All year long, your child works hard at reading, writing and ‘rithmetic. He also works hard at standing in straight lines, remembering his homework and studying for big tests.
Is it any surprise at the end of the day on the last day of school that he walks out the door and his brains click “off”?
Nope, no surprise there! But research shows that kids who continue to learn during the summer retain more of what they learned during the school year. They also start the next school year ahead of their classmates who “played” all summer. And summer studies make fall learning easier.
Does this mean that you need to enroll your child in summer school or a tutoring program? No, again. Stimulating your child’s brain can be as simple and easy as having him set the table or take pictures. Want to learn more?
Check out these simple stimulating ideas:
Scrapbooks and Journals
Give your child an inexpensive camera, several rolls of film and a blank scrapbook or photo album. Tell him that he’ll get some type of reward at the end of the summer if he fills the book up with pictures and captions of his summer activities – including visits to the park, the pool, his friend’s houses or even the mall or theater.
Have your child pick a subject: firemen, zoos, dogs, etc. Then, have her clip out every newspaper article she can find about her subject everyday and put it in the scrapbook with her comments.
A journal or diary is an excellent way for kids to express themselves. Have your child write about what happened every day. Each day can be one or two sentences to a page or two – whatever she feels like writing.
Grocery Time
Have your children plan the menus for a week or a day, depending on their age. They have to check what is already available at home and what they’ll need to buy at the grocery store. Give them budget and a calculator and take them to the store to get the fixing for dinner.
Younger children can learn a lot at the grocery store. They can identify shapes, numbers, colors, letters and textures. If you decide to try this, make sure you’ve got plenty of time to shop. And don’t turn every visit to the store into a lesson. Children need a break from studying and time to relax, too.
The Write Time
Give your child a large piece of paper and pencils. Help her draw the streets in your neighborhood or apartment complex. Then walk with her as she adds houses, landmarks and other items to the map.
Have your child cut out four or five different pictures from newspapers and magazines. Then, instruct her to put them in order and tell a story about them. Number the pictures 1, 2, 3 in the order they want them in the story. Next, rearrange the pictures and tell a different story.
Use comic strips to help with writing, too. Cut apart the segments of a comic strip. Have your child arrange the cells in order. Then ask her to make up a story about the comic.
Social Studies and Science Time
Ever played with ice? How about freezing Kool-Aid or orange juice and making your own popsicles?
Have your child put pieces of ice in a cup and put the cups in different parts of the house. Which ice melts the fastest? Why? Also try freezing different substances – applesauce, Kool-Aid, pudding, etc. See how long each takes to freeze and thaw out.
Cook with your child. What happens when he doesn’t follow a recipe exactly? What happens when you boil water too long? Measure, mix and try to separate ingredients. What can you mix and separate? What ingredients aren’t easy to separate?
Visit different countries by having your children find information about different places they’d like to visit some day. Have them draw pictures or make a poster about the information they’ve found. Cook a meal with the foods eaten in their chosen country one night.
Whether it’s reading, writing, or creating, encourage your children to think. Get their creative juices flowing. Keep them thinking and learning, but don’t forget to have some fun!
Sherry Bowen is a freelance writer.