Summer is quickly approaching! Students are so excited to go swimming, ride their bikes, and play at the park. Teachers are ready to sleep in, de-stress, and enjoy participating in their interests again. However, all teachers hope students remember their learning from the last 9 months. So, they work hard to send home things to do in summer. Thankfully, incorporating educational opportunities is the perfect way to promote summer fun for kids! Any amount will help reduce summer learning loss.
Ideas for Fun and Educational Summer Activities for Families
If you hand students a book to read and write about over the summer, many will forget about it until the week before school starts. So, their reading and writing skills slowly decreased as week after week went by. This is why it is crucial to find summer fun for kids that they want to do! By adding educational activities, students will have fun while ensuring they are ready for the next grade!
Family Activities
During the school year, families are so busy! The few hours they have together at night often involve driving kids to practices and doing schoolwork. So, summer fun for kids should include family time! When finding things to do in summer, think about opportunities for the entire family. To incorporate learning, think about what provides options for learning and growth. This might include visiting museums, going on nature walks, or engaging in arts and crafts. Honestly, there are so many opportunities to incorporate family and learning!
Read a Book
It is so important for students to read or listen to books over the summer! However, the reality is that some students do not enjoy books. So, summer is the perfect time to build this interest. Families can visit the library together. This provides an excellent opportunity for the child to pick out books that interest them. Then, the family can read together!
Following Directions
Students must follow directions in school! This is an essential component of success. Sadly, summer can cause some children to forget this importance. So, parents can incorporate this into summer fun for kids. For instance, this may be in making slime, cupcakes, or a directed drawing. Thankfully, there are so many fun things to do in summer that incorporate directions.
Letting Creativity Soar
Many times, teachers push students to be more creative. However, students are used to having decisions made for them, so they need help with creativity. Luckily, there are tons of great options to help build creativity during summer. For instance, students can design something neat out of Playdough. Additionally, they can build a magnificent sand castle, make a sock puppet show, or create a story.
Writing
It is crucial for students to remember all they learned about writing! This is a skill they need their entire lives. So, children need to work on writing during summer. Luckily, there are creative ways to incorporate writing when planning summer fun for kids. Children can write a thank you note to a grandparent after a sleepover or a special evening together. Additionally, students can write out their weekly plans. There is even a FREE Summer Writing Challenge with fun summer prompts.
Patience
Children have to be patient in school. They wait in line multiple times, wait for their teacher’s help, and wait for their favorite part of the day. So, it is crucial students understand the importance of being patient. Otherwise, behavior issues often happen. This is why it is essential to work on this skill when finding things to do in summer. Examples of this include planting a fruit, vegetable, or flower. Since they take time to grow, this is a great way to teach patience.
Games
Family game nights create some of the best memories! So, bring out the games and get the table ready. Not only will this create lifelong memories, but it will also help with being patient and following directions. Games are such fun ways to spend time together!
Everyone is ready for summer! However, parents and teachers want to be sure children continue to remember all the skills they’ve learned. Thankfully, there are so many educational activities when planning summer fun for kids! If you still find that your child seems lonely during summer break, you may find some helpful tips here!
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