With the school year over and the excitement for summer here, many parents (and even students) find themselves wondering how they can keep school skills sharp during the summer months. With all the hard work students put in throughout the school year, it would be a shame to see a loss of progress simply because they aren’t exercising their brain on a daily basis. Fortunately, summer school isn’t the only option, and there are many fun and exciting things parents (and all students for that matter) can do to keep their brain active. More importantly, the following will also keep their school skills sharp throughout the summer season.
Go Hiking
You’re probably wondering how hiking can keep your child’s brain engaged and active, and the answer is simple. Exploring the outdoors provides many learning opportunities for kids, teenagers and adults of all ages. With every step, you can take the time to examine animals, plants, geology, and the history of your surroundings.
You can further the educational experience of hiking, all the while piquing your child’s interest with some books. Swap out the regular nighttime for stories that cater to the curiosities of the outdoors. Whether it’s about volcanoes, birds, rocks, flowers or dinosaurs, a nighttime story can get your child excited about an educational hike.
Read Together
Speaking of nighttime stories, this can be an excellent way to keep school skills sharp throughout the summer months. But reading doesn’t – and shouldn’t be limited to bedtime. Since nothing beats reading a good book in the summer heat, you probably won’t need much to encourage your child to keep up on their reading. However, if you do need an idea to keep your summer-loving student motivated to read, introduce the 10-book challenge. Once 10 books are read, you reward them with a special prize – and that prize can very well be a new book for them to read.
Summer Camps
What kid doesn’t love summer camps? With the wide variety of opportunities available, you can find a camp that keeps your child supervised, active and learning well throughout the summer months. Find one that caters to your child’s interests, whether it’s sports camp, eco camp, science camp, or something else – and let their learning prevail while doing something they love. Summer camps are an excellent way to teach your child social skills, survival skills, geological events and so much more while also keeping their brain active.
Student Books and Worksheets
Give your child some student books and fun worksheets to do on a daily basis. Even a 5-minute activity of math equations can work wonders. However, this tip can be a little difficult to get your child on-board with, especially if he or she isn’t a fan of school. A little reward system may need to be put in place to ensure they work towards keeping their school skills sharp. You also want to remember that it is summer break, and your child deserves to have just that – a break. Bombarding them with schoolwork while all of the other kids can encourage a negative experience and association with learning, which is never a good thing. So keep the student books and worksheets to reasonable amounts.
Gaming and Apps
There’s no denying that there are many games and apps available that aren’t educational. However, there are just as many that are highly engaging and that can keep your child’s school skills sharp during summer. The best part is that the educational aspect is often masked with entertainment and fun. So, they’ll never decline the opportunity to play learn games and apps.
Encourage a positive learning experience while also keeping your child’s school skills sharp with these awesome summer activities.
