are a perfect way to capture the beauty of the season. It’s an activity that teaches cause-and-effect, light exposure, and patience.
What You'll Need: Dark-colored construction paper, leaves or flowers, and rocks to hold the items in place.
What To Do: Place leaves or flowers on black or dark paper and leave them in the sun for several hours. When you remove the items, their outlines remain!
Why It's Great: This activity teaches cause-and-effect, light exposure, and patience. It's also great for encouraging spatial awareness and fine motor creativity.
Switch It Up: Compare results using different natural materials. You can also use stencils or lace for unique patterns.
Parent Tip: Check the weather to ensure a sunny day for best results
Ocean Sensory Bin
Bring the beach home without the sandy mess! An ocean-themed sensory bin is a fantastic way for preschoolers to engage in imaginative play and sensory exploration.
What You'll Need: A bin, scoops, shells, toys, and rice dyed blue.
What To Do: Fill a bin with dry rice, scoops, shells, and small ocean-themed toys. Let kids pour, bury, and dig.
Why It's Great: This activity encourages independent play, fine motor exploration, and building focus.
Switch It Up: Add tools like measuring cups, tongs, or sifters. You can also swap the rice for kinetic sand, pom-poms, or water.
Parent Tip: Use a sheet or tray underneath to catch stray materials, and you can save the blue rice for other projects, such as winter themes
Indoor Sandcastles
Rainy day got you down? You don't have to miss out on the fun of building sandcastles. This simple activity brings the joy of the beach indoors and is a great way to work on fine motor skills and creativity.
What You'll Need: Flour, oil, bowls, a mixing spoon, and small toys or shells.
What To Do: Mix 1 cup of flour with ⅛ cup of vegetable oil to make sandcastle sand. Let your child build sandcastles and whatever else they want indoors.
Why It's Great: This activity combines sensory play with creativity and fine motor skill building.
Switch It Up: Add small beach toys or shells to decorate the sandcastles.
Parent Tip: This mixture also works well for tricycles or foot races.
Shake Bag Ice Cream
Nothing says "summer" like ice cream. This fun and simple science experiment doubles as a tasty treat and is a great way to get kids involved in the kitchen.
What You'll Need: 1 cup of heavy cream, ¼ cup of sugar, 1 tsp of vanilla, two sealable plastic bags, 4-5 ice cubes, and ½ cup of salt.
What To Do: Combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla in a small sealed bag. Put this bag inside a larger bag filled with ice and salt. Shake vigorously for about 10 minutes to create ice cream.
Why It's Great: This is a hands-on science and cooking activity that encourages patience and motor skills.
Switch It Up: Experiment with different flavors or toppings. You can also try making sorbet using fruit juice instead of cream.
Parent Tip: Ensure bags are sealed tightly to avoid leaks.
Jelly "Fish" Rescue Bin
This activity is a great sensory experience and is a fun way to work on problem-solving and fine motor skills.
What You'll Need: Gelatin mix, plastic fish toys, a spoon, tweezers, and a bin.
What To Do: Make Jell-O in a bin and hide plastic fish inside. Provide tools like spoons or tweezers to “rescue” the fish.
Why It's Great: This encourages sensory play, fine motor control, and problem-solving.
Switch It Up: Use different “rescue” tools or try different shapes to find. You can also use any small toys and call it “Jelly Fishing”.
Parent Tip: Play on a washable surface and supervise closely.
Sidewalk Shape Jump
Get your little one moving with this outdoor game that combines big-body movement, imagination, and balance.
What You'll Need: Sidewalk chalk and an outdoor space.
What To Do: Use sidewalk chalk to draw large shapes on the ground. Call out shapes and have your child jump onto the matching shape.
Why It's Great: This activity builds gross motor skills, shape recognition, and listening skills.
Switch It Up: Add colors or numbers to the shapes for added learning. You can also create an obstacle course by combining shape jumps with other movements.
Parent Tip: Encourage safe jumping and provide shade if it's sunny.
Lemon Volcanoes
This is a classic, preschool-safe science experiment that is sure to wow your little one. The fizzy, colorful eruptions are a great way to spark curiosity and sensory exploration.
What You'll Need: Lemons (halved), baking soda, food coloring, dish soap, a tray or plate, and a spoon.
What To Do: Squeeze lemon halves slightly and place them on a tray. Add a drop of dish soap, some food coloring, and spoon baking soda on top to create a fizzy, colorful eruption.
Why It's Great: This is a classic preschool-safe science reaction that sparks curiosity and sensory exploration.
Switch It Up: Try other citrus fruits or mix in glitter for extra flair. You can also let your child use a dropper to add vinegar instead of dish soap.
Parent Tip: Place everything on a tray or shallow baking dish to contain the mess.
"End of Summer" Book List
Here are some excellent books for preschoolers that capture the feeling of the end of summer and the transition to a new season or a new adventure.
And Then Comes Summer by Tom Brenner: This is a wonderful, nostalgic book that celebrates all the little moments of summer, from the last day of school to all the fun activities.
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn: A classic story that's perfect for helping little ones with the anxiety of starting school or being away from their parents. It's a sweet story about a mother raccoon who shares a family secret to help her son feel loved when they are apart.
How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Mark Teague: A humorous book about a boy who tells his class a wild story about his summer vacation, complete with cowboys and a cattle stampede.
Don't Let the Fun Stop Here! Get 13 More Activities for a Perfect End to Summer!
Love these activities? Imagine having a full calendar of 20 easy, low-prep activities to take the stress out of your days! My comprehensive guide, "End of Summer Preschool Activities: 20 Easy, Low-Prep Activities for Real-Life," is your quiet helper for when the days are long and the energy is low. It's filled with ideas that are designed to make play easy, doable, and surprisingly fun, using what you already have at home.
Grab your copy now and make the last days of summer a time of joy and connection, not stress!
