Summer break is a long period between school sessions. During this time, plenty of young students experience learning loss and, thus, struggle once school starts again.
The best way to combat this is through summer activities. Keeping minds and bodies active over this summer makes it easy to return to school in the fall. This article will explore plenty of activities that will keep everyone busy.
Outdoor Learning Adventures
Plant and animal identification
You can take a nice walk outside and learn while you walk. Just reference an identification book or use an app as you see different plants and animals.
Start a garden
Gardening is fun and active. As you garden, your children will learn about specific plants and learn the general lifecycle of plants. By the end, they will better grasp how food grows.
STEM Explorations
Build a popsicle bridge
Building a bridge out of popsicle sticks is an exercise in engineering. As you do so, you can explore why some construction designs work and others don't.
Code in games
Nowadays, coding doesn't have to be boring. There are plenty of popular games, like Minecraft, that teach coding.
Reading and Writing Adventures
Keep a summer journal
Each day of the summer, encourage journaling. The day's entry can be as short or long as desired if something new is written.
Join a reading challenge
Many local libraries and organizations host summer reading challenges. These give some added motivation to reading while school is out.
Cultural and Historical Expeditions
Visit a local landmark
Every town has something going for it. Whether it's a historical sight or a neat geological feature, there is something you can go out and see.
Have a rotating cultural menu
Each week, you can have one dinner set aside to try food from a different culture. You can order food for this or even make it yourself. This opens the door for culture sharing at mealtime.
Artistic Expressions
Paint a self-portrait
A self-portrait can be an amazing form of self-expression. It is also a great way to explore art as a whole.
Have a photography day
Photography is an often overlooked yet very fun art form. Plus, with a camera on every phone, it is simple and easy to do.
Watch dance lessons
You can easily find dance lessons online. Watching and participating together also gives a workout.
Physical Activities for the Brain and Body
Play a family sport
Picking any sport to play and participating as a family gets everyone moving. It also gives an opportunity to teach teamwork and the math involved in scorekeeping.
Practice mindfulness and yoga
Summer shouldn't be a constant stream of activity. Practicing mindful meditation or yoga can make other activities more meaningful. There are even ways to make these activities, especially yoga, fun.
Want to make sure your physical activity is aligned with what your kids can do? Take our Fitness and Mobility Assessment and get recommendations for activities they’ll love.
Life Skills Development
Make a "copycat" recipe
Ask your child what their favorite food from a restaurant is. Then find a recipe or a copycat recipe for that dish online. Cooking it together will give a new appreciation for the dish.
Take a first aid class
It is never too early to start learning first aid. In many cases, first aid certification is also a highly valued job skill.
Virtual Learning Adventures
Virtual field trips
You don't have to leave the house for a field trip. Online videos will walk you through how a farm works and a factory operates or even allow you to explore some famous destinations.
Learning apps
Cell phone apps aren't just for games and social media; plenty emphasizes learning as well. There are apps that teach languages, coding, geography, history, and much more.
Volunteering and Community Service
Help at a local library
Do you want to come face to face with tons of books regularly? Most local libraries have plenty of volunteer opportunities.
Outdoor clean up
Cleaning up outside is always helpful. Plus, since summer is the time to be outside anyway, pairing outdoor time with cleaning up helps everyone.
Summer Reading List
Explore a new genre
Branching out is always a good thing. If your family really likes fantasy stories, try giving sci-fi or history a chance. You never know when someone will discover a new passion.
Hold a family book club
When you finish a book, you want to talk about it with someone. So why not talk about it with family? By hosting a family book club, you can all talk about what you're reading together.
Planning and Organizing Summer Learning
Create a learning calendar
At the beginning of the summer, create a calendar that lists all of your summer activities. This way, everyone is always on board with everything that is going on.
Set a date to evaluate the progress
Summer activities don't work if your kids aren't getting anything out of them. So, partway through the summer, you can reevaluate the schedule. Make changes if you need to.
Encouraging Independence and Self-directed Learning
Present multiple options
Instead of telling your kids what summer plans you want to go with, give them a few options to pick from. This will let them feel like they are part of the decision-making process.
Have your activities to be picking an activity
You can have your kids pick a task for one of your first summer tasks. They may even think of something you would have never thought of otherwise.
Monitoring Progress and Celebrating Achievements
As your children progress through their summertime activities, don't forget to monitor their progress and reward them for it. Depending on their activity, you can reward them for different milestones. You can reward summer reading by giving a prize for every book read or celebrate community service by attending their favorite restaurant afterward. Proving positive motivation like this will help your kids stick with their activities.
Want to reward your kids when they make healthy and smart choices? Check out the Kids Zone for fun activities and rewards.
Addressing Summer Learning Loss
To get everyone on board with summer learning, it is important to understand why it is necessary. At the beginning of the summer, sit down with everyone and explain the concept of learning loss. This lets them understand why you are making summer plans, making them seem more reasonable.
Overcoming Challenges and Obstacles
As you work through your summer plans, there may be some pushback regarding some things you want to do. Be prepared for this. Host an open and honest discussion and see if there are any solutions. Be willing to compromise or offer rewards for participating if necessary.
