Creating a Summer Choice Board for Young Learners
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Summer with little and young ones can feel like a beautiful mix of freedom, snacks, messes, questions, and the phrase “What can I do now?” repeated approximately 47 times before lunch. Another layer is added when you are trying to work from home or manage remote work.
One thing that helps in our home is creating a Summer Choice Board inspired by classroom choice centers. Our five-year-old’s favorite day at school was choice center day because she got to choose her activity. Teachers know the magic of giving children meaningful options. A choice board creates independence, reduces constant decision fatigue for adults, and helps kids move through the day with purpose and creativity.
We are using that joy and excitement from our five-year-old to create something similar at home to help her stay engaged and battle boredom. The best part is that a choice board, or summer activities in general, do not need to be complicated or Pinterest-perfect. A piece of paper, sticky notes, or a simple poster board works just fine. In this blog post, I share our summer choice board as a template, along with additional ideas for those moments when summer vacation does not exactly feel like a vision of beaches, popsicles, and fun in the sun.
What Is a Summer Choice Board?
A choice board is a visual menu of activities children can choose from throughout the day. Instead of directing every moment, you create categories of familiar activities children already know how to do independently with very little setup.
For example, I can hand my 5-year-old kinetic sand, and she already knows how to settle in and play. The goal is to fill the board with activities your child can return to again and again without needing constant instructions or entertainment from you.
You might include categories like:
Create
Build
Read
Explore
Help
Rest
Imagine
Children thrive when they know what kinds of choices are available to them. Familiar routines and open-ended activities help them build independence, creativity, and confidence throughout the day. Here is our choice board that we made for the first couple of weeks of summer break:
How to Make One
For the choice board above, I hopped on Canva and used one of the templates available there. You can use the one I created below as a guide, or you can choose your own template on the platform.
I took pictures and screenshots of items I knew our little one was already familiar with because she could easily recognize them. Then, I removed the backgrounds from the images to make the board look a little cleaner and more visually appealing.
You definitely do not have to do all of this to create a choice board. A choice board can be as simple as sticky notes with a quick drawing, word, or visual cue that helps children understand what the activity is all about.
Start by thinking about:
activities your child already enjoys
activities they can do independently
low-prep options
activities that work indoors during extreme heat
a few sensory or calming choices
You can make your board:
with magnets on the fridge
on a whiteboard
using index cards
in a notebook
with printable squares
using Velcro pieces for younger children
Canva template Link: https://canva.link/byxi1192ae1se15 (You can also just view here: https://canva.link/rlxcbvpeu4xx0dg)
You do not need dozens of activities. Even 8–12 consistent choices can make a huge difference.
Example Summer Choice Board Activities
Create
watercolor painting
paint sticks
sticker art/paint-by-sticker
loose parts art
cardboard inventions
bead kits
scissor practice
Read & Write
picture book basket
draw-and-label notebook
listening to audiobooks (We love our Yoto Player because it can be easily operated by small hands, and the app is really user friendly for caregivers)
make a tiny comic
Build
LEGO challenge
blanket fort
magnetic tiles
marble run
Kinetic sand
Playdoh
Explore
bug hunt outside
cloud watching
scavenger hunt
neighborhood walk
Quiet Time
puzzles
sensory bin
coloring
rest with music
Tablet with learning games (We like Khan Academy)
Additional Activities/Ideas for Summer
Little Noticers as a Summer Morning Meeting
Need a way to start the morning?
Little Noticers is a gentle 10-day (or flexible 2-week) learning experience designed to help children ages 4–6 slow down, look closely, and explore the world through curiosity, play, and observation.
Using playful “noticing tools” inspired by real writers, artists, and scientists—like binoculars for zooming in, magnifying glasses for looking closer, cameras for capturing moments, and paintbrushes for adding detail—children are invited to engage with the world in creative and meaningful ways.
Each day encourages simple, developmentally appropriate experiences that build early literacy skills through observation, vocabulary development, storytelling, drawing, listening, and beginning writing. Rather than focusing on completion or correctness, Little Noticers centers curiosity, conversation, and connection.
Children may spend time drawing, pointing out details, asking questions, or simply noticing what is around them. Every response is valuable, and every moment of attention becomes part of their growing language and literacy development.
Little Noticers creates a gentle rhythm to the day without making summer feel over-scheduled.
You only need:
the activity prompts
a notebook or tiny stapled booklet
crayons, pencils, markers, something to write with
Children are naturally observant. They notice tiny details adults rush past. Summer is the perfect time to slow down and build habits of curiosity.
Go-To Summer Outings When It’s Too Hot
Living through long stretches of heat means having a list of reliable outings ready to go. Sometimes everyone simply needs a change of scenery.
Here are a few go-to ideas for hot days:
Library Days
Libraries are summer magic.
Many offer:
reading programs
STEM activities
craft days
puppet shows
air conditioning and quiet spaces
Children can also practice independence by choosing their own books.
Indoor Nature Centers or Aquariums
These still provide exploration and wonder while escaping the heat.
Bring notebooks along for:
sketching animals
making observations
writing questions
Bookstores
Even browsing can feel like an outing.
Children can:
read picture books
search for favorite characters
make wish lists
play “book scavenger hunt”
Early Morning Park Trips
During very hot weeks, early mornings become the outdoor window.
Bring:
popsicles
chalk
scooters
breakfast picnic foods
spray bottles
magnifying glasses
Indoor Play Places
Sometimes survival mode counts.
Rotate:
trampoline parks
play cafés
mall play spaces
community centers
A Gentle Reminder About Summer
Children do not need every moment optimized.
They need:
rhythm
connection
creativity
boredom sometimes
space to notice
opportunities to play
A summer choice board is not about creating a perfect schedule. It is about creating a home environment where children can move between curiosity, rest, imagination, and independence. And honestly, that helps the grown-ups too.
What are your summer go-to activities for young ones? What would you add to this list?
Backup Activities for Long Afternoons
Every parent needs a “things are unraveling” list.
These are the activities that save the day during:
late afternoons
sibling arguments
overstimulation
heat advisories
work-from-home moments
unexpected schedule changes
Keep a simple backup basket or shelf with activities children do not access all the time.
Backup Activity Ideas
The Painter’s Tape Box
Use painter’s tape on floors for:
roads
mazes
balance beams
hopscotch
pretend towns
Surprise Draw Prompts
Keep folded prompts in a jar:
draw a tiny world
invent a bug
create a dream playground
design a pet dragon
draw something upside down
Sensory Rescue Bin
Include:
kinetic sand
water beads
scoops
pom-poms
cups
tongs
Audiobook + Coloring Time
This combination works surprisingly well for many ages.
Cardboard Box Challenges
Try:
build a robot
create a mailbox
make a puppet theater
design a car wash for toy cars
Ice Activities Outside
On extra hot days:
ice painting
frozen toy rescue
spray bottle races
sponge tosses
A Gentle Reminder About Summer
Children do not need every moment optimized.
They need:
rhythm
connection
creativity
boredom sometimes
space to notice
opportunities to play
A summer choice board is not about creating a perfect schedule. It is about creating a home environment where children can move between curiosity, rest, imagination, and independence.
And honestly, that helps the grown-ups too.
