June activity ideas, week by week

June gives you the first days of summer, Father's Day, Juneteenth, and long light evenings, with ice cream, shells, and butterflies along the way. Below, the month goes week by week: a coloring page and its Story Starter, two or three low-cost ideas to go with it, and a seated version of every idea.

Each coloring hour works the same way. Print the drawing in Regular and Bold. Hand out a page or two. Read the Story Starter aloud once, to the whole table, then go back to your own page and wait.

If you only have time for one thing a week, make it the coloring hour. Everything else here is extra, and all of it costs little or nothing.

The month at a glance

The holidays:

• Juneteenth: Saturday, June 19
• Father's Day: Sunday, June 20

Small days that work at a table:

• All month: June Dairy Month
• June 3: World Bicycle Day
• June 5: World Environment Day
• World Oceans Day: Tuesday, June 8
• June 11: International Day of Play
• June 14: Flag Day
• June 20 or 21: the first day of summer
• June 21: World Music Day
• Pollinator Week, from Monday, June 21

The Fourth of July comes right after. Everything for it is on the Fourth of July page.

Week by week

Week 1: Bicycles and ice cream

World Bicycle Day is June 3. Color Butterfly over patterned hills. Its Story Starter: "Sunday drives: did your family take them, or stay put?" The follow-ups: "Where did you like to sit: up front or in the back?" and "Farms, hills, or towns: what did you like to see out the window?"

• A "Daisy Bell" sing-along. "Daisy Bell" is the song people know as "Bicycle Built for Two." Print the words in big type and sing it a few times through. Anyone who likes can stand and sway. Seated: pedal your feet in time, as if you're riding along.
• An ice cream social. June is Dairy Month. Set out two flavors and a few toppings, and let people walk up to a sundae table to build their own. Seated: take orders at the table and bring each bowl to its place. Check diets first.
• A walk for World Environment Day. World Environment Day is June 5. Take a slow walk around the grounds and collect one thing worth keeping: a smooth stone, a feather, a pinecone. Seated: bring a basket of those things to the table, and let each person choose one to hold.

Week 2: Shells, play, and flags

World Oceans Day is Tuesday, June 8. Color A cool drink at the beach. Its Story Starter: "At the beach, were you a shell hunter or a wave jumper?" The follow-ups: "What treasures did you carry back from the shore?" and "Where did you keep them: a jar, a box, a windowsill?" Pass around one big scallop shell, bigger than a hand, and trace its ridges.

• A shell sort. Pour a bag of mixed shells onto a tray of sand on a side table, and sort them by size or color. Walkers can stand at the beach table. Seated: set the tray in the middle of the table, and pass a small bowl for each color.
• Balloon volleyball. International Day of Play is June 11. Stretch a string across the room and bat a balloon back and forth over it. Seated: sit in a circle of chairs and keep the balloon in the air as long as you can. Count the hits out loud.
• Flags for Flag Day. Flag Day is June 14. Put small flags in a cup on each table and play "You're a Grand Old Flag." Anyone who likes can march a lap of the room. Seated: wave the flags from your chair and tap along on the table.

Week 3: Father's Day and Juneteenth

Sailboat is the drawing pair at the top of this page. Print it in Regular and Bold and let each person choose. Bold has thicker lines and fewer tiny details, easier to see and easier to finish. Its Story Starter: "Would you rather be out on a boat or watching from shore?" The follow-ups: "What's the best day you ever spent near the water?" and "Who was with you, and what did you bring along?"

Father's Day is Sunday, June 20, and the day can be tender, so offer the page and the question and don't push.

Juneteenth is Saturday, June 19. A short reading and a music hour of spirituals and gospel make a simple, respectful way to mark it. Let people share what they wish.

• A rowing round. Sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" slowly, as a round, in three groups. Standing singers can row with their arms. Seated: row from your chair, and let each side of the table take a part.
• Sanding blocks. Hand out small blocks of soft wood and squares of sandpaper, and sand the edges smooth. Set up a workbench table for anyone who'd like to stand and putter. Seated: sand at the table over a sheet of newspaper, and pass the blocks around to feel how smooth they get.
• A fishing game. Cut fish shapes from colored paper and slide a paper clip onto each one. Tie a small magnet to a string on a stick, and fish them out of a tub. Set the tub on a side table for anyone who'd like to stand and fish. Seated: set the tub in the middle of the table and pass the pole.

Week 4: Butterflies, music, and the longest days

Pollinator Week starts Monday, June 21, and the first day of summer comes on June 20 or 21. Color Big butterfly. Its Story Starter: "Did you ever try to catch a butterfly, or just watch?" The follow-ups: "What colors do you like best on a butterfly?" and "Where did you see the most butterflies?" Let a silk scarf drift down like wings, then pass it around to feel.

• A butterfly walk. Walk the garden or the flower beds slowly and count the butterflies and bees you see. Seated: sit by a window that looks out on flowers, or set a pot of blooms on the table and watch who visits.
• A song request hour. World Music Day is June 21. Ask each person to name one song, and play them all, in order. Anyone who likes can dance. Seated: clap, hum, or keep time on the table.
• A long evening. On the longest days of the year, take dessert outside and stay out while the light lasts. Walkers can take a slow lap of the path before the sun goes down. Seated: pull the chairs to an open door or a window, and pour lemonade there.

Ten questions for the month

Ask about, not whether. Each of these has an answer that can't be wrong. Use one a day, at lunch or at the coloring table. Read it once and give it time. Most stories start after a pause.

1. Who taught you to ride a bike?
2. What did a summer evening sound like where you grew up?
3. What did you bring home from the beach or the lake?
4. What game did you play outside until dark?
5. Tell me about someone who taught you to fix something.
6. What's the best ice cream flavor you ever had?
7. Which song means summer to you?
8. What did you call those little bugs that blink on summer nights?
9. What did your family pack for a day at the water?
10. Where was the best spot to watch a parade in your town?

New in the library this month

Summer Days is the June pack: beach and lemonade weather. Palm, wave, and hibiscus and Clothesline are in it too, each with its own Story Starter. See the whole set on the Summer Days pack page.