Looking for a summer following directions activity that actually keeps kids engaged and learning during the last weeks of school?
If your classroom starts to feel a little… wiggly… as summer approaches, you’re not alone. Attention spans shrink, routines loosen, and it can be tough to find end of school year activities that are both meaningful and manageable.
That’s exactly why I love using this Speak, Listen, Draw summer activity.
(If you need more ideas like this, you can also check out my full roundup of 12 Summer STEM Activities for Kids.)
It’s simple, flexible, and builds real communication and listening skills without feeling like extra work for you or your kids.
☀️ A Summer Classroom Activity That Actually Works
This is one of those rare summer classroom activities that hits multiple goals at once:
- Keeps kids focused and engaged
- Builds communication and listening skills
- Encourages collaboration and teamwork
- Requires minimal prep
And best of all? It feels fun and low-pressure, which is exactly what you need during the end-of-year stretch.
🧠 How the Summer Speak, Listen, Draw Activity Works
This following directions activity is built around partner communication.
Here’s the basic flow:
1️⃣ Pair kids up
2️⃣ One student gets a summer-themed image card
3️⃣ They describe the image out loud
4️⃣ Their partner listens and draws based only on the directions
5️⃣ They compare, discuss, and reflect
6️⃣ Then switch roles
If you want a deeper breakdown of how this routine builds skills, you can read more here: Speak, Listen, Draw: Listening and Speaking Activity for Students.
🌴 Why This Is One of My Favorite End of School Year Activities
There’s a big difference between “keeping kids busy” and giving them something that actually builds skills.
This activity does both.
😎 It builds real communication skills
Kids quickly realize that vague directions don’t work. They have to be clear, specific, and thoughtful.
😎 It strengthens listening and speaking
This is a true listening and speaking activity. Kids aren’t just hearing directions, they’re processing and applying them.
😎 It encourages collaboration
Because it’s partner-based, kids naturally practice patience, teamwork, and flexibility.
😎 It keeps kids engaged without overstimulation
This is a big one for May and June. It’s calm, focused, and productive.
🏖️ Summer-Themed Images Keep It Fresh
The summer version includes fun, familiar themes like:
- Beach scenes
- Sandcastles
- Palm trees
- Boats
- Sunglasses
- Swimming pools
These visuals make it feel like a true summer SEL activity, not just another worksheet. You can also pair this with creative writing using this summer writing activity for upper elementary.
✏️ Built-In ELA and Math Connections
One of the best parts of this activity is how naturally it supports academic skills.
Without adding anything extra, kids are practicing:
- Positional language (above, below, beside)
- Measurement and estimation
- Geometry vocabulary
- Clear procedural language
- Descriptive speaking and writing
It’s a great bridge between ELA summer activities and math skill reinforcement. If you’re looking to extend the writing side, you might also like this revising paragraphs activity for upper elementary.
💡 Easy Ways to Use This in Your Classroom
This is one of those flexible end of year classroom activities you can use in multiple ways:
- Summer centers or stations
- Morning work or warm-ups
- Sub plans
- Early finisher activities
- Fun Friday
- Small group work
- Whole-class partner rotations
You can use one card in about 10 minutes or combine several for a full lesson.
Need even more low-prep ideas? Check out this post for some low prep summer classroom activities that work great during the last weeks of school.
🎯 Differentiation Without Extra Work
Another reason this works so well?
You don’t have to create multiple versions.
- Some kids will give simple directions
- Others will naturally add detail and precision
- You can increase difficulty by limiting questions or requiring more specific language
It adjusts itself based on your kids.
❤️ Why Educators Keep Coming Back to This Activity
Over and over, educators say the same things about this resource:
- Kids stay engaged
- It builds real skills
- It’s easy to implement
- It works for a wide range of learners
- It can be reused all year long
And during the end of the year, that combination is hard to beat.
📦 What’s Included in the Summer Version
Inside this summer following directions activity, you’ll get:
- 64 summer-themed image cards (varied difficulty)
- Blank cards for student-created designs
- Teacher tips and implementation ideas
- Sample intro script
- Center direction cards
- Student reflection and extension pages
- Google Slides version for easy use
Everything is designed to make setup simple and classroom use smooth.
🎉 Want to Try This Summer Activity in Your Classroom?
If you’re looking for end of school year activities that are meaningful, low-stress, and actually build communication skills, this is a great one to add to your toolkit.
☀️ Final Thoughts
The last few weeks of school don’t have to be chaotic or unproductive.
With the right activities, you can keep things calm, purposeful, and even a little fun.
This summer following directions activity is one of my go-to options for making that happen.
