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9 Summer Solstice Activities To Welcome a New Season
Christy Walters
May 20, 2025
The Summer Solstice, also known as the longest day of the year, marks the beginning of summer and the changing of the seasons. In the northern hemisphere, this event typically happens around June 20 each year, right around the time many of us are getting ready for or into the groove of summer vacation.
You can use this timely event and summer solstice activities to keep students engaged in their lessons before they take time off to rest and recharge for next school year.
[Learn more about the science behind solstices and seasons](id-sci)
Help students understand the science behind the changing seasons, weather patterns, and other summer-related phenomena with these engaging science activities:
Discover what a solstice is
Why do solstices and equinoxes mark the changing seasons, and what happens when they occur? Students can learn more about the solstice by exploring resources like:
A video about Earth’s rotation and revolution.
An infographic that explains Earth’s rotation and tilt.
A video that explain how the sun’s positioning and intensity changes with the seasons.
Explore seasons and climate
Do people in all parts of the country, or the world, experience the same weather in the summer? Students can explore more about the differences in seasons and climate with articles on topics like:
What makes weather and climate different from each other.
How geography shapes regional weather patterns in the United States.
How climates create different outdoor experiences when you visit other parts of the world.
Analyze sunlight data
Unless you live near the equator, you’ve probably noticed that days are longer in the summer and shorter in the winter. But just how much more sunlight do we experience in the summer and how does it vary among different locations? Teach students about data analysis using this topic:
First, explore the sunlight hours dataset to see how sunlight hours vary by month and location in the United States.
Next, look at the infographic that shows how the Earth’s tilt changes the seasons.
Finally, have students complete the sunlight hours worksheet to document their findings and data analysis.
Learn about a year when summer didn’t happen
Did you know that in 1816, North America and Europe appeared not to have the summer season? A year before, a volcano erupted in Indonesia, which some scientists believe caused darkened skies that led to disasters like crop failure. Students can learn how natural disasters can affect the seasons by exploring resources like:
An article explaining what the “year without a summer” was.
An article exploring what climate change feedback loops are.
An interactive video that shows how feedback loops work to keep nature in predictable cycles.
Seasonal STEAM projects to celebrate summer
Summer is a great time to try science experiments and eat sweet treats. Get the best of both worlds with these seasonal STEAM projects:
Make your own ice cream
What do you do when you’re craving a scoop of ice cream but you realize you don’t have any at home? You use science, of course! Learn how to make your own homemade ice cream with the following activity:
First, read an article that explains physical and chemical changes.
Next, look at another article that gives examples of chemical reactions, from frying an egg to lighting a candle.
Finally, learn how to make your own ice cream using ingredients like ice, salt, and sugar.
Try a fizzy lemonade recipe
What’s more refreshing on a hot summer day than a cold glass of lemonade? Learn about chemical reactions with this experiment that puts a fizzy spin on a classic drink:
First, read articles about what chemical reactions and chemical changes are.
Next, share an article that explains what the definition of a mixture is in science.
Finally, make your own batch of fizzy lemonade using ingredients like lemon juice, water, sugar, and baking soda.
[Discover Summer Solstice poetry and fiction in ELA](id-ela)
First, have students read “Summer With Papaji” by Jyoti Singh Visvanath, about a summer a young girl spends with her grandfather.
Next, show the video “How is a story structured?” and discuss what elements make up a story.
Finally, extend the lesson by asking students to write a short story or personal narrative about their summer traditions. They can use a plot diagram to plan out the elements of their story.
[Explore the cultural significance of the first day of summer in social studies](id-ss)
How does summer and its traditions differ from other seasons? What kinds of things to people do in the summer that they may not be able to do year-round? Students can explore the answers to these questions by reading articles on topics like:
How the Fruit Science Summer Camp in Seattle helps students learn about gardening, growing, and the earth during the summer.
How organizations work to provide free lunch for young people in the summer and why it’s such an important staple in many communities.
What the job market looks like for teens in the summer who are trying to make money during their time off from school.
Change your lesson plans with the seasons using Newsela’s
Use Newsela’s knowledge and skill-building products to create timely, engaging lessons for every holiday, event, and season change. If you’re not a Newsela customer yet, sign up for Newsela Lite and get a 45-day free trial of all our premium and differentiated content and activities to help you plan more exciting activities for summer and beyond.
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