Summer is a great time to give students’ skills a stress-free tune up! There is such a wide variety of fun activities to keep kids engaged over the summer…and none of them feel like school work!
One of the best ways to keep kids learning over the summer is to take the pressure off. Imparting the lesson of learning for enrichment and pleasure is so important, whether it takes place at school, at home, at camp, at a youth group; the list is endless. If you are looking for some easy-breezy ways to keep student minds in shape, take a look at our collection of enjoyable and interesting ideas below. Feel free to discover fun and educational field trips in your area to keep kids on top of learning during the summer months.
5 Ways to Keep Kids Thinking Over the Summer
1. Join a Reading Club
As kids get older, the harder it gets to read for pleasure and not just for a book report. A love of reading begins at a young age! So rather than reading for a grade, getting kids involved in a reading club for a small incentive (a prize, a special trip) is a great way to create life-long readers. Summer reading helps to light a spark in student imaginations that is sure to last all year long. Are you in Texas? We know of a groovy reading club your kids can join.
2. Get Crafty
For some students, school = meeting standards. Give kids a break this summer by stopping by a local art store, loading up on cheap supplies and supervising an afternoon of no-holds-barred artistic creation. Whether you want to create a specific project or simply encourage free artistic play, this activity will boost creativity, fine and gross motor skills for your kids.
3. Write It Down
Save essays for the classroom. Keep kids wheels turning by reserving 5-10 minutes each day for reflection in their summer journal. For the littlest ones, it’s a great way to improve handwriting, comprehension and more. For older kids, taking the stress out of crafting a story or recording observations over the summer supplements writing skills that will help them throughout their educational career. Keep it fun and keep it consistent for the most successful outcome.
4. Let Them Play
Watch creativity blossom when you let your campers, kids, youth group members, etc. take some time for creative play. For the younger ones, relish in the joy they get from playing pretend and stretching their storytelling muscles. By letting older children pick out a fun game of their choice, they are exercising logic skills, team work and more. Letting kids determine the rules (under the watchful eye of an adult in the case anything gets out hand) shapes leadership and communication skills.
5. Learn Something New
Pick a subject, take a trip to the library and learn something new…no project required. Curious about your state’s history? Dedicate a day to finding out the key facts – then turn it into an adventure. Visit somewhere you have never been. Test your students’ classifying skills by discovering a collection of objects in a common place. Stretch children’s knowledge boundaries just for fun, not for a grade or assessment. They’ll love it!
How do you keep students engaged during the summer? Be sure to let us know in the comments.