With spring quickly fading into summer, the time is fast approaching where children will be out of school for their longest break of the year. For parents, this often means a whole new schedule and new responsibilities to juggle.
We’re here to help with this transition at Smart Kids Development Center, through both our summer camp programs and through many transitional elements. Especially for young children, it’s vital that education continues through the summer, whether kids are in a specific day care program or not. Here are some tips for keeping your kids learning (perhaps without them even realizing it) during their summer break.
Putting kids in charge of creating something is a great way for them to learn organic skills and processes. A great example here is a board game – have kids choose a theme from one of their favorite shows or movies, and then challenge them to design a game around it. This will force them to think about things like rules, directions and board pieces. It’s a great hands-on activity that’s both fun and informative.
If kids aren’t creating a new game, why not have them learn one? Teaching a child a game like chess or gin is a great way to tap into their competitive desires while also expanding their body of knowledge.
If you’re taking the kids on errands or to a fun activity like the zoo or the aquarium, consider trying out a bus, train or trolley instead of your normal drive. Have your kids help you plan the route and pay for the tickets (your money, of course – their activity), and even have them calculate the round trip mileage.
Have you started to notice that your kids have a few favorite songs or artist? Challenge them to rewrite the lyrics from one of them, or to learn more about the artist. If they have a favorite show, see if they can create a catchy jingle for it. This can help with both artistic and language skills.
Whatever you have to do to get kids reading, do it. Everything from novels all the way down to movie reviews and restaurant menus can offer a chance to learn a new word or phrase. Audiobooks are becoming more and more popular, and these can also be very useful – they help teach critical listening and can introduce new vocabulary.
For more tips on keeping the learning process going over the summer, or to find out about any of our child care services, contact the educators at Smart Kids Development Center today.
