When daily course work gives way to summer fun, keeping kids’ brains sharp can be a struggle. While summer bridge workbooks or packets are important and helpful, there are other ways to keep your kids thinking while having fun at the same time. Check out these ideas to get you started!
Be a kitchen scientist. Grow rock candy, make a volcano, make your own play dough or grow bacteria. Kids love experimenting, and there are many science projects that you can do with household items. These types of experiments are fun and sometimes messy, but they can teach kids science and math skills. Check Pinterest for ideas and instructions.
Write a journal or a blog. Have kids keep a journal about their activities during the summer, either on paper or online, to keep language arts and technology skills sharp.
Play board games. Games like Monopoly can teach math and money skills, Trivial Pursuit encourages reading and general knowledge and card games like Uno are great for younger kids who are perfecting colors and numbers. These games also can help develop social skills like taking turns and playing fair. Let your kids keep score to polish their addition skills!
Write your own nonfiction book. Have your children research a different animal each day on websites like NationalGeographic.com. Then ask them to write a couple of sentences about their chosen animal and draw a picture of it. Compile these throughout the summer and you’ll have your own “All About Animals” book. Not into animals? Pick any topic the kids are interested in!
Get growing. Work with your kids to plant a garden. Not only will they learn about the growing process, but you’ll get some delicious, healthy food when it’s harvesttime!
Learn code. Dr. Mandi Sonnenberg of Rockhurst University suggests visiting Code.org with your children to help them learn the art of coding. There they can create their own computer games or websites in an easy and fun way while developing life-long technology skills.
Go outside. Go for a nature walk at one of our great nature centers like Lakeside Nature Center or Ernie Miller Nature Center. Talk about the different plants and animals you see on your walk and enjoy the educational resources provided inside. Take it one step further and ask kids to write about what they see!
Make change. Collect loose change throughout the summer in a jar. At the end of the summer have your kids count the money and use it for a special treat. This is a great math and economics lesson.
Write to a pen pal. Enlist a grandparent, cousin or far-away friend to be a pen pal for the summer. Kids can write letters each week to keep their writing skills sharp and learn the joy of receiving REAL mail.
Read, read, read! Make time for reading every day with your children. Participate in reading programs (at local libraries or bookstores) to give kids a sense of accomplishment and possibly real rewards upon meeting their reading goals. Schedule a weekly trip to the library and let them pick their own reading material—what matters is that they are reading! Be sure to let them see you reading, too. They will learn that it’s worthwhile and enjoyable when they see you choosing to read.
Homemade Play Dough Recipe
Making this homemade play dough with your kids can teach them measurement, math and science. Let them observe how the mixture changes when it’s heated on the stove and talk about the importance of accurate measurements in science. In the end, enjoy creative play with the finished product!
Ingredients:
- 2 c. flour
- 2 c. warm water
- 1 c. salt
- 2 T. vegetable oil
- 1 T. cream of tartar
- Optional: Food coloring (for color only) or dry Kool-Aid powder (for color and scent)
Instructions:
Mix all of the ingredients together in a saucepan and stir over low heat. The dough will begin to thicken and become lumpy quickly. Keep stirring and cooking until the consistency smoothes and the dough forms a ball. Cool completely and play! Store in an airtight container and it should last a few weeks.
Sara Keenan enjoys spending summers with her two kids in Brookside. Her family’s favorite summer learning activity is planting and cultivating their small garden.