Keep Your Kids Learning in the Summer

It’s finally summer! Most teachers have said goodbye to their classes and are taking some time to relax, unwind and rejuvenate. Others are hoping that their students don’t forget everything that they have learned during the previous school year. While it’s extremely important to exercise your body physically, it’s just as important to exercise your body mentally. Parents are often looking for ways that they can incorporate learning into their child’s days as well. 

I’ve compiled a list of 15 fun ideas that you can use with your kids to keep the learning going over the summer months. 

• Take the scenic route on the way to your summer vacation and stop at any notable landmarks
• Write about your family vacations or keep a daily log of what you did each day on vacation
• Check out any exhibits or summer camps local to you 
• Read directions for games or family meals
• Help create grocery lists and keep a running total while shopping
• Use sidewalk chalk to practice math problems 

• Play board games like Monopoly or Yahtzee and have your child keep score or be the banker (practicing skills like mental math, adding/subtracting, money) 
• Plant a small garden and have students keep a daily/weekly journal about their observations 
• Work on sequencing with a camp out! Kids can retell the order of events for putting together a tent, building a campfire or making s’mores!

• Go on a hunt! Place words or problems on sticky notes around the house! Have your kids find and solve. 
• Act out a scene from a favorite movie
• Make an invention! Use recycling, newspaper, empty containers to create a new invention! Then create a presentation to share with your family. 
• Float or sink! Have kids find different objects around the house (that can get wet) and make predictions about what will float or sink in the pool (or tub)
• Create a new recipe! Let the kids go wild in the kitchen to create a fun, new recipe. Make sure they write down the ingredients, measurements and directions.
• Create a summer scrapbook of all the fun activities you did together

Keep Summer Learning FUN!

Remember, summer is a great time for everyone to relax and recharge, but it’s also a great time to sharpen their skills while having fun. You can keep your kids’ minds sharp and ready for the next year but still enjoy summer at the same time.