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Summer Science [1]

Mother and daughter looking at nature specimen with a magnifying glass outside

Reading and writing happens across the curriculum, including the sciences. This summer, strengthen children's literacy, inquiry, and problem-solving skills — and connect kids with high-quality nonfiction and informational books.

What you’ll find here:


  • Bird Buddies [2]
  • SpaceRangers! [3]
  • River Rangers! [4]
  • DIY science camp [5]
  • Literacy in the sciences tip sheets [6] (in English and Spanish)

Bird Buddies

Summer science: multicultural young children doing bird exploration activities

Learn about the connection between birds and dinosaurs, fantastic feathers, finding food and hunting prey, bird brains, nest-building, bird songs, and how we can protect birds and their habitats. Take a daily bird walk, set up an observation station, and start a personal bird journal. Bird Buddies is a 5-day program that connects books and writing with hands-on activities and other active learning opportunities. Our downloadable toolkit has all the resources you need for your summer program or at-home learning.

  • Learn more about Bird Buddies [10]
  • Download the Bird Buddies toolkit [11]

Space Rangers

Summer science: multicultural young children doing space exploration activities

Where do stars come from? Why does the moon change shape? What is the solar system and why is the sun at its center? How big are all the planets? What is gravity, and is there gravity on the moon and the planets? What’s it like for astronauts to live and work in space? Questions around space seem to be as infinite as the night sky itself. Our 5-day Space Rangers program includes dozens of carefully chosen fiction and nonfiction books, hands-on activities, writing ideas, and educational media to deepen the learning.

  • Learn more about Space Rangers [12]
  • Download the Space Rangers toolkit [13]

River Rangers

Summer science: multicultural young children doing river exploration and water activities

River Rangers gives kids a chance to learn about the life and science above, under, and around rivers including topics around pollution, water conservation, and plant and animal life. River Rangers combines hands-on activities with great fiction, poetry, and picture book biographies, inspiring kids to learn all about the complex world of rivers. Our downloadable toolkit has all the resources you need for your summer program or at-home learning.

  • Learn more about River Rangers [14]
  • Download the River Rangers guide [15]

DIY science camp: weeks of fun and learning!

Parents and summer program staff! Looking for ways to bring more science into your summer learning activities? We’ve got some cool ideas for warm summer days. Choose a topic below, then explore the hands-on activities. You'll also find recommended fiction and nonfiction books plus theme-based apps and websites to deepen the learning. (Find lots more books and activities by browsing our complete library of Science, Nature, and Math themes [16].)

Begin your adventures by selecting a topic below!


Source URL: https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-science

Links
[1] https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-science
[2] https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-science#birdbuddies
[3] https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-science#spacerangers
[4] https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-science#riverrangers
[5] https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-science#sciencecamp
[6] https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-science#literacyinscience
[7] https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-science#nonfiction
[8] https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-science#adventuretracker
[9] https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-science#booktracker
[10] https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-science/bird-buddies-book-based-science-adventure
[11] https://www.startwithabook.org/sites/default/files/bird_buddies_toolkit_2021.pdf
[12] https://www.startwithabook.org/space-rangers-book-based-science-adventure
[13] https://www.startwithabook.org/sites/default/files/SpaceRangers-toolkit-2019.pdf
[14] https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-science/river-rangers-book-based-science-adventure
[15] https://www.startwithabook.org/content/pdfs/RiverRangers%20Toolkit%20National.pdf
[16] https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-reading-learning