☀️ Beating the Summer Slump: Fun, Creative, Hands-On Ways to Keep Kids Engaged (and Off Screens!)

jen murden
Jul 2
2 min read

When school’s out and summer stretches ahead, it can feel like a toss-up between total relaxation and that creeping “Wait… have they done anything educational in weeks?” feeling.

Enter the summer slump—that sneaky slide in reading, math, and learning habits that can happen when kids disconnect from routine. But don’t worry! The fix doesn’t mean workbooks and stress. The best way to stay sharp? Play. Create. Cook. Read. Explore.

Here are some of our favorite fun, hands-on ways to keep minds active and imaginations buzzing all summer long.

🥣 1. Cook Up Some Learning in the Kitchen

Cooking is packed with learning opportunities—kids just think it’s snack time.

Let them:

Measure ingredients (hello, math skills!)
Follow recipes (sequencing and reading)
Guess what happens when heat hits butter (science!)
Invent their own recipes (creativity and confidence)

At Tasty Tales, we combine stories with recipes and STEAM activities so kids aren’t just learning—they’re playing chef and storyteller all at once. Whether it's banana muffins inspired by a jungle adventure or veggie tacos for a garden fairy feast, each recipe becomes an experience.

📚 2. Story Time Meets Play Time

Reading doesn’t have to look like sitting still with a chapter book (though we love that, too). Make stories interactive:

Act out favorite scenes with costumes
Create a puppet show for a picture book
Cook a snack inspired by the characters

And don’t forget to leave books all around the house—baskets in the living room, bedtime stacks, even a book-

🧪 3. Make STEAM Part of Everyday Play

Summer is the perfect time to get messy and curious.

Try these simple at-home STEAM ideas:

Build a baking soda volcano (science!)
Freeze toys in water and excavate them (fine motor skills + sensory fun)
Make “edible slime” with kitchen ingredients (chemistry you can eat)
Create veggie stamps and pattern art (art + math)

Each Tasty Tales Cooking Box includes recipe and STEAM activity cards designed to connect with the story—like building a spaghetti bridge or growing your own herbs.

🎨 4. Make Art with What You Have

Set up a “creation station” with recycled materials, paper scraps, tape, markers, and stickers. Challenge your kids to:

Design their own recipe card art
Illustrate scenes from a book they just read
Create a menu for a pretend café

Art doesn’t have to be fancy. It just has to be theirs.

✏️ 5. Sneaky Math & Literacy Moments

Learning is everywhere—especially when it feels like play.

Play board games with counting, strategy, and reading
Let your child help plan a grocery list (spelling + budgeting!)
Do a summer “scavenger hunt” with word clues or riddles
Start a DIY summer journal with pictures, stories, and taped-in mementos

💡 Final Thought

You don’t need a formal curriculum to help kids grow this summer. You just need curiosity, creativity, and connection.

At Tasty Tales, we’re all about using simple things—like food, stories, and family time—to spark learning that sticks. Because the best way to avoid the summer slump? Make learning taste like fun.

👩‍🍳 Want easy ways to blend reading, cooking, and science this summer?

Explore our story-based cooking kits for kids ages 4–12 where every recipe, activity, and book is crafted to keep little minds active and little hands busy.