20 Learning Activities for Kids That Are Both Fun and Educational

Whether you're trying to avoid the dreaded "summer slide" or are just looking for a kid-sized mental tune-up, you need ideas to keep those little scholars' brains active. These learning activities for kids are so entertaining, they may not even realize how educational they are. Even better, the projects are low-prep, easy to clean up, and mostly involve common items you can find around the house. Dip into the old art-supply bin, gather up some toys, and you'll be able to whip up an educational activity in no time.

From practicing sight words to simple coding activities, these projects cover literacy, STEM, and social studies, among others, so you can focus in on your kids' particular area of interest (or subject where they need the most additional practice). The one thing they have in common is that there's some kind hands-on component to all of them, so kids can get really involved in their own learning. As they get older, they can even help set up the activities for themselves, too. These are mostly geared for elementary school students, but if you have a toddler or a preschooler, you can check out these fun toddler activities, since even the tiniest students deserve a brain workout.