Keep the Learning Going All Summer Long
Summer is a great time to help your kids explore their interests, as well as expose them to new things. It is also important to keep their minds going to avoid the dreaded “summer slide” that comes with taking three months off from school.
Here are a few ideas of ways to keep your child learning and growing over the summer.
Book BINGO - Print out a blank BINGO card and have your child fill in a square for each book she reads over the summer. Offer a small prize for getting five in a row and a larger prize for filling the whole card. If you child is reading longer books, you can have them cross out a square for every 20 or 30 minutes of reading. Small prizes can be things like a pack of gum, jar of bubbles, or the ability to stay up 15 extra minutes at bedtime. Large prizes could be something like a toy, ice cream sundae, or special activity.
Math Challenge - Give your child one word problem per day and challenge him to find the answer.
Write letters - Send a special note or card to family and friends.
Art exploration - Dig out some supplies and see what creative ideas are born.
Cook together - Kids love cooking and you can use the opportunity to talk about measurement, fractions, and even a bit of chemistry. Have your child practice reading recipes and following directions. Cooking can also be a great opportunity to make a few mistakes and learn from them.
Board games, card games, and puzzles - all are fun, but also introduce strategy and skills that can translate to better logical thinking.
Build things - Whether your child uses legos, blocks, or other materials, they will naturally learn something about physics and shapes. Have them try making structures out of toothpicks and mini-marshmallows. What shapes make the most stable structures?
Poetry tea - Break out the cookies & tea (or juice) and read some poems to each other.
Go around the world - Learn a bit about different cultures! You can find videos for kids online and introduce them to food and snacks from each country.
Put on a concert - From banging pots and pans all the way to practicing their instruments, it is more fun to make music together.
Explore nature - Take a slow walk in a natural setting and see what creatures and plants you can find. Discuss what you find and ask questions! If you don’t know the answers, look them up together when you get home.
Most importantly, this time together is a great chance to model curiosity and interest in the world. The more your kids see your engagement in learning, the more they will want to learn themselves!