Summer Facts for Kids

If you love the sun and swimming, summer can be the best time of the year. Not only can you play outside, but the days seem endless. Get ready for the heat as you learn about summer animals, weather, activities and fun facts.

Bring on the Summer Solstice

Are you ready for sun, warm days and beaches? Summer Solstice is on the horizon. Get your brains ready for facts about Summer Solstice.

• One of four seasons, summer has the longest days of the year.
• Summer comes after spring and before fall.
• The Summer Solstice happens around June 21 in the Northern Hemisphere, where the United States is located.
• You'll find the Summer Solstice happening in the Southern Hemisphere around December 21. Australia has summer around Christmas.
• The south and north are opposites. Summer in the south means winter in the north.
• The Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year.
• Summer Solstice is the opposite of Winter Solstice when you experience the shortest day of the year. That means solstices happen twice a year.
• While Summer Solstice marks the beginning of warmer weather, the warmest weather typically takes a few weeks because of the water on the earth.
• The Earth wobbles when it spins, meaning that the Summer Solstice falls on varying times every year.
• The south actually gets more sun in the summer than the Northern Hemisphere.

Animals Soak Up That Summer Sun

Some animals just love the summer. In fact, many animals will sleep in the winter because it's just too cold. Expand your knowledge about animals that enjoy the summer weather.

• Bumblebees love the summer sun. They flourish in the summer and queens hibernate during the winter.
• Box turtles can hibernate for as long as 4 months. They need warm weather to stay alive.
• Those little blood sucking rascals, mosquitos, need warm weather to come around.
• Starting as caterpillars, moths lay eggs in the summer.
• Badgers flourish in the summer weather and might even fight a bear.
• Not as fun as bumblebees, hornets come out in the summer.
• Known for their loud songs during summer nights, cicadas are an insect with a hollow abdomen.
• While flies are a summer menace, these insects are found at summer picnics.
• Litters of hedgehogs can include four or five hoglets. Isn't that a cute name?
• These Lyme disease carries, ticks, can be found in the woods in summer.
• While the sun is fun, during the warmest days many animals will seek out shade anywhere they can.

Plants Grow Up Big and Tall

It isn't just animals that have fun in the summer heat. Many plants also need the summer sun to grow and flourish.

• Strawberries can grow in any season if it is warm enough, but summer is definitely their jam.
• "Knee high" by the fourth of July, corn is a summer favorite.
• Snap peas have a unique crunch when you bite into them.
• Just like the sun they love, marigolds are a bright yellow or gold flower.
• Blue and violet flowers that mean love, asters bloom in early September.
• You can see them growing in fields, black-eyed Susans are hard to miss with their yellow petals with brown centers.
• These big bloomers that look like a mini pom-pom, dahlias have large purple blooms.
• Daisies grow in fields with their orange centers and white petals.
• Irises are a unique delicate petal flowers that are named after a goddess.
• Much like the sun they love, sunflowers thrive in summer.
• Watermelon is a top treat for summer picnics.

Summer Sports and Activities

Summer is the perfect time for swimming and other outdoor fun. This means there are lots of different sports and activities that you can try. Learn some facts about fun summer activities.

• Pools and beaches open up in summer making this a fun summer pastime. You can also swim competitively.
• With the opening of beaches, beach volleyball takes top court. It also became a sport in 1986.
• Pickup basketball games are a staple of summer. Basketball became an Olympic game in 1936.
• Played alone or in doubles, tennis goes back to the 11^th century.
• Modern surfing was started by Duke Kahanamoku, The Big Kahuna, in the 1900s.
• Much like surfing, skateboarding was a way to surf on land. It's now an Olympic game.
• Born in the 1970s, BMX biking is all about the air and tricks.
• Summer opens the door to different sports like soccer, baseball, softball and field hockey.
• Warm climates make extreme sports like rock climbing possible for thrill seekers.
• Created in the 1940s, Frisbees are a saucer that flies from one person to another.
• Golf is a sport played in summer where you hit balls into 18 holes for points.

Summer Holidays

Summer isn't all about swim shorts and sunscreen, there are also several holidays that fall in the summer months. Fireworks are also a big attraction.

Independence Day Facts

Also known as the Fourth of July in America, Independence Day is an American favorite. Picnics and fireworks are only the beginning.

• Independence Day celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence and happens on July 4.
• This holiday is often celebrated with fireworks, games and activities. Remember to be careful with fireworks.
• Many families have picnics or cookouts on the 4 of July.
• Independence Day is a federal holiday in America.
• Many people decorate their houses with flags and flag colors.
• Coney Island has a hotdog contest on this day.
• Cities and towns have Independence Day parades.
• Other countries around the world have independence celebrations that happen on different days.

Canada Day

Much like American's love Independence Day, Canadians love Canada Day. Learn the fun facts about this unique Canadian holiday.

• Celebrated on July 1, Canada Day celebrates the Constitution Act, where the colonies of Britain became Canada.
• The act was signed in 1867.
• Canada Day is a federal holiday celebrated throughout the country.
• Moving Day in Canada falls on the same day.
• Canada Day is celebrated with fireworks and picnics.

Labor Day Facts

Praise your laborers through the celebration of Labor Day. Find out the facts about how it started and what people do for this holiday.

• Labor Day is celebrated on the first Monday in September.
• This holiday celebrates laborers and was enacted in 1882 in New York.
• Many see Labor Day as the end of the summer.
• It became a national holiday about 10 years later in 1894 by Congress.
• Labor Day is celebrated around the world.
• May Day is the international Labor Day.
• For many families, Labor Day is their last vacation before the start of school.

It's Getting Hot

Summer is all about the heat. Some areas might have dry heat, while others will be hot and humid. Summer weather has its own unique flavor.

• Thunderstorms happen more in summer because of the warm humid air.
• Along coastal regions, hurricanes are common during the summer months.
• Summer is the warmest season because the Earth is tilted toward the sun.
• Heat waves are times of high heat that is dangerous for humans and animals.
• Getting too much sun and heat can cause heat illness.
• Summer weather can vary based on where you live. Some places can get well over 100 degrees in summer while others like the arctic have colder summers.
• The moisture in the air will vary based on where you live. Some places have dry summer heat, while others will have humid summer heat.

Fun Facts About Summer

Are you curious about some sizzling hot facts about summer? Explore a few summer facts that might surprise you.

• The naming of July and August both have to do with Julius Caesar. He was just that famous.
• People gather at Stonehenge in England to celebrate the Summer Solstice.
• The metal of the Eiffel Tower expands in summer making it taller.
• Meteorologists see the summer starting in the north on June 1^st and in the south on December 1st. This is based off temperature rather than astronomy.
• The saying "the dog days of summer" goes back to the Dog Star.
• Babies born in summer are diagnosed with ADHD more.
• Bonfires are a staple of summer nights and the word actually breaks down to "fire of bones."
• Musicians make songs dedicated to summer like Summer in the City and Summertime.
• "I Have a Dream" a famous speech by Martin Luther King was given in August in 1963.
• Hottest day ever recorded was July 10, 1913 in California at 134 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Ice cream is a favorite summer snack.
• With school out, this is the perfect time for summer vacations.

Soak Up the Sun

Fireworks are brightening the sky and the sun is staying out longer. Kids are playing ball and skateboarding at parks. There is sun and fun galore before the famous changing of the leaves.