Maintaining a Summer Routine for Middle Schoolers

May 16, 2025 byKristina Cappetta

5 min to read

A student takes notes to plan their day.

While summer is a time for students to have fun without classes and schoolwork, it does not mean that your middle schooler should forget about sticking to a routine. A routine for kids during summer break provides security and predictability, which can be especially helpful when there is so much unstructured time that can lead to boredom and sometimes bad decision-making.

Benefits of a Routine Summer Schedule for Kids

Creates Healthy Sleep Habits

While the bedtime and sleep schedule doesn’t need to be as strict during the summer as it does during schooltime, it’s still important for teens to get at least nine hours of sleep each night. Encourage your teen to start their mornings  and go to bed at around the same time each day. 

Develops Time Management Skills & Independence

Following a schedule helps middle schoolers develop time management skills, which can be valuable for both academic and personal success. By taking control of their time and activities, they can become more independent, making choices about how they are going to spend their days throughout the summer.

Promotes Socialization

By scheduling fun activities, both in-person such as going to the beach or park, or online through playing games together, or video chatting over lunch, teens can make sure they stay connected with friends rather than being isolated.

Be Ready to Return to School in the Fall

Having a routine for kids during summer can help them reacclimate to their school routines when it’s time to stick to a stricter schedule in the fall. Without a summer schedule, students may have a difficult transition.

How to Set a Summer Schedule for Middle Schoolers

Setting a summer schedule for your middle school student shouldn’t be stressful; it’s summer, remember?

Here are some things to keep in mind:

Establish Goals

Ask your student what their goals are for the summer. For example, do they want to train for a sport or finish an art project? Whatever the activity, allow your middle schooler to set their own goals because if it is an activity they are interested in, they will be more likely to stick with it.

Gamification

For some teens, gamification can be an effective way to help them stick with short and long-term goals and to make less exciting parts of their routine more enjoyable.

Try gamifying your teen’s summer goals by creating a visual game board on a whiteboard, representing your child with a magnet. They can move their magnet down the board as they progress through their day. If your student is goal-oriented, they might enjoy checking off each step of their goal as they complete it during the summer.

Stimulate their Minds

“I’m bored!” Those can be the two most dreaded words of the summer. Give your student access to different activities that will keep them engaged. Consider posting a list of activities somewhere that is easily accessible, like the fridge, where they can look for ideas of productive and fun activities anytime they feel like they’re getting bored.

Activities to Include in a Summer Schedule for Middle Schoolers

The key to setting a summer schedule for kids is to find the right balance of fun, learning, and relaxation.

Spend Time Outside Being Active

Encourage your student to spend time outside being active. Serotonin, known as the feel-good hormone, is released in the presence of sunlight. By spending time outside, your teen can improve their mental health, reduce the impacts of depression, and get some exercise.

Whether they’re going for a run, swimming, or playing a sport, incorporating outside time has numerous benefits. If they can invite a friend along, they can also make sure they are socializing during the summer as well.

Tackle a Summer Reading Challenge

During long breaks away from active learning, like the summer, students can fall into the “summer slide.” The "summer slide" refers to the learning loss students experience during the summer break, leading to a decline in academic skills, particularly in reading and math, when they return to school in the fall. 

You can take proactive steps to prevent summer learning loss through learning activities, such as tackling a summer reading challenge. You can check out summer reading challenges at your local library or have your student set one of their own, such as reading a set number of books throughout the summer.

Maintain Responsibilities

Although there should be plenty of time for summer fun, don’t forget to include any responsibilities your middle schooler has. Write down all your student’s chores, obligations, and important reminders in addition to their personal goals to help instill responsibility and accountability.

Learn Something New

Maybe your child always wanted to learn to play the guitar. or how to cook. Summer is the perfect time to explore any undiscovered passions your child may have. Encourage them to include time to explore different types of activities in their summer routine.

Allow for Free Time

While incorporating activities and responsibilities is important to setting a summer schedule for kids, you need to allow for free time. This can be time talking with friends, screen time, taking a walk, or just sitting and relaxing. You want to be sure your child has time to unwind. It is summer after all!

Once they have their goals and activities in mind, they can create their summer routine schedule by downloading our Summer Routine Schedule for Middle Schoolers template or create one of their own.

Download Summer Schedule Template