Summer is almost here. And along with sunny days and warm weather, we also have fun seasonal language to discuss. Make summer vocabulary fun with some exciting themed activities.

With summer on its way, it is the perfect excuse to teach your EFL students some seasonal vocabulary.

Here are some of my favourite summer themed vocab activities that you can try with students of all levels.

Grab your sunscreen and let’s go!

1. Pinterest Summer Vocab Board

It’s no secret that kids these days love social media. So why not capitalise on that to make your summer vocabulary lesson more fun?

If your students all have access to a computer or smartphone, ask them to create a Pinterest board that links to summer inspired recipes, tips, clothes or quotes.

Then print out a vocabulary worksheet where they will have to find a summer related word from the pin and write out its definition. It’s a visual way to get your students to grow their vocabulary all on their own.

Want your students to get the most out of their smartphones? Share this: How To Learn English: Use Your Smartphone

2. Summer Word Search

Sometimes, it’s a good idea to kick things old school. Word searches are popular among students of all ages for a reason: They are simple, fun, and a great way to learn new vocabulary.

Before you hand out the worksheets, write the vocab on the board and ask your learners to identify words that are new to them. Discuss their meanings and practice a few examples before moving on.

When you are confident your class understands their definitions, hand out the word search.

For more advanced classes, you can follow this activity up by asking them to write an essay on summer using as many of the words they can.

Looking for activities to make new vocabulary more fun? Check this out: Another 7 Drills for Language Learners

3. Download FluentU

Generations of young and old love their smartphones, but did you know they can be an ESL tool as well?

Instead of banning them from your classroom, embrace their education potential.

Download the language learning app FluentU and let your students practice their new summer vocab in a fun, interactive way.

FluentU also has a great blog post based on summer vocabulary that you can turn into a comprehension activity to round off your lesson.

4. Build an Ice Cream Sundae

The best part about summer is always the ice cream!

This simple activity will have your younger students engaged and craving the sweet dessert by the end of it.

All you need to do is create a worksheet with different types of ice cream scoops, toppings and utensils that your students can cut out.

But before you get to the fun part, go over the vocab such as the different ice cream flavours until you are confident they understand.

Then hand out the worksheets and watch as your students create delicious ice cream sundaes!

What are your favourite activities to help students learn summer themed vocab? Let us know in the comments below!

About the Author

Lauren Melnick is a South African travel blogger and ESL teacher currently living in Ubon, Thailand. When she isn’t making lesson plans and watching nursery rhymes on YouTube, you can find her eating up a storm, taking selfies with dinosaurs, and planning her next adventure.

Follow her travels on Wanderlust Movement, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.