Top 10 Family Activities to Do Over Summer to Create College-Ready Kids: PFE

Top 10 Family Activities to Do Over Summer to Create College-Ready Kids

Summer is a time for relaxation, fun, and family bonding. But it can also be the perfect opportunity to help your kids prepare for college life. College readiness isn’t just about academic skills—it’s about independence, time management, social interactions, and practical life skills. By engaging in meaningful activities over the summer, you can give your kids the tools they need to thrive in college and beyond.

Here are the top 10 family activities to do over summer that will help set your kids on the path to becoming college-ready.

1. Create a Family Budget and Financial Literacy Workshop

Financial literacy is one of the most crucial skills for college success, heck life success. Understanding how to manage money, save, and budget will make a world of difference when your child is living on their own.

Activity Idea:

• Budgeting Game: Teach your kids how to manage finances by setting up a family budgeting challenge. Include monthly allowances, savings goals, and expenses. Help your kids set realistic financial goals.
• Discuss Student Loans and Scholarships: For older kids, talk about student loans, scholarships, and financial aid. The earlier they understand these concepts, the better prepared they'll be for their financial responsibilities in college. Don’t forget about FAFSA. 

Why it’s Important: Teaching kids how to budget and manage money early on sets them up for financial independence and success in college. Not just math skills on money, but talk to them about the philosophy of how to handle money. 

2. Visit College Campuses or Take Virtual Tours

One of the most exciting and valuable activities you can do as a family is visiting college campuses. Whether your child is entering high school or already nearing graduation, college visits provide an essential preview of what to expect. It’s never too early to visit colleges. Every school I have spoken at I have even been going to grab little onesies and little college shirts for my infant/toddler son. 

Activity Idea:

• College Road Trip: Plan visits to nearby colleges and universities. Take guided tours and attend information sessions to get a feel for campus life. I recently did this with my little cousin. I live just a couple of blocks away from a university and when my cousin was visiting I took her to visit the local college. She cried after saying nobody had ever done that for her. Having a vision for college starts early and creating emotional attachment/identity takes a long time to foster. 
• Virtual College Tours: Many universities now offer online tours. You can explore campuses from home if traveling isn’t an option. For a quick Texas Playlist check out the QR Code Here. 

Why it’s Important: College visits help your kids get a VISION and helps give them clarity and confidence on such a difficult decision. 

3. Master Time Management with Routine-Building Activities

Effective time management is a critical skill that college students need. Help your kids start building healthy routines by introducing time management activities over the summer. My most difficult year was the year in college I did not play football. I had relied on my packed schedule of football, work, and classes. Suddenly without football I had to plan much more of my day on my own. 

Activity Idea:

• Create a Family Calendar: Help your child establish a daily or weekly schedule, including time for chores, hobbies, study sessions, and downtime.
• Time Management Challenges: Use fun challenges like completing tasks in a set amount of time, encouraging your kids to be productive while balancing work and play.

Why it’s Important: Learning to manage their time will ensure your child is prepared to juggle academics, social life, and responsibilities in college.

4. Volunteer Together to Build Empathy and Social Skills

Volunteer work provides opportunities for kids to practice communication, teamwork, and leadership skills—critical abilities they will need when interacting with peers and professors in college. One student leader I mentored years ago would do family volunteer trips with his family. They would volunteer during every break and would go abroad volunteering during the summer. 

Activity Idea:

• Volunteer at Local Charities: Spend time together helping at food banks, shelters, or community events. Volunteering can teach kids the value of giving back and develop empathy.
• Organize a Fundraiser: Plan a fundraising event for a cause your family cares about, such as a bake sale or charity walk. On my student leadership podcast I interviewed a young girl that raised nearly a million items in clothing and food drives. 

Why it’s Important: Volunteering promotes teamwork, social awareness, and leadership, all of which are essential for thriving in a college environment. Special bonus: great stories to tell others and especially for interviews or writing prompts for college applications. 

5. Learn Cooking and Meal Prep Together

Knowing how to cook and meal prep is a life skill that will serve your child well in college. Healthy eating habits and the ability to prepare their meals will make them more independent when they leave home. In our speeches we joke eat big grow big, but learning how to make a proper meal is a skill that will help your student to grow as well as to save financially. 

Activity Idea:

• Weekly Meal Prep Sessions: Have your kids help plan and prepare meals for the week. Teach them how to make simple, healthy dishes they can easily recreate at college.
• Cooking Challenge: Turn cooking into a fun challenge, where each family member contributes to making dinner or trying new recipes.

Why it’s Important: College students often struggle with cooking their own meals. I am the oldest in my family and learned to cook pretty early on, but I do remember teaching my roommates how to cook food. One roommate believed a George Foreman grill was required to cook a burger not knowing that it could be done in many different ways. I was able to teach another roommate to make eggs.  By learning these skills early, your kids will be more self-sufficient and can maintain healthy habits away from home.

6. Develop Communication and Public Speaking Skills

Strong communication skills are essential for success in college, from participating in class discussions to networking with professors and peers.

Activity Idea:

• Family Debate Sessions: Organize fun debates on a variety of topics. Encourage your kids to present their arguments clearly and respectfully while listening to opposing viewpoints.
• Storytelling Night: Have each family member share a personal story or experience. This will help your kids feel more comfortable speaking in front of others.

Why it’s Important: Being able to communicate effectively will help your child excel in presentations, group projects, and even social situations during their college years.

7. Teach Them How to Do Laundry and Household Chores

For many college students, doing their own laundry for the first time can be overwhelming. Summer is the perfect opportunity to teach these practical life skills. My very own brother has known how to do laundry since he was about 6 years old. He only did it because I would misplace his socks when I did our laundry together. 

Activity Idea:

• Laundry Lessons: Show your kids how to sort clothes, use the washing machine, and fold clothes properly. Turn it into a game by timing them or giving rewards for completing tasks correctly.
• Assign Household Chores: Give your child a set of household chores each week, such as vacuuming, washing dishes, and cleaning their room. This helps instill responsibility.

Why it’s Important: Understanding how to manage personal responsibilities like laundry and cleaning will help your child live more independently in college. I watched my roommate in college pile up clothes until his mom would visit. Then in the second semester he humbly came up to me to ask if I could teach him how to do laundry. I am not sure what he would have done if I was not here to teach him. 

8. Engage in Team Sports or Outdoor Group Activities

Participating in team sports or group activities helps develop collaboration, leadership, and social skills—all of which are important for success in college group projects or extracurricular activities. One of my best memories is as a team or group of friends we would jog together to the school to get our summer workouts done together. While we did this as a team. I can’t wait for the days that I get to take my son to learn to play baseball, soccer (I will be learning also), basketball, football, and more. 

Activity Idea:

• Family Sports Day: Organize a family sports day, featuring games like soccer, volleyball, or tug-of-war. This encourages teamwork and physical activity.
• Outdoor Adventures: Plan a hiking trip, go camping, or participate in community events like charity runs. These activities promote teamwork and problem-solving.

Why it’s Important: Collaboration and leadership are essential in a college setting, where students often work on group assignments or participate in clubs and sports. You can go as hard as traveling all over the state and country even with AAU sports or even joining local community leagues. 

9. Encourage Reading and Intellectual Growth

Fostering a love for reading and learning will help your child prepare for the academic demands of college. Did the school assign a summer reading? Maybe do it as a family and not just have your child do it. 

Activity Idea:

• Summer Reading Challenge: Create a family reading challenge where everyone picks books to read over the summer. Discuss your favorite parts, share insights, and even write book reviews. If you have a copy of the student leadership playbook please give it an honest 5 star review. 
• Host a Book Club: Organize a family book club and meet weekly to discuss each book. This promotes intellectual engagement and critical thinking.

Why it’s Important: Reading enhances vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking skills—key abilities that are necessary for academic success in college. Plus you don’t want to feel like you are missing out. I remember not reading Harry Potter as a teen and always feeling left out of the conversation. 

10. Explore Career Interests Through Job Shadowing or Internships

Exploring potential career interests can give your child a clearer vision of their future and help them set academic and extracurricular goals for college. I am on a board that raises funds to help support this in my local area, but you don’t need to be paid. You can learn valuable lessons and skills by working free for someone. 

Activity Idea:

• Job Shadowing Experience: Arrange a job shadowing day for your child to observe someone in a field they’re interested in. This provides real-world experience and helps them better understand their career path.
• Internships or Volunteer Work: Encourage your child to explore internships or volunteer in fields related to their interests, giving them insight into different career options.

Why it’s Important: Gaining early exposure to career options helps your child choose the right college major and career path, making them more focused and prepared for their future. You can make a much more educated decision and give your child confidence and clarity before they spend time and funds going in a direction they may not actually like after it is all said, done, and paid for. 

Conclusion: Set Your Kids Up for College Success This Summer

By engaging in these 10 family activities over the summer, you can help your child develop the life skills, time management abilities, and social skills they need to thrive in college. From learning financial literacy to practicing communication, each of these activities provides valuable tools for the transition to college life.

Take this summer to bond as a family while preparing your child for the exciting journey ahead. The foundation you build now will help them feel more confident, independent, and ready for the challenges that come with college life.

Don’t forget to DREAM BIG as a family!

FEATURED Speaker of the Month Keith Davis

I'm Keith Davis

A former academic scholar, and NFL N.Y Giants pro football player, who has appeared on ESPN, ABC, and USA Today. I am also an entrepreneur, educator and speaker, having spoken in over 9,000 schools, universities, and corporations. I have traveled and presented in over 68 countries, including Australia, India, Japan, Germany, Russia, Mexico,Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Nigeria and South Africa. Yet, I was born and raised in Los Angeles, in the midst of poverty, family drug addiction, and neighborhood gang violence! I inspire every student, and let them know “it’s not how you start, but it’s how you finish”!

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https://www.topschoolspeakers.com/keithdavisTSS

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