Squeeze the Day!

You’re hot. The sidewalk is hot. Even the air feels hot. You’re thirsty. You need a drink. A nice, cold drink. Then you see it. Across the street is a lemonade stand!

Few things say “summer” like a neighborhood lemonade stand. On a warm afternoon, a cold glass of lemonade is a welcome treat. For many children, running a lemonade stand is a fun way to learn about math, communication, and responsibility.

A lemonade stand is more than a refreshing summer tradition. It’s also a wonderful way to learn about lemons while practicing real-life skills. In this post, you’ll find a short read-aloud, interesting facts about lemons, fun Preschool and Kindergarten printables, and extension activities for older students. Whether you’re teaching one child or several different ages, you’ll find ideas to help everyone learn together.

Read Aloud:

Lemons are yellow. Lemons are sour. They are the main ingredient in lemonade. Lemons grow on lemon trees in warm, sunny places. Most of the lemons grown in the United States come from California and Arizona. Lemons are a fruit. Did you know they are also a type of berry? Lemons are used in much more than lemonade. People use them in drinks, desserts, and many other recipes. Fresh lemons and bottled lemon juice can both be found at the grocery store.

Fun Facts:

• Lemons are classified as a berry.
• Lemon trees can grow as high as 20 feet.
• One lemon tree can grow 500-600 lemons.
• Lemon trees live for many years.
• Lemons used to be a luxury gift given to royalty.
• British sailors used to drink lemon juice to prevent scurvy in the 1700s.
• Lemon juice is a natural cleanser and deodorizer.
• Most U.S. lemons are grown in California and Arizona.
• The first lemonade stand started in New York City in 1879–a shopkeeper decided to serve people lemonade in front of his store.
• Sour flavors trigger our saliva glands more than any other taste.

Watch and Learn:

• How to Start a Lemonade Stand by: Howcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hJ6-Bk7dHw
• Ideas for putting together a lemonade stand using items from Dollar Tree by: Do it On a Dime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baoREI5HzqA
• The Sweet History of Lemonade by: Tasting History with Max Miller https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcnZAAoq5mg&t=17s
• Lemonade in the 18th Century by: Townsend https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwHYc4MrVag

To Read:

• The Berenstain Bears’ Lemonade Stand by: Mike Berenstain. A Level One Reader about sharing and neighborhood fun for kids. You can find it on Amazon here.
• Curious George’s Lemonade Stand by: H.A. Rey. You can find it on Amazon here.
• Froggy’s Lemonade Stand by: Jonathon London. You can find it on Amazon here.
• Lemonade Stand Boss by: Michael Thomas. You can find it on Amazon here.
• It Began with Lemonade by: Gideon Sterer. You can find it on Amazon here.
• The Lemonade War Book 1 of the Lemonade War series by: Jacqueline Davies. You can find it on Amazon here.
• Business Basics for Kids: Learn with Lemonade Stand: Profit and Loss by: FintekCafe. You can find it on Amazon here.
• Business Basics for Kids: Learn with Lemonade Stand: Supply and Demand by: FintekCafe. You can find it on Amazon here.

Hands-On Learning:

Science:

Show your kids how to send secret messages by writing notes with lemon juice. When the juice dries, you can no longer see the writing. Use a hair dryer on the highest setting to reveal the message. When the dried juice gets heated, it turns brown. The best way to send a secret message is to write a regular message and write in lemon juice over it, or between the lines.

Recipe:

Easy Homemade Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 4 lemons
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 cups cold water
• Ice (optional)

Directions:

1. Wash the lemons.
2. Cut the lemons in half.
3. Squeeze the juice into a pitcher.
4. Add the sugar.
5. Pour in the cold water.
6. Add ice if you like.
7. Pour into cups and enjoy!

Free Printables:

• Math—Lemonade Stand Counting 1-6. This worksheet is a cut and paste activity. It is available in both color and black-and-white versions. Plus it comes with teaching notes. To print a copy, just click on the picture.

• Literacy/Phonics—Lemonade Stand Beginning Sound /L/. This worksheet uses dot marker to dot the letter Ll. It comes in color and black-and-white versions. Plus it comes with teaching notes. To print a copy, just click on the picture.

• Sorting—Lemonade Stand Sweet and Sour Sorting. This worksheet is a cut and paste activity. It is available in color and black-and-white versions. Plus it comes with teaching notes. To print a copy, just click on the picture.

Extend the Learning:

🍋 Math

• Keep track of how many cups of lemonade you sell and create a simple bar graph.
• Practice counting money and making change.
• Double or halve a lemonade recipe to practice measuring and fractions.

🔬 Science

• Compare fresh lemon juice with bottled lemon juice. Can you taste a difference?
• Test whether lemons float or sink in water before and after squeezing the juice out.
• Learn why lemons taste sour and how our taste buds detect different flavors.

📖 Literacy

• Write a persuasive sign to encourage customers to visit your lemonade stand.
• Write a thank-you note to customers.
• Create a short story about a child who runs a lemonade stand.

🎨 Art

• Design a lemonade stand logo.
• Create a colorful menu or price sign.
• Draw different kinds of lemonade cups and decorations.

🌎 Social Studies

• Locate California and Arizona on a map and learn why lemons grow there.
• Research how lemonade stands became a summer tradition in the United States.

💼 Life Skills

• Plan a budget for supplies.
• Calculate how much profit you could make after buying lemons, sugar, cups, and ice.
• Practice greeting customers politely and thanking them for their purchase.

Related Resources:

Continue the learning with our Lemonade Stand Preschool & Kindergarten Activity Pack! Children can practice letter recognition, beginning sounds, handwriting, vocabulary, counting, patterns, sorting, problem-solving, pre-writing, scissor skills, hand-eye coordination, visual discrimination, following directions, and imaginative play through engaging, hands-on activities.

Click the image below to visit our shop and see everything included in the pack!

FREEBIE VAULT

All of these free printables are also available in my Freebie Vault on this website in case you want to look for them later. These are just a few of the free printables available in my growing Freebie Vault. I am adding new items weekly! You can join by filling out the form below to receive the password.

Remember, summer learning doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes all it takes is a few lemons, a little imagination, and a fun activity or two.

So, the next time you see a neighborhood lemonade stand, take a moment to appreciate all the learning it represents. Behind every cup of lemonade is an opportunity to count, read, explore, create, and imagine. I hop your little learners have fun discovering just how much learning can be packed into one refreshing summer theme!