5 Themes for Summer School

5 themes for summer school (that keep students learning and having fun!) Let’s be honest, summer school can be a little… chaotic. Schedules are weird, energy levels are all over the place, and your students are either ready to nap or ready to sprint through a wall.

That’s why having a strong theme each week (or even each day!) can be an absolute game-changer. Themes bring structure, excitement, and so many easy ways to sneak in academics, life skills, and sensory fun without the burnout.

Here are 5 of my favorite summer school themes that work beautifully in special education classrooms, and yep, I’ve linked a bunch of low-prep, high-engagement resources from my TpT store under each one to make your planning life even easier!

1. Beach & Ocean Theme

The ocean theme is always a hit and can be adapted for any ability level. Whether you’re learning about sea creatures or exploring textures and sensory bins, the possibilities are endless.

This theme is perfect for building in:

Science (ocean animals, habitats)
Sensory (kinetic sand trays, water play)
Fine motor (beach-themed cutting or tracing)

Ocean Activity Ideas:

Sensory bin filled with blue rice or water beads, plastic sea animals, and scoops
Ocean animal sorting cards (by colour, size, type)
Water play station with floating/sinking objects
DIY jellyfish crafts using paper bowls and ribbon

Beach Activity Ideas:

Sensory bin with kinetic sand, shells, and mini buckets
Beach-themed adapted books (e.g. “What Do You See at the Beach?”)
Story sequencing cards for building routines like packing a beach bag
Real object sorting (sunglasses, sunscreen, towel, flip flops)

Create a calm corner beach tent with soft lighting, sea wave sounds, and beach visuals — a perfect sensory retreat.

TpT Picks:

2. Ice Cream & Sweet Treats Theme

This one is always a hit, because, well… ice cream. You can sneak in so many skills while leaning into the delicious fun.

Try:

Graphing favorite flavors
Life skills with pretend play or real recipes
Sorting and counting ice cream-themed visuals

Activity Ideas:

Scoop and count pom poms into cones using tongs
Ice cream number matching task box
Flavour sorting game (real or pretend scoops with Velcro labels)
Make-your-own play dough ice cream parlour station
Ice cream cone colour-by-code sheets

Add a pretend play ice cream shop to encourage communication and turn-taking, especially for students working on expressive language or functional interaction goals.

TpT Picks:

3. Camping Theme

You don’t need a tent in your classroom (but hey, I’m not stopping you). A camping theme brings all the cozy, nature-inspired fun without the bug spray.

Ideas to try:

Nature sensory bins (sticks, stones, leaves)
Build-a-campfire crafts
Story sequencing with camping adventures

Activity Ideas:

Set up a classroom “tent” with flashlights and sleeping bags
Camping scavenger hunt (visual checklist with real or printed items)
DIY pretend campfire craft using paper towel rolls and tissue paper
Marshmallow counting (mini marshmallows and number cards)
S’mores sequencing activity

Include functional communication prompts like requesting a flashlight, asking for a snack, or identifying camping tools.

TpT Picks:

4. Shark Week Theme

Whether your students are obsessed with sharks or just like dramatic themes, this one brings excitement and learning together.

You can explore:

Shark facts and reading comprehension
Math games with shark visuals
Ocean food chain and science vocabulary

Activity Ideas:

Shark size sorting – Provide images of different sharks and have students sort them from smallest to largest.
Shark vocabulary visuals – Create PECS-style cards with shark-related words (e.g. fins, teeth, swim, ocean) for students to label or use in sentences.
Shark bite counting – Laminate pictures of food and use a hole punch to make “bites” – then count how many bites the shark took!
Sensory bin – Use blue-dyed rice or water beads with mini sharks, shells, and nets for sensory exploration and language development.
Shark songs and movement breaks – “Baby Shark” (of course!) with visual prompts for actions like swimming, chomping, and sneaking.

TpT Picks:

For a hands-on activity your students will love, try this fun Feed the shark printable – it’s a fantastic way to work on colour sorting, fine motor skills, and ocean-themed vocabulary all at once!

5. Summer Fair / Carnival Theme

Think bright colors, big emotions, and so many ways to embed learning into play-based fun.

Great for:

Role-playing with tickets and games
Money skills (buying “snacks” or prizes)
Sensory input with fair-themed obstacle courses

Activity Ideas:

Ticket booth role play – Set up a pretend ticket counter using real coins or classroom tokens. Let students practise turn-taking and requesting.
Toss the beanbag – Set up a carnival-style beanbag toss with numbered buckets to target gross motor skills and counting.
Sensory popcorn station – Use real popcorn (or dried corn) in a sensory tray for scooping, pouring, and fine motor fun. Include visual recipe cards for making microwave popcorn if appropriate.
Colourful spin art – Use salad spinners and paint to create colourful carnival-style art (great for fine motor and visual stimulation).
Ring toss or duck pond game – Use simple materials like pool noodles, cups, or bath toys to recreate fairground classics.
Ice cream stand pretend play – Combine with your ice cream theme for a cross-over role play station.
Face painting or sticker tattoos – Use safe, low-sensory face paints or large stickers for students who enjoy body art experiences.

Social-emotional integration:

Create a feelings booth where students can “check in” with visuals or emoji cards.
Play a “kindness raffle” — students earn raffle tickets for kind acts and can win small classroom rewards.

TpT Picks:

Stacking Cups Challenge Task Box

Bonus Tip: Reuse Your Resources

The beauty of these themes? You can reuse them again next summer, or rotate them every few years to keep things fresh. Laminate once, love forever. 💁‍♀️

And if you’re already feeling the summer school prep overwhelm, my Task Box Library and Back to School Google Drive are packed with no-stress resources you can mix and match with all of these themes.

Summer school doesn’t have to mean “filler” time. With the right themes, you can keep students engaged, learning, and even excited to come through your classroom door (yes, even in July).

Let me know your favorite theme, or drop me a message if you need help choosing resources to match your group’s needs. You’ve got this, and I’ve got you.

If you found this blog post helpful, please consider sharing it with your friends and colleagues on social media, it helps more teachers find support, and it means the world to me and my little family too.

And if you haven’t already, be sure to check out my Free Resource Library for tons of classroom tools, visuals, and printables to make your teaching life easier (and a whole lot more fun!).