The school bell is about to ring and summer break is about to begin...but don’t let summer down-time be the reason to stop the learning. Here are some really fun and interesting ideas to keep those young minds active:
If you haven’t already done so, check with your local parks and recreation department about camps, special activity days, recreational opportunities, and listings of local parks to explore.
Build reading and writing into everyday activities by letting your children read game directions, make grocery lists, read recipes out loud during meal prep, map out directions for trips and research fun stops for those family trips.
Encourage writing - Have your children send postcards to special friends and family while on vacation, keep a nature journal as they explore the great outdoors, or make a scrapbook of their summer adventures. Another idea is to help your child start blogging. Use Kidblog, a safe, closed, free spaces set up just for kids.
Participate in volunteer community service activities over the summer months - Consider having your children tag along while you grocery shop and pick out non-perishable items, then when you have a bit of stock, deliver the items to a local food bank. Another idea would be to have the kids create fun snack items like cookies or brownies, and deliver them to a local nursing home to pass out to residents. Next time you walk through your neighborhood, schoolyard, or a local park, bring garbage bags along and pick up litter. And who doesn’t love a lemonade stand in summer? Help your child do a little research into local charities, set up a lemonade stand, and the deliver the proceeds of the tiny business to that charity. These are just a few ideas!
More reading ideas: Time for Kids is a great source for articles that can educate your children about news events and happenings in a way that is appropriate for their age level. There are also great magazines available by subscription including National Geographic Kids, Highlights, Ranger Rick, Brainspace, and Muse.
Plant a garden and watch it grow - You children can create a garden journal where notes can be kept and illustrations drawn as the garden progresses. There are many different websites that feature gardening advice and projects that will be appropriate for your zone, so check them out.
Visit local museums and explore - Many of these organizations also have programs for children throughout the year, but especially during the summer. Yes, learning can be fun!
Get to know your local public library a little better - Is there a summer reading program? Are there audio books to lend? How about a special summer program? Your local library is a wealth of information.
Yes, we said audio books! Who doesn’t love listening to books, music, stage plays, comedy routines, and more? Audio books are especially great for road trips, for reluctant readers, and for children with certain learning disabilities that make reading a struggle. Tales2Go offers a mobile streaming book service, and AudibleKids has a large selection of books as well.
We don’t often promote screen-time for children, but there are a number of good interactive, educational websites that just might fit the bill for rainy or super-lazy days. Here are a few to explore:
National Geographic Kids: Great nature videos, activities, games, stories, and more
iCivics: Educational online games and lesson plans to promote civics education and encourage students to become active citizens. iCivics was founded by retired Supreme Court of the United States Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
NASA Kids Club: A place to play games and learn about NASA through interactive explorations
Project Noah: Explore and document wildlife — be a citizen scientist!
Design Squad Nation:Be creative and help people through engineering, from PBS
My Wonderful World: A multimedia tour of our seven continents from the Smithsonian
PBS KIDS Lab: Educational games, activities and mobile apps, for kids PreK to grade 3.
BrainPOP: Games, quizzes, videos about topics in science, social studies, English, math, arts and music, and more.