The weather is warming up and you might be looking for ways to spend more time outside. Sprinklers, yard games, or just cloud gazing can be great ways to pass summer time, especially if you get to spend it with family. Here are five reading and learning activities that explore themes of family and spending time together.
1. Read Too Much Stuff!
What do you do when you have so much stuff you can’t find anything? Yolanda’s family decided to have a garage sale to solve their big, messy problem. Find out how the garage sale brought surprises nobody expected.
- Download Too Much Stuff!
Discuss the book: What problem does Yolanda’s family have at the beginning of the story? What steps did Anthony and Yolanda take to get everything ready for the garage sale? What is one thing the kids did with the money they made?
2. Watch Life in the Wild West
Watch the video Life in the Wild West to learn more about the families who helped settle the West.
Discuss the video: What are some of the dangers the families encountered on their journey? What would you have liked or disliked about being a pioneer?
You can extend the fun by researching more about pioneer family life. You could also create your own video with stick puppets or action figures to show what you've learned.
3. Write a letter
Think about the story Too Much Stuff! Write a letter to Yolanda and Anthony’s grandparents. You can write from either Yolanda’s viewpoint or Anthony’s. Tell the grandparents about getting ready for the garage sale and how it turned out. Use details from the text.
You can extend this activity by writing your own letter to a grandparent or other family member.
More to read!
For more reading about working together as a family, download Lost in a Cave.
4. Compare Newspaper Ads
- Locate the “Group Sales” category in the classified ad section of an online or print newspaper.
- Examine several ads. What kinds of information do they tell? Are some ads better than others? Why?
You can extend the activity by making your own newspaper ad.
5. Make a garage sale sign
- Imagine that you need to make a sign for a family garage sale.
- Think about what it needs to say. How can you draw attention with your sign?
- Make a sign for your sale. Write clearly and use bright colors.
You can extend the activity by identifying and sorting items around your home that might be donated, sold, or repurposed.
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Find more language arts activities for Grades 3-5.
This blog, originally published in 2020, has been updated for 2025.
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