ways-to-make-summer-and-learning-fun

Ways To Make Summer and Learning Fun!

As I write this, we are two days away from the last day of school, and with the excitement Chance can hardly keep himself together.  I have to admit, I am really happy too.  I have this feeling of relief.  I totally feel that I am preparing for summer break as well – although I still have to work.  Summer always gives me a feeling of freedom, peace and relaxation.  You know, long hot days at the pool; kids playing all day in the neighborhood; the urge of family vacations are starting to kick in.  It all makes me feel like I’m on vacation even though I’m not! 

great-ways-to-make-summer-and-learning-fun

While we are completely ready for summer, I am not prepared.  No, I am not.  Being ready means that I am anticipating an amazing summer break for Chance and our family. Being prepared means that I have planned summer break activities that align with our goals for his summer learning experience and our family vacation plans.  You see, I am an advocate for summer learning, and I have not registered my son, Chance for one summer learning camp yet.  In my head, I am so behind…don’t judge me! LOL! 

You may be asking why in the world would I rant and rave about summer fun, then talk about summer learning? Well, it’s simple.  I believe that children can enjoy the summer having loads of fun while participating in summer learning activities.

Every student risks summer learning loss between the end of the school year to the start of another.  Statistics show:

summer-learning-loss-motivated-mom

I can almost see your face…staggering, right?  I know, this is why when it comes to helping stanch summer learning loss, parents have a key role to play.  As moms, it’s important for us to find ways to provide our children with FUN summer learning opportunities.  So, I want to provide a few tips so you can make summer and learning fun: 

Incorporate reading into your summer plan! 

Take a trip to your local library and allow your child to pick out four to five books that he/she would enjoy reading over the summer. 

reading-quote

Encourage physical activity all summer long! 

Physical health is known to enhance academic performance, so enrolling your child in an athletic camp maybe swimming, baseball, dance or golf could be a fun way to achieve this goal.

play-quote

Find educational technology opportunities during the summer!

Educational technology camps and projects are a great way to promote problem solving and critical thinking over the summer.  Perhaps building a robot together, or enrolling your child in a Lego camp could be the way to go.

tech-quote

These are just a few ideas, but there are so many creative ways that we can encourage summer learning and still have fun over the summer.  I realize that most camps cost money, and sometimes way more money than we can afford.  Don’t be discouraged, visit your local teacher resource store or even Walmart for experiential-based learning resources that are a lot less expensive than a camp. For example, Summer Splash Learning Activities is a great resource, as well as the Smithsonian science projects – ranging from $9.95 to $14. 

I did that for a few years, and it worked well for Chance.  We purchased activity books for math, science, and spelling.  We played monopoly for counting, which was a fun way to include family game night as a resource.  He enjoyed a great summer and learned a lot along the way.   

Are you prepared for summer? Summer learning can be enjoyable for the whole family.  In short remember to…READ, WRITE, and PLAY!

[latoyia]

Similar Posts

10 Comments

  1. Love it! Yes those stats are a little disturbing but I do see how they can be true. I was just inquiring about a reading program for my soon to be 11th grader and soon to be 2nd grader through TCU. I got the little one planned for swimming and soccer, reading and math…learning never stops!

  2. My kids get out in a couple of weeks and I am so excited for summer. I have so many fun things planned – educational things 🙂

  3. Play and camps are such a great way. Play is a child’s natural way of learning about their world and camps teach and allow for play and socializing. These are great

  4. MY daughter loves to read and this reminds me, we need to head to the library to stock up for the next couple of weeks. I think Summer reading programs are awesome!

  5. Great tips! We’re embarking upon project based learning this summer. The kids will each pick a project and plan/ self-direct. This ensures that learning is fun, creative and active!

  6. These are great tips. Education is so important. I love the reading tip and exercise you listed.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *