7 Life Skills For Kids to Learn This Summer

big green lawn mower as an example of life skills for kids to learn over the summer

You might not want to focus on mathematics or history this summer, but have you considered focusing on life skills for kids? Traditionally, summer is typically the season where all things educational seem to be on hold. Even if you’re loosely homeschooling during these months, you may still want to take the opportunity to focus on teaching kids things that will last a lifetime. Summer is a great time to introduce life skills to your kids.

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The Value of Learning Life Skills

As adults, we can most likely look back and think, “Gosh, I wish I had learned that when I was younger!” Most of the time this is said about things that come as a surprise in our adulthood. Instead of waiting until your children are older, begin teaching basic skills that will stick with them for life. As your children grow into teens and then young adults, they will thank you for focusing on these essential life skills while they were young enough for it to be considered fun.

Bonus – Child development experts agree that teaching kids basic skills also gives them a boost to their self-esteem. And who doesn’t want kids with high self-esteem?

7 Life Skills to Learn Over the Summer

Here are 7 life skills you might want to implement into your summer homeschool schedule.

Having a Job

Both younger and older children can begin to learn the concept of working by having a part-time summer job. Even from an early age, younger children can help with gardening, yard work, or doing chores. Children who are a bit older, but not yet old enough to work at McDonald’s, can pick up a mowing job. Older kids can certainly consider a fast food, restaurant, or retail job to work over the summer.

These types of jobs will help teach children what it’s like to work under a manager, receive feedback from supervisors, as well as work with other employees (important social skills!). They will also learn what behavior is appropriate in different settings and how to interact with all kinds of people. Bonus – having a summer job will also teach kids about waking up to an alarm clock (which is sadly one of the skill a lot of homeschoolers, including my own, struggle with).

Having a job will also help kids get started learning money management skills. Even if your child is younger and you ‘hire’ them to do something at home, you can still treat them like an employee, complete with a paycheck. In fact, I’ve got a free paycheck template for kids if you want to go all out on the experience!

Money Management

Speaking of money management, knowing how to manage money is a skill that many grown ups were not taught, making them susceptible to early credit card debt and financial struggles. While your child is working their summer job, that is a perfect time to help them understand this important concept. Teaching them how to create a budget will help them understand and value their finances.

Begin with some of the following ideas:

Have your child add up their weekly income.
Help them decide what to spend a portion on.
Encourage them to save a certain percentage
Rinse and repeat.

These skills developed at an early age will result in adults who are money-conscious and not quick to get into debt.

Banking

With getting a job and learning how to be financially smart, adding the skill of opening a bank account would be the icing on the cake. The skills taught with money management would be put into practice by incorporating a place where they can make those transactions. Give them opportunities to deposit, withdraw, and save using their own bank account.

I have my kids keep track of their budget with a spreadsheet. You can get a free copy of this budget for kids (no opt-in required).

Head-Up a Program or Service

Could the local park use a good cleaning? Or how about the neighborhood? Encourage your child to start a program or service that does something beneficial for the community. Some local businesses would love to have children help them in this type of way. A prime example is the animal shelter. These places are usually low-funded and depend on the help of others. Having a car wash, spaghetti dinner, or any other kind of fundraiser then donating the proceeds would be great.

Even just spending some time volunteering over the summer will give kids a life-long education teaching them to look outside themselves and think about others. That animal shelter I was talking about? They probably have a ‘walk the dog’ program that your kids would love to take part in.

Cooking

Not that your child is looking to become the next Top Chef, but learning to cook a good meal or two isn’t so bad. Younger children can start with individual items like making toast or scrambling eggs. Encourage both older and younger children to make their own lunch. (Bonus – this gives you a break!) The older the child, the more items they can cook and then put into making an entire meal, even if it starts out as a simple meal. With this kind of skill, they can help take the load off, mom!

Learn to Sew

No more questioning what to do when that button falls off, or when those shorts get a hole in them. Learning to sew on a basic level is a skill that everyone should acquire. Some children find that they really enjoy it and go on to do more than just patchwork. You can go all out and teach your child to sew using a sewing machine, or go more simple and teach a few basic hand-stitches. When your child has grown into a young adult and is living alone, both of you will be grateful for the skill of sewing.

Related: Teach Kids How To Crochet

Camping

Camping has always been a great way to teach a number of outdoorsy types of skills from setting up a tent, starting a fire, and being able to identify poisonous plants. These trips also make for great nature hikes/walks, fishing, canoeing/kayaking, and swimming – all which require some level of skill.

And what better time to learn these life skills than a summer camping trip? Even young children can learn new skills from a campout. How to behave appropriately around a fire for example.

See? You don’t have to fill your summer with schoolwork in order to have a productive and educational experience. How will you practice life skills over the summer?

Charlene Hess

Charlene Hess is the founder of Hess UnAcademy. She spent many years teaching before she had her own kids. She now has 8 kids of her own, whom she has been homeschooled for over a decade.

She has now moved on from Hess UnAcademy to focus on her family and her new site, Secret Life of Homesteaders.