Summer is here! For many children, that means three long months to be away from school. As a parent, you can help continue your children's educational progress over the summer months with these family ides for entertaining skill builders. With a bit of imagination these fun family activities can be adapted to suit whatever ages your children may be.

Family Home Activities

    • Encourage your child to read. It doesn't have to be a book. Have your child practice reading cereal boxes, canned goods, candy wrappers and the Sunday funnies. Don't forget your local library. The summer reading programs each library offers present great rewards, regardless of the reading level of your child. 
    • Don't forget to read to -- and with -- your child. If everyone in your house can read, plan family reading nights and share popcorn and excerpts of what you're reading with each other. 
    • Children like to receive mail addressed especially to them. An inexpensive subscription to a learning publication will provide many hours of activity. 
    • For a memory exercise, ask your child to close his/her eyes and describe in detail what is in the kitchen, living room, bedroom or backyard. 
    • Have your child go outside at different times of the day and look at his or her shadow. Ask how the shadow changes. 
    • Teach your child how to write a check, pay a bill or balance a checkbook. 
    • Help your child make a scrapbook of favorite sports teams, athletics or other item of interest, using the daily newspaper or magazines as a source. 
    • Encourage your children to build a model, bake cookies or any other activity that requires them to read and follow directions. 
    • Ask your child to draw a map of the floor plan of your house. Have your child draw a map of the route to the grocery store. 
    • Read interesting tidbits from newspapers and magazines to your child. Read to your child and encourage him/her to read to you. 
    • Have your child make a list of all the toys in his/her bedroom. Then put the list in alphabetical order. Write a price on some items. Then, using a receipt book and play money, your child can "sell" some of the marked items. 
    • Make a crossword puzzle using animal names. 
    • Encourage your child to write a letter to a friend or relative. 
    • Examine the phone book and introduce your child to the various headings on the emergency page. Prepare your child to make emergency calls. 
    • Keep track of the daily temperature on a graph. 
    • Listen to the sounds of summer. Ask your children to describe what they hear. Go outside with your children in the evening and look at the stars together. 
    • Have your child help with the grocery shopping duties by looking for coupons in the newspaper. Ask for some help in adding up how much you save. 
    • Teach your child to read the utility meters and help determine the amount of water, gas, and/or electricity you use. 
    • Teach your child to swim, or enroll him or her in a swimming class. It could save your child's life. 
    • Encourage individual responsibility by giving the child a task that must be completed daily or weekly, without having to be reminded. 
    • Encourage your children to follow through on simple chores at home. Good study habits in school are often established through good habits at home. 
    • Put your children to work as volunteer "energy consultants" in the home. Ask them to find potential waste in your household energy utilization. 
    • Encourage your youngsters to assist with home and auto maintenance tasks, such as cleaning and simple repairs. Automobile and home maintenance manuals are available through book stores or at the public library. 
    • Teach children basic cooking skills. Assign a meal, or portion of a meal, to your child. Encourage the child to consult grocery ads or cookbooks to plan the menu. Have your youngster be responsible for shopping, preparing and serving the family meal. 
    • Have a time out quiet time for things that can be done alone, such as reading, drawing, or simple crafts. 
    • Encourage the habit of vigorous daily activity. Active play builds strong muscles which are basic to good health and posture. 
    • Join with your children in active games. Take early morning walks or ride bicycles together. Make a game out of identifying the flowers, trees, birds, etc. along the way. 
    • When watching television encourage critical thinking skills. Talk about the shows your child views. 

On the Road

    • Play the alphabet game. Look at road signs and/or license plates and spot words that begin with "A," then "B," then "C," etc. The first person to reach "Z" wins. 
    • Keep a log of where you've been and what you've done. Ask your child to make sure things are listed in the order in which they occurred. 
    • Keep track of mileage on your car odometer. When you stop for gasoline, help your child figure out how many miles per gallon your car gets. 
    • Before a trip, have your child email for information from the Chamber of Commerce or the Office of Tourism in places you plan to visit. 
    • Keep a diary of your trip. Ask your child to draw a picture of something s/he saw that day that was special. These are great for back-to-school show and tell. 
    • Show your children how to read and use a road map. Ask them to serve as navigators. Have them plan the route each day. 
    • Make plans to stop at historical or geographic points of interest while on a trip. Look for places that are covered in school textbooks. 
    • While on a trip, have your child send postcards to friends and relatives. 
    • To practice numbers on a trip, ask your child to make a list of license plate numbers and put them in numerical order. Sort them into odds and evens. Count the number of out-of-state license plates your child sees. See how many of the 50 states you can find. 
    • Discuss cities and states you visit. Describe to your child how a country, a state, a county and a city are different from one another. 
    • Ask your children to count the number of different kinds of animals they see on the trip. 
    • Take advantage of special summer library offerings, plays, theater groups, zoo activities and craft programs. There are many available. 

Grocery List

    • Ask your child to read the ingredients in canned goods or the cooking directions. 
    • Create simple math problems. If one can of peas is 50 cents, how much does it cost for two? 
    • Ask your child to find the freshness dates on dairy products and bakery items. 
    • Dictate the shopping list and ask your child to write it down. 
    • Ask your child to figure out the best buy. Have him/her compare size and weight. 
    • Discuss the nutritional values of various foods with your child. Talk about the significance of junk food. 
    • Bring some cardboard boxes home from the grocery store. Get several sizes, some large enough for a child to fit inside. Let your child decide how to use them. He or she can build things. Boxes are fun just to sit in, too. 
    • Talk to your child about why seasonal fruits and vegetables are cheaper and what other things affect food prices. 

Enjoy Your Time Together

Time spent with your children during their summer vacation months can be productive, rewarding and memorable for both parents and children.

Take the time to enjoy your children and be careful not to over schedule them with activities and plans. Give them time to relax, play, be alone and think.


 

Source: Arizona Education Association -- partners in your child's education.

For more information about how you can help your child do well in school, ask your child's teacher, or call AEA at (602) 264-1774 or (800) 352-5411, and ask for Parents as Partners. You can also visit the AEA home page for parent involvement tips.