75. Summer Activities for 2nd and 5th Graders Aligned with NGSS

For second grade, the Next Generation Science Standard that I pulled was two dash ESS2-3, obtain information to identify where water is found on Earth and that it can be solid or liquid.

So for second grade, I would suggest encouraging your families to take advantage of their time together to investigate different places around them where water can be found.

Water is a very important aspect of all of our lives and not just for drinking.

It is one of the most alluring loose parts that children can have access to at any age, but especially in early childhood, where they develop their problem-solving skills, their imagination, their social-emotional skills, their motor skills, and more.

So for this activity, encourage your families to start a list of areas that they visit this summer where they found natural water.

Since families are able to travel easier during the summer than classes can during the school year, now is a great time for your learners to explore your local watershed or even more distant waters if your families are traveling this summer.

It may help to inspire your families if you give them a list of places that water can typically be found, such as oceans, lakes, rivers, ponds, wetlands, springs, caves, and glaciers.

Once they have your list of suggestions, they can visit the water and enjoy it together.

If they want, they could draw a picture at each of the different types of water and make notes on what they find.

But this activity is a suggestion to get them immersed in nature and naturally discovering where water is on Earth.

They can add or omit whatever activities they'd like.

One of the best ways to solidify the learning of concepts is to provide an experience that creates memories, and your learners will do just that with their families this summer.