Learning Through Play: OT-Backed Summer Activities for Kids

Summer is here — and while it's a great time for fun and relaxation, it also brings opportunities to build essential life skills through play! As occupational therapists, we know that every activity has the potential to support a child’s growth, whether it’s fine motor, gross motor, sensory integration, or social-emotional development.

Here are our top OT-approved summer activities to keep kids active, learning, and thriving,  all while enjoying the sunshine!

🌳 1. Nature Scavenger Hunt

Targets: Visual motor skills, executive functioning, sensory processing

Create a list of items to find (like “a smooth rock,” “a feather,” or “something red”) and head to your local park or backyard. Add in clues and map skills for older kids! You can even make a DIY checklist or photo journal afterward for writing and sequencing practice.

🎨 2. Sidewalk Chalk Obstacle Course

Targets: Gross motor coordination, motor planning, visual-spatial skills

Draw a series of activities with sidewalk chalk (e.g., “hop on one foot,” “hop scotch,” “bear crawl to the circle,” “spin 3 times”). It’s a fun, low-prep way to encourage physical movement and planning.

💦 3. Water Play with Purpose

Targets: Sensory regulation, hand strength, bilateral coordination

Try sponge tosses, squirt bottle races, or transferring water with different items. These water games are a hit in hot weather and help build foundational skills for handwriting and dressing tasks.

🍓 4. Cooking and Preparing Simple Summer Snacks

Targets: Fine motor skills, executive functioning, sensory exploration

Make fruit kabobs, homemade popsicles, or trail mix. Encourage your child to follow visual recipes, measure ingredients, and use child-safe kitchen tools.

 

📚 5. Summer Skill Builders: Journaling or Drawing

Targets: Fine motor precision, emotional expression, writing fluency

Give kids a fun summer journal or scrapbook to decorate and fill with drawings, thoughts, or stories about their adventures. Great for school readiness and self-expression.

 

🎶 BONUS: Try a "Summer Sensory Song & Dance"

Targets: Auditory processing, rhythm, body awareness

Make a summer playlist and create a simple dance routine or follow action songs like “Freeze Dance” or “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.” Movement + music = magic for regulation!

Final Thoughts

Summer doesn’t have to mean a break from learning — just a shift in how we support development. These fun and functional OT-based activities can help children grow through movement, creativity, and real-world experiences. Happy summer!