Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.
Tip #1: Find out what they’re interested in.
After spending almost 10 months learning by the book, now is the perfect time to let your children have a say in what they’d like to learn about. It can start with a simple question, such as, “If you could learn about anything this summer, what would it be?” Give them time to think it through and be prepared for some amazing, incredible, and doesn’t-seem-doable answers. The overall goal is to use their answers as a platform to create a fun summer learning experience everyone will be excited about.
Depending on what they’re interested in, you can look for ways to give them exposure to that thing. If your son likes cars and would like to know more about how they’re made, consider visiting a local mechanic’s shop. My boys love nature especially ancient history: dinosaurs and Ancient Egypt.
Tip #2: Use everyday life opportunities.
There are many things families do throughout the day that can be used for teaching. The often-overlooked chores that kids do are a great starting point. Giving your kids just a few chores to do per day will help them learn integrity, responsibility, and cleanliness. Add grocery shopping, banking, and other errands, and you’ve just given your kids the best life lessons that will follow them through adulthood. Even reading a map and outlining a route from point A to point B is a great way to learn from mundane activities.
The next time you head to the grocery store, put your kids in charge of making the list and locating the items around the grocery store. Up the anty by having them pre-calculate how much the total may be at checkout.
Tip 3: Take learning on the go.
In other words, incorporate lots of field trips. Summer is the perfect time for visiting local museums, zoos, state parks, and other educational destinations. Nature walks are also becoming increasingly popular and give kids an opportunity to learn an entirely new set of skills. Anytime you take a trip or vacation, look for ways to include an educational piece.
Get together with other families and take advantage of special group tours and learning activities created specifically for groups. There are so may opportunities to learn and observe outdoors from plants, animals, weather and even architecture.
Tip #4: Take advantage of local programs.
Now that we’re finally seeing the other side of the pandemic, libraries, businesses, and organizations are beginning to open back up. Look for summer programs that are being hosted in your community. Libraries typically offer summer reading programs, activities, and other things to help children stay busy and learn in a fun way. If you live near a zoo, they also offer some cool summer programs. The zoos, aquariums and botanic gardens offer a variety of summer programming for students ages k-12.
Check your local town’s/city’s website or Facebook page to see if they have listed a calendar of events. Also check in with the local public schools and community centers to find out about their summer programming. Take note of what you and your children may be interested in and go.
Tip #5: Go where your child’s needs lead.
Summer is also the perfect time for getting extra practice in areas your child could use more practice in. This doesn’t mean fill their schedule with long hours of tutoring or daily workbook practice. On the contrary, take time to listen and watch them. With the right type of observation, you’ll most likely see ways to help them naturally. It’s when a child doesn’t feel pressured that they tend to flourish the most. Give them a lot of encouragement, as well as breaks when you notice them looking overwhelmed or stressed.
I have found that when my kids are confident in their ability to learn, they have better results in what they’re doing. We spend lots of time in the parks and they are more receptive to being quizzed on multiplication while fishing or spelling words while on the swings.
Final Thoughts
As tempting as it may be to let all “formal learning” go out the window during the summertime, I suggest using it as a time to help your kids thrive. It doesn’t have to be a strict and strategic as classroom-style learning, but I invite you to see learning in a different light. Using the tips above, you’ll be well on your way to giving your kids a fun-filled summer of natural learning