Reading Time: 6 minutes Ways to Support Your Kids’ Learning Through the Summer
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There are lots of things you can do as a family during the summer that are fun and entertaining.
If you want to do more to help your kids experience the best of the summer while also staying on track with their learning and education, consider a slightly different and more proactive approach.
Luckily for you, we have plenty of ideas for how you can support your children’s continued learning during the summer months when the schools are out.
And it doesn’t have to be about making things dull and boring for your kids, either. The best and most effective type of learning is the fun kind.
So read on now to find out more about the things you can do to support your kids and keep them learning and developing all the way through summer.
Table of Contents
Get Creative with Arts
Getting creative and playing around with arts and crafts is always fun for kids. Getting messy and doing things that they maybe don’t do very often is entertaining, but it also makes them think
Plus it gets their creative juices flowing too. When you create together, you teach them the value of the arts. Learning doesn’t have to be about facts and text books after all.
There are so many ways to learn and so many reasons why the arts are just as important to a child’s development as learning mathematics and science.
Have Fun with Science Experiment Kits
Speaking of science, it’s also a good idea to try out some science experiment kits with your child during the summer. These are quite different from the boring science experiences they might usually find at school.
It gives them a hands-on chance to have fun with science and see a different side to it. There are lots of different types of science experimentation kits out there that you can play around with and have fun with.
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Make Ice Cream Together
Cooking, making and baking are also examples of ways to educate your kids while also having fun at the same time. Interaction with food is good and healthy for kids, and learning the basics of making and preparing food is also important.
It’s a key life skill that they’re always going to need to have, especially when they get older and don’t have you at home to make their dinner for them.
And there’s nothing wrong with starting them early when it comes to learning these kinds of skills.
Here’s an easy way to make ice cream at home.
Encourage Their Passions
Encouraging your kids’ passions and helping them to develop these passions in a way that’s right for them is one of the most important things you can do as a parent. You have to let them find their own way forward and to develop an interest in things that they dictate.
You can’t always expect them to be interested in the things that you’re interested in.
Even as kids, you have to let them be individuals and to be a little independent. It’s something that’s very healthy for them in the long-term.
Teach Them Budgeting with Pocket Money
Teaching your kids to budget is one task that’s very often overlooked, and it’s something that can serve them well for the rest of their life if you do it properly. When they get older, they’re going to have their own money and income to protect.
You’ll want to make sure that you set them on the right path as early on as possible, and that’s something you can try out by giving them pocket money during the summer and teaching them how to make it go further.
Find Games That Are Fun and Educational
Finding games that are fun for them to play, appropriate for their age and that offer some sort of learning experience can be a really good idea.
There are so many fun sight word games for kids that can keep them engaged, and there are also other options such as video games that have an educational angle to them.
Among the many ways to keep your kids engaged in learning is introducing them to stimulating and age-appropriate online games.
For example, integrating ABCmouse’s games, focusing on educational fun for 1st graders, into summer activities offers a balance between entertainment and educational value, seamlessly blending learning with play.
You should take your time to research the options and propose that you try them out with your kids. From there, you’ll get to know which ones they like and which ones they don’t.
Travel to New Places and Take in the Culture
Travel is something that a lot of families tend to do during the summer months. If you want to help them learn about cultures or even languages, traveling could be something that’s very beneficial and educational to them.
Be sure to make the most of that time and give them an experience that they’ll remember for a long time to come and that’ll ultimately teach them something valuable at the same time.
Taking in culture is a first-hand learning experience that can’t be overlooked.
Related:
- Most Iconic Road Trips in Every State: The Best Road Trips In USA
- How To Save Money And Keep Kids Entertained On A Family Road Trip
Head Out on Surprise Adventures
Simply getting out there and having new experiences is a way for your child to learn. Learning through experience is just as if not more valuable than classroom-based learning.
For example, exploring a particular landscape or forest will help them interact with nature directly. These practical lessons tie back in with the learning they do at school with regards to science. And that’s just one example.
So keep things interesting and head out on surprise and spontaneous adventures together.
Teach Them a Game That Stimulates the Brain, Such as Chess
Teaching them to play a game that stimulates their brain and makes them think a little might be something that you want to do. One example of this is chess.
When you play chess together as a family, you can all learn something and develop new skills. It’s a game that’s all about thinking multiple steps ahead, and it’s definitely something that can be beneficial to children from a developmental point of view.
Chess is one good example, but there are, of course, other games you can teach them that’ll have a similar impact.
Play Music Together
Playing music is another example of a creative outlet that really helps your family to learn and gain new experiences together.
You should make it your duty to help your child learn at least one instrument, no matter which one it might be. The sooner you get them into the habit of playing an instrument, the better their creative faculties will become.
They’ll also be much more likely to develop a deep love of music and everything that it has to offer as a form of artistry and expression.
Get Them Reading as Much as Possible
Finally, you should try to get them reading as much as possible. Help them discover books they’ll love and give them reading material that’s suitable for their age.
And if they seem to be excelling in that department, encourage them to push on and explore literature that’s targeted at a slightly higher age range. The more they read books of their own at home, the better they’ll do at school, especially in English language and literature.
Just because summer’s here and school will soon be out, that doesn’t mean your children can’t carry on learning until the new school year begins. So be sure to make the most of the ideas above that you think will be most useful to you and your children this summer.
The key to success here is having fun while also learning things.