Summer vacation is nearing and for many kids that means days of fun and sun. However, as a parent, you don’t want your child to forget everything they have learned this year or for their mind to grow lazy. There are ways to let your children have fun while still learning. Some of the games are so fun, they may not even realize that they are learning, but that’s okay, we won’t tell them!
Cooking Up Some Fun and Learning on a Rainy Day
If it’s raining outside, then you and your kids can still have fun while learning. Find a good recipe for some cookies. Flavor won’t matter; what will matter is that you are about to review some math skills with your child. Choose to either double or half the recipe, whichever your child is struggling with. Then get a piece of paper and a pencil and start multiplying or dividing those ingredients. This works great for whole numbers and for fractions. If your child is just learning fractions, use an apple or another fruit to teach halves, fourths, and so on.
A Night Outside
This is the perfect activity to do with your child if you have to work during the day and still want to do something educational and fun with them at night. Spread a blanket outside and get a flashlight. Shine the light on a white blanket or a large piece of posterboard. Get a book that details bugs that are attracted to light and identify the types of bugs that come for a visit with your child. If the kids get bored, you can always use the flashlight to make shadow puppets and tell stories.
Encourage Writing
Encourage your child to start some form of a journal. There are many different types that they can keep up with. Whether it is a regular composite book in which they write and detail all of the events of the day or a book you and your child make together with construction paper and string, it is always a good thing to get their creative juices flowing. If your child isn’t old enough to write or doesn’t like to write, let them draw pictures. They can also find items outside or at places they visit to make a scrapbook detailing their summer vacation.
Plant a Garden
Have your children help you plant a garden and take care of it. The garden can have vegetables or flowers, but let them help pick out the seeds to help them get invested in the project. Then they can watch their plants grow each day. Help them learn the difference between the plants and the weeds, and study the different phases that the plants are going through. After they are fully grown, you can teach your child about photosynthesis.
Do you have any fun and educational activity ideas for summer? Please share them with us!
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