Songs

 

1. The Summer Sun

The summer sun in the sky,

Shining, shining up so high

Makes it warm for outside fun.

To play at the park and run,

To swim and hike and fish,

And to go on a picnic if you wish

2. You are my Sunshine (tune: you are my sunshine)

You are my sunshine

Bright, yellow sunshine

You bring me sunlight

All through the days

You help the seasons go

You make the plants grow

Please be my sunshine always

3. Oh, Mr. Sun

Oh, Mr. Sun, sun, Mr. Golden sun

Won't you please shine down on me

Oh, Mr. Sun, sun, Mr. Golden sun

Hiding behind the tree

These little children are asking you

To please come out so they can play with you

Oh, Mr. Sun, sun, Mr. Golden sun

Won't you please shine down on,

please shine down on, please shine down on me-e-e!

 

Crafts

 

Sun Catchers

1. Cut the inside out of a paper plate for each child. Place clear contact paper with the covering removed over the hole. Have each child stick pieces of bright tissue paper all over his contact paper. When the child is done place another piece of contact paper over the tissue paper. Hang the sun catchers from your ceiling or windows.

2. Corn Meal Sun

Cut a large circle out of poster board. Have the children paint it yellow with a paint and glue mixture. While the paint and glue mixture is still wet sprinkle the sun with corn meal. Glue on yellow construction paper for the sun rays.

3. Sunny Faces

Have the children paint paper plates with yellow paint. When the paint has dried then cut out a hole in the center and add a picture of the child. Then have the children glue short yellow streamers around the edges of their sunny faces.

4. Beach Scene

Give each child a piece of green construction paper. Have children glue on water with blue construction paper and sandy beach using sand.  Add sea shells, fish in water, sailboat, and starfish to scene.  Add a sun.

 

Circle Activities

1. Summer Vocabulary

Sunny, water, thirsty, hot, flowers, fruits, sun screen, sunburn, visor/hats, birds, green grass and trees

2. Sun Fading

Put toys on dark blue construction paper and put in the sun. When you remove the object the paper under it will have stayed dark and the paper will be faded. This usually only takes an hour or so depending on the sun. Explain to the children why this happened.

3. The Sun

The sun is hot. Demonstrate how the sun heats up the land and water by placing a cup of soil and a cup of water in the sun and a cup of soil and a cup of water in the shade. After a few hours feel the water and soil. (You could talk about sunburn at this point and how important it is to wear sunscreen.

4. Summer Activities

Show children pictures of different activities that happen in the summer.

(Camping, swimming, fishing, picnic, going to the beach, strawberry picking)

 

Stories

 

1. It's Summer! by Linda Glaser

A child observes the coming of summer and its effects on the weather, animals, and plants. Includes suggestions for summertime activities to enjoy alone or with a parent.

2. Summer Days by Roger Paré

Different activities that happen during the summertime.

3. One Hot Summer Day by Nina Crews

Relates a child's activities in the heat of a summer day punctuated by a thunderstorm.

4. Those summers by Aliki

A little girl remembers summers at the seashore where children swim, romp on the beach, collect shells, build sandcastles, and enjoy other fun-filled activities.

 

General Activities

 

1. The Beach

Make dramatic area into a beach scene. Put out beach towels, goggles, flippers, sunglasses, visors, and picnic basket filled with play food.

2. Seashells

Place seashells in the sandbox.

3. Fishing

Have the children fish in the water table.