Summer is a time for relaxation, fun, and family time and it’s quickly approaching. Some parents worry about the summer slump and want to know how to avoid it. Psychology Today reports that ”Children do forget skills and knowledge learned in the previous school year. But if parents and educators encourage kids to stay engaged in learning throughout the summer, children may not only maintain but improve their knowledge.” Kids can keep learning throughout the summer while having a blast! Below are seven ideas to avoid the summer slump in enjoyable and active ways.
Read!
We know that the more kids read, the better they become at reading. Reading for 20 minutes a day is a good goal to have and it doesn’t matter if it’s done independently or if you read to your child - both have outstanding benefits. Additionally, check out your local library for their summer reading programs. Many incentivize reading in fun ways and some even give out free books to kids at the start of their program!
Create
Make play-doh or slime (yes, I know it’s a mess, but it’s entertaining!), paint or color with some mindful coloring pages. Or get outside and plant seeds and grow a garden. Here’s a beginner’s guide for home gardens.
Grocery Shop Together
Kids can learn a lot from helping with groceries. Involve your children in making a list, setting a budget, calculating sales and coupons, or even calculating the entire grocery bill. Change things up and explore a farmer’s market! Have kids count money to give to the cashier. Counting money reinforces math skills and helps them understand the value of a dollar.
Cook or Bake Together
Cooking provides life lessons that will serve children well in life; in addition to creating tasty treats, kids will explore measurement and following the directions of a recipe. Check out some of these easy recipes that you and your kids could make:
- No-bake apple donuts recipe
- No-bake M&M energy bites recipe
- Apple pie bites recipe
- Nutella and banana “sushi” recipe
Keep a Journal and Write, Write, Write!
Start this habit by allowing your child to pick out their own journal along with creative pens, pencils, or markers. This will allow them to feel a little more invested in the writing process. Next, have your child write about their daily activities or have them write from prompts like this or even these visual prompts. The journal can include words and pictures, paintings, or collages with pictures cut out from favorite magazines.
Get Outside
Michigan has some of the best summers - take advantage of the weather and get outside. Check out this local blogger’s tips for places to go around Southeast Michigan. Do some family crafts that will get your kids moving outside like creating pool noodle baseball, running a kids’ car wash, or even hosting a lemonade stand (this also helps reinforce those math skills!).
Plan a Trip
Let kids help pick a destination to visit and have them be a part of the planning process: research the location you’ll visit, plan out stops along the way, or use this guide to plan a trip with Google Maps. Having your children help plan the vacation will create even stronger memories for you and your family.
