Easy Ways to Keep Learning on Summer Vacation
Time spent having fun and being active outdoors is the mark of a really great summer. Our kids continue to learn through summer play, outings and changes in routine. Parents sometimes worry that children will lose knowledge gained at school over the summer break, but that doesn’t need to be the case!
Here are a few tips and simple games you can use to encourage your child to use their knowledge and practice building independence in anticipation of the upcoming school year.
For 3-6 year-olds:
Tea Time!
– Have the kids host a tea party. Let them set it up and serve. If you are feeling courageous, let them clean up as well!- Punch holes out of coloured paper and create a pointillism artwork. Try making the picture symmetrical for extra challenge.
– Give little ones the time to practice buttoning up those pants, shirts or jackets themselves!
– Read, read, read! Read together at the beach, at the park and at bedtime,
– On road trips, listen to audiobooks together. Ask comprehension and prediction questions along the way.
– Play the license plate game. Look at the letters on a license plate and try to come up with silly phrases or words that begin with those letters; you can also use the numbers and add or subtract (multiply for the older ones) or even just read the large number (i.e. 123 = one hundred and twenty three)
For 6-12 year olds
– Read, read, read! Start a book club with some friends and their parents. Everybody reads the same book and discuss! Watch the movie on a special play date after the book club meeting.
– Play Geography in the car. What are the capital cities of each province? Can you name the great lakes?
– Talk about your family history. Where did your child’s grandparents come from? Great-grandparent’s?
– Practice skip counting…everywhere! Always a good time to start counting by 4’s, 6’s or 7’s!
– Create a summer vacation journal. It makes a wonderful keepsake and helps kids practice writing and grammar skills.
– Experiment! Take a look at some of the websites below and try some of these awesome experiments in your backyard.
Kendalwood Montessori & Elementary School is Durham Region’s first fully accredited Montessori school. At Kendalwood, we believe that our job is to inspire children to become the best students they can be. With a curriculum that focuses on developing the intellect as well as nurturing self-esteem, academics are taught, curiosity is cultivated and respect is fostered. Our approach creates an environment where students flourish and develop a lifelong love of learning.