Theme Week Summer: Easy Ideas for an Intentional Summer at Home

/

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Shopping through these links is one small way of supporting this blog, and for that - I thank you! For more information, see my disclosures here.

Summer is here, and like many moms, I’m staring down 13 weeks with both of my kids home full-time — my son just finished preschool and starts kindergarten at the end of summer, and my daughter is right behind him at age three. While I love having them home, I also work from home and need a little structure to help us all stay sane. I’m not a Pinterest-perfect mom (and I’m not afraid of a little screen time), but I do want to be intentional with our time together. That’s why I’m creating Theme Week Summer — a simple, doable way to give our days a little rhythm and purpose without spending all of our time on screens, spending a ton of money, or running around town nonstop. Each week has a fun theme to guide what we read, snack on, craft, watch, and explore — mostly from the comfort of home. Whether you’re a fellow work-from-home mom or just trying to bring a little order to the summer chaos, I hope this idea can help make your summer feel a little more fun as well (and a lot less overwhelming!).

How Does Theme Week Summer Work?

The idea behind Theme Week Summer is simple and flexible — just the way summer with little kids should be! It’s designed with preschoolers and early elementary-aged kids in mind, offering a fun way to bring a little rhythm and intentionality to the long summer weeks at home.

Each week of the summer, you’ll pick a theme — something your kids are curious about or excited to explore (like bugs, farms, the beach, or even mermaids & pirates!). You can follow along with the weekly themes I’ll be using with my own kids, or make your own custom plan using the free printable calendar and planning worksheet you’ll find later in this post.

Once you have your theme for the week, just choose 3–5 simple ideas to go along with it. Think:

  • Books to grab from the library

  • Snacks to match the theme (like butterfly-shaped sandwiches or beachy trail mix)

  • Crafts or activities that tie in

  • A few shows or short videos that are actually on purpose for that week

  • A local outing if it makes sense with your schedule

Some weeks might include a fun trip or special event — others might be totally home-based. That’s the beauty of this plan: it’s meant to give you easy summer ideas that work for your family, whether you're up for an adventure or need to keep things simple.

For our family, I usually do most of the activities in the morning, since I work from home and try to protect afternoon quiet time after lunch. My kids don’t always nap, but we aim for solo time in their rooms so I can get a little bit of client work done. That quiet window helps me recharge, too — and keeps the day from feeling like it drags on forever!

So whether you’re planning a full morning of themed fun or just want a few ideas to sprinkle in here and there, Theme Week Summer is a low-pressure way to keep your kids engaged and give your days a little structure without going overboard.

Keep reading to see each of the themes that I have already picked out for my family (based on local events or our own family vacation schedule). Each week of this summer I’ll be updating this blog post for our weekly theme & then sharing more details about that theme with simple activity ideas, book lists, snacks, and more over on Instagram & in my weekly emails — come follow along @simplemodestmom for real-life moments and easy inspiration throughout the summer!

I will also be sending out a short email each week with all of that week’s theme ideas in one place, so be sure to subscribe (use the form below!) if you want everything delivered straight to your inbox each week. Let’s make this a fun and intentional summer together!

 
 

Plan Your Own Theme Week Summer with These Free Printables

To help you make the most of your own Theme Week Summer, I created two free printable planning pages you can use all season long:

  • The Summer Theme Calendar gives you a big-picture view of your 13-week summer. Each week has a bubble where you can write in your own theme idea — whether you're using my ideas or creating your own! If you want more color, take the next step and use a highlighter to color in or outline each bubble.

  • The Weekly Planning Worksheet helps you brainstorm and organize your ideas for each theme. There’s space to jot down activities to do, places to visit, snacks to eat, books to read, and shows to watch, plus a blank section you can customize (I’m using mine for a weekly memory verse!). Just print out multiple copies for each week that you need.

These printables are meant to make summer feel intentional, not overwhelming. Just a little structure to keep everyone (including you!) happy.

👇 Grab your free download by filling out the form below!

Weekly Summer Themes for Kids

These weekly themes are designed to add just a little structure to your days, with easy ideas you can do at home, at your own pace. Each theme includes inspiration for books, snacks, crafts, and optional outings, all centered around a fun topic your kids will love. Whether you do one activity or all five, the goal is connection, not perfection. Let’s dive in!

Want to jump to a specific theme to see all of its resources? Click on the theme to jump right to that section.

 
 
 

Gardening 🌱

Planting seeds of curiosity this week! We’re starting our summer with Gardening Week—digging in the dirt, planting flowers and veggies, and learning how things grow. I already knew that we had plans to get some flowers and veggies into the gardens around our home, so this feels like an easy way to make that a bit more intentional with my kids!

Activities to Do

  • Plant a special flower in a small planter

  • Paint a flower pot

  • Paint and put together a special wooden flower craft

  • Create your own garden markers (use popsicle sticks or smooth rocks)

  • Computer Game: Curious George’s Flower Garden

 

shop activities & crafts

see ideas on pinterest

Places to Visit

Snacks to Eat

  • Flower Garden Graham Crackers

  • Dirt Pudding Cups

  • Veggie Straws

 

see ideas on pinterest

Books to Read

 

Shows to Watch

  • Curious George - “The Magic Garden” (S2E9)

  • PBS for Parents - What’s Good - “Gardens” (E3) - This link takes you to the video and includes lots of extra resources like parent info, online games to play, and activities to play.

  • Sid the Science Kid - “Growing Plants”

  • The Garden Cartoon - a sweet, faith-filled show for little ones! It follows two best friends, Lenny the Lion and Lucy the Lamb, as they go on fun adventures inside a magical garden where anything can grow. But it’s not just about imagination and wonder — each episode helps plant little seeds of faith in your child’s heart in such a simple, engaging way.

Memory Verse

 
“A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit... a bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit.”
— Luke 6:43
 

Here’s a recap of our Gardening Week:

Here’s a peek at what we actually did during Gardening Week! 🌱
The kids each planted their own special flower in small self-watering pots (just $3 each!), we made super easy dirt pudding cups with crushed Oreos and gummy worms, and took some fun nature walks around the neighborhood with cute little Nature Walk notepads in hand. We watched a few garden-themed shows (loved the old-school Magic School Bus episode about seeds!), read some sweet garden books like Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt and A Seed Grows, and finished the week with a fun wooden flower painting craft. It was simple, flexible, and fun—just the way summer should be!

 

We’ll learn about baby animals this week and maybe even see some in real life at a nearby farm!

 

We’ll be at the beach, so this week we’re diving into all things sand, shells, and sea!

 

Farms are full of learning! This week we’ll focus on animals, crops, tractors, and more.

 

Bug hunts, butterfly crafts, and nature walks make this week full of wonder.

 

Let’s use our imaginations and pretend we’re sailing the seas this week!

 

Between camping and fireworks, this week will be a festive one!

 

We’re learning about fruits this week — through taste tests, books, and play!

 

We’ll learn all about camping this week before heading off on a family trip!

 

We’ll be in the Poconos, so this week is all about the great outdoors!

 

Planes, trains, and trolleys — we’re learning how we get from here to there.

 

We’ll wrap up our summer by getting ready for kindergarten and preschool!

 
 

I hope this Theme Week Summer series helps bring a little rhythm and joy to your days at home with your kids — without the pressure to do it all. Whether you follow along with my themes or come up with your own, remember: the goal isn’t perfection, it’s connection. Just a little bit of planning can go a long way in creating meaningful memories, and I’m cheering you on every step of the way!

I’d love to hear your ideas for other themes or any fun activities you’re excited to try — share them in the comments below!