If you’re like me, then you’re always looking for ways to keep education alive when your child{ren} aren’t in school. I’ve always wanted to be a teacher but I’ll admit that when it comes to teaching my own kid, I drop the ball sometimes. My son finished up his first year of preschool in May. The difference I saw in him between the start of the school year and the end of it was phenomenal. I don’t want him to miss out on any learning experiences this summer so I’ve come up with a few different ways to keep learning alive while having fun, too!
- Read, Read, Read! This one is super easy. Read books, and read a lot of them. They don’t have to be novels of course, depending on the age of your child, but simple reading even once a day will open up their minds and let them explore their imagination. Your local library usually has a Summer Reading Program, as well so you can look into that.
My husband even gets in on the learning fun- reading a book to our son before bedtime! - Take learning on the road with you! While you’re driving to a vacation destination or even just running some errands, ask your children about colors & shapes of signs that are along the road. When we get stopped at a train, my son likes to count the train cars (he gets bored after the first 20 or so – lol). When you’re on vacation, look into different activity centers that are available to go to; take a tour of a historical museum, go to the zoo, even go to the park.
- Check out the Michigan Activity Pass. This program is a statewide partnership that offers free or discounted access to hundreds of state parks, campgrounds, museums, arts and cultural destinations, etc.
- Play outside! Something so simple yet it lets kids use their imagination, explore the outdoors, and it’s also great to get some Vitamin D & fresh air!
- Crafts & Coloring! I personally love crafts and coloring is a huge stress reliever for me. So not only is this something where your child can learn hand-eye coordination, all about the different colors, & allowing them to use their creative minds, it can also be fun for you!
The best part of this is that many of the above ideas are super easy & cost-efficient so you won’t break the bank in order to make sure your child gets the most out of his/her summer. Learning doesn’t have to be boring and mundane; it can be fun and adventurous, too! What are some ways you keep the learning alive in the summer?
