12 Summer Literacy Activities for Toddlers

Are you looking for activities to do with your toddler this summer? We’ve got you covered with our 15 Days of Intentional Summer Toddler Activities Series.

Participating in my library’s summer reading program surfaces as one of my favorite childhood memories.

Today I want to share with you ways you can engage in intentional summer reading or literacy activities with your toddler.

The key to preparing your toddler to read is language development.

This means we need to not only read to our children, but talk to our children frequently and play with them faithfully.

There is no better time to concentrate on just being with your children than the summer time!

12 Summer Literacy Activities for Toddlers

1. Play with simple puzzles. My toddler loves puzzles. We love all the Melissa & Doug puzzles and we have several.

2. Read an animal book and make animal noises.

3. Have your toddler scribble or draw.

4. Practice writing letters in the sand or with sidewalk chalk. You can find other outdoor learning activities here.

5. Use bath time to talk about opposites (e.g., full/empty, wet/dry, in/out).

6. Sing Head & Shoulders, Knees & Toes. Also talk about all your toddler’s body parts and what they do!

7. Let your child turn the pages of the book.

8. Read street signs aloud. Point out the red, yellow, and green lights and talk about what they mean. Find stop signs and practice spelling the simple letters.

9. Tell your child a story from your childhood.

10. Take your storybooks outside. We love sitting in the shade after nap time when it’s still pretty hot outside and just read together.

11. Cook together. Getting our kids in the kitchen with us lends itself to many, many learning opportunities. You’re not only teaching them about health and nutrition, but you can count and read ingredients and create lots of memories together.

12. Read good books every day. Reading together is so important {see these related posts}:

• 5 tips for reading aloud with your children
• 25 Books to Read Aloud with your Toddler
• Summer Reading List for a 7-Year-Old Boy

*Many of these ideas came from our local library’s summer reading program for wee readers (babies and toddlers).

What summer literacy activities for your toddler would you add to this list?

Want even more ideas to enjoy an intentional summer with your toddler?

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