Summer Packet
Send home this Summer Packet at the end of the year for parents and students to work on during the summer, if they choose.
Many parents aren’t sure what to do with young children to promote learning in the summer, and tend to resort to worksheets and flashcards. Hopefully this packet provides them with fun, hands-on learning activities. Find more End of Year Activities.
There is a Spanish version of this Summer Packet also — scroll down!
Updated 5/1/17.
PERMISSION FOR USING THE PRE-K SUMMER PACKET
In a nutshell: You may copy and send a paper copy home to parents. You MAY NOT republish this and claim it as your own work. You MAY NOT sell this summer packet to parents. You may not distribute this electronically.
Click here to download the full terms.
Download the Complete Pre-K Summer Packet
You can download and print the complete Summer Packet here or scroll down to get the individual pieces. There is also an editable parent letter file that you can download if you need it (under the “Parent Letter” section).
Download: Complete Pre-K Summer Packet
Get the Individual Pieces of the Summer Packet
Parent Letter
Send home a parent note explaining the purpose of a summer packet, and a list of the materials enclosed. Here is a downloadable copy of the parent letter that you can print to send home to parents. There is a PDF file as well as editable Word and PowerPoint (PPT) files. With the PPT file, you can easily drag and drop the clipart of your choice onto the page.
Activity Booklet
Send home a booklet with several activities parents can do at home with their children. I also include a book list and website list.
Download: Summer Activities Pack
Rhyming Cards
Include a set of rhyming cards are in the packet for children to practice matching rhyming words. You can have kids cut out and glue these to die cut shapes, then send them in the Summer Packet. Or, to save time, just add the sheet to the packet.
Summer Book Bingo
Parents can randomly choose a book activity on this chart to do with their child during the summer. After they have read the book/completed the activity, the child can either color that square or stick a sticker over the square. They get bingo when the whole bingo chart is full.
Ocean Animal Race (Counting Game)
This is a printable dice game children can play for counting and numeral recognition practice. To play, children roll a dotted game die. The child counts the dots on the die, and circles the number they rolled. They continue rolling and circling the number until one of the ocean animals wins. Directions are printed on the game for parents.
Grid Game
Print and copy the grid game onto card stock paper for each child and add stickers for decoration. I use stickers of popular characters to spark their interest in the game (Barbie, Star Wars, Harry Potter, etc). Last year, when a child mentioned gifts in class, I had another child thank me for the Scooby Doo game, even though that wasn’t the end-of-year gift I had given them. You can either include dice (the Dollar Tree sells packs of them) or a home-made spinner. To play a Grid Game, children roll the die or spin the spinner and count out the correct amount of pieces to place in each grid. Play continues until the grid is full. Children practice one-to-one correspondence, numeral identification, and counting. If you prefer, you can print out ready-made grid games here and more grid games here.
Nursery Rhyme Parent Handout
This is a sample of nursery rhymes that parents can recite with their child. At the top, it tells parents (very simply) that nursery rhymes are important for increasing reading ability.
Download: Nursery Rhyme Handout
Roll and Write Games
Include one or more Roll and Write Games. This is a fun way to encourage kids to write. If possible, include a letter dice, which you can make with a wooden cube or foam cube. In the past, I’ve found foam cubes at the Dollar Tree. I have lots of blackline printable Roll and Write Games here, and there are many themes available.
For more writing, you could even include some of these Writing Printables.
Pipe Cleaners
The pipe cleaners are included for letter and numeral formation. This is also explained in the parent letter.
Emergent Reader Books
Include one or two printable emergent reader books. You can find some for free on The Measured Mom here.
Lima Beans
Spray-paint lima beans so that they have a different color on each side. Children use them for counting, patterning, grid games, etc. They can use them in a toss game by tossing the beans on the table and counting how many of each color. They can also be used for comparing more/less/same.
Extra Weekly Readers
If you have any leftover Weekly Readers, add these to the packet.
Spanish Pre-K Summer Packet
The Spanish edition of the Pre-K Summer Packet is now available, and it’s free! Just click the button to download.
Download: Spanish Pre-K Summer Packet
Home Learning Packet for Coronavirus Closings
Download the Home Learning Packet
SPECIAL PERMISSIONS FOR SCHOOL CLOSINGS DUE TO CORONAVIRUS — Updated 3/13/20:
If you are using this packet for home learning during school closings, and your school requires you to email or upload home learning activities for parents:
You may email this packet to parents or upload it to a private online space that only your students’ parents can access. Otherwise, please provide a link to this webpage rather than upload this packet in a public online space.
The Home Learning Packet for school closings is basically the same as the Summer Packet that I have zipped together into one file so that you can share it with parents. Since this is an emergency situation for many schools, and this was something I already had available, it made sense to repurpose the summer packet. If I create additional materials, I will send a notification through my email newsletter — sign up here!
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