Are you dreaming of a perfect summer? You know the one where your kids have a fun carefree summer but also continue to learn and grow academically. I am here to tell you it’s possible. But, before we start discussing fun educational activities let’s talk about why learning over the summer is so important. We all know summer is a time for kids to be kids. It’s a time for them to be able to run around, be free, and explore on their own. This time of behavior sounds great, doesn’t it? However, too much freedom can lead them into making poor choices. Let’s face it, not all but many kids are choosing to stay inside to watch T.V., play video games, or simply sit on their phone.

Research consistently shows that children who stop learning over the summer will fall behind when schools starts back up in the fall.  According to the American Education Research Journal, “More than half of students lost 39% of year’s learning over the summer.”.  That’s a huge loss. Summer learning loss is real but the good news is, it’s preventable. Did you know that simply having your kids continue to read over the summer will help them gain a year or two over their peers who don’t read. Are you starting to feel any better?

Once you get a plan into place, learning over the summer can actually be super fun. And the best part about summer learning is that you’re in charge. You know your child the best, you know their interests, their challenges, and their learning style.  You’ll also be able to tailor the information your child will be learning so they can go at their own pace.

So how can we tackle summer learning but still make it fun? Choosing an exploratory learning approach can help by making it feel less ridged.  Children will be self-directed and parents will be there mostly for support and guidance.  With this approach thinking outside of the box will help when choosing engaging activities. Remember it’s not just one activity your child will work on this summer but rather many smaller activities that will make the biggest impact.

Below I break down the four main areas to focus on in terms of learning: Reading, Writing, Math, & Exploring

Reading

Reading doesn’t have to be strictly done with a book.  For some kids reading over the summer is no big deal, they find it fun and exciting to get lost in a book. For others, reading a book can be the most painful activity ever! Below are ways to keep your kids reading without them realizing it.

• -Closed Caption on TV -Watching TV with the sound off and the closed captioning on has children reading while watching TV.

• -Listen to Audiobooks -Listening to audiobooks helps with vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.

• -Co-Read a Book Together -I love co-reading with my children. It’s such a great way to spend time with them while also motivating them to read. Some children may find reading overwhelming but by taking turns reading, they feel supported and in turn want to read.

• -Reading Challenge Calendar-Some kids are competitive by nature. Seeing how many minutes you can read in a day/ a week/ a month might be all that they need to keep them reading.

• -Library Summer Reading Program- The one at our local library provides rewards for reading completed week by week.

• -Crossword Puzzles– These will not only keep your child reading but also keep their mind engaged.

Writing

What can we do to keep our kids writing over the summer? There are  so many fun writing activities to keep our kids mind active during those long summer days. Remember, we want to keep our kids minds active so they don’t experience brain-drain. Below are some creative ways for your kids to have fun with writing.

• -Write Postcards– This is a fun writing activity because you can literally do it while traveling on vacation. If you’re not traveling anywhere send letters or short notes to family and friends.

• -Word of the Day- Your child can keep a notebook of each new word along with it’s definition. At the end of summer play a bingo game with your new words.

• -Write a Story Book– Have your child choose a topic they want to write about. Each day have them write one page of their book. By the end of summer, they’ll have a great story book.

• -Keep a Journal– Everyday have them write a short paragraph what they did that day. This also makes for a great keepsake.

• -Write Reviews– Have your child help you to write reviews on Trip Advisor about places you go this summer. It could simply be a review of your local ice cream stand.

• -Write like a Journalist- Create a newspaper to share with family and friends about your summer adventures. Include a headline, story, picture, & caption. Make copies then send them out.

• -Create a Blog– Have your child create a blog about a topic he/she is interested in.

Math

Including math throughout summer vacation is easier than you think. There are many ways to incorporate math without your kids even knowing it. So why even bother with math? Well, it’s been proven that the math your kids have learned is easier to forget over the summer than their reading skills. Let’s try to stop the brain-drain and include some math over summer vacation. Below are ideas to keep your kids active with math.

• -Cooking– Allows your kids to learn about measurements, following directions, and sequencing. (making slime counts too!)

• -Playing Games– Popular games: Hi Ho! Cherry-O, Count Your Chickens, The Lady Bug Game, Sum Swamp, Money Bags, Sequence Numbers, Proof!, Monopoly

• -Shopping– When you child is ready to spend their allowance take them to the store and talk about the prices. Have them add up their purchases and see if they have enough. Or take them grocery shopping and do the same thing but you pay the bill.

• -Have a lemonade stand– Let them figure out making change

• -Math While Traveling– Calculating amount of time, cost of gas, mph

• -Jigsaw Puzzles– Helps with recognizing patterns and learning spatial skills

• -Khan Academy– This website is total free and covers math k-12

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• Exploring

Nature Scavenger Hunt– Create a list of object to find out in nature. They can be specific and detailed or more obvious. 

Nature Journal- Each dated journal entry can be about one object in nature or about many: an animal, an insect, an acorn, a flat rock, a pinecone, a flower, etc. Write down sounds, movements, any descriptive details. Then draw a picture and don’t forget to label it.

Create a Model- Using what they find in nature, they can create a 2-D or 3-D model of something they find interesting in nature. For example, my daughter loves spiders. She often observes various spiders and the web they make. She can reproduce a web like structure using small branches, stems, and other parts of a plant to build a model of a web.

Observation Journal- This is similar to the nature journal except with this journal, children will first come up with a hypothesis. They will observe something in nature, write down their observations, then see if their hypothesis is correct.

Building– Let’s say your child wants to build a pond. With this they will learn problem solving skills. This is especially true if you ask them lots of questions. For example, “How do you think we should start this?”, “What materials should we use?”, “When should we expect this project should be completed?”.

Remember, after your child has finished any of the activities from above, ask them questions. Having them formulate answers and coming up with their own conclusions allows them to take ownership of their learning. This empowerment not only builds confidence but also encourages lifelong learning.