Summer vacation is one month away and my kids are already starting to get summer fever. They are totally ready to be done with school and to relax and have fun for the summer. And while I do plan on scheduling a whole bunch of fun activities for the kids this summer, I don’t plan on stopping all of the educational activities.
That’s right…when my kids walk back into the school at the end of the summer, they are going to be well prepared and equipped for learning. They will not need a few weeks to re-learn/review the things from last year before getting into the new stuff. My kids will be ready.
Here are a few things I will be doing to ensure my kids are still focusing on education this summer:
1. Ensure that they are reading during the summer months.
Every week day our kids have to read for at least an hour or more during the summer break. They each have their own library cards and they visit the library each week. All 3 of my girls are A students and are on the honor roll. And I definitely contribute their academic success to reading ( and to their smart mama….lol ) Please make sure your kids have plenty of books to read over the summer.
2. Create teachable moments every chance you get.
I get it…summertime is for fun. But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn anything while you are having fun. There are teachable moments all around you. From learning how to tell time, to learning about money at the grocery store, to learning about fractions and measurements while baking cookies. Make learning fun this summer by slipping it into fun activities with the kids.
3. Give the kids practice workbook exercises.
The dollar store, bookstores, or your local discount stores all sell workbooks that are age appropriate for your kids. The practice math problems help to strengthen their skills. And, my kids can complete workbook pages in no time flat. They can also play educational games and apps on the computer.
4. Visit museums and other exhibits around town.
Over the summer, there will be plenty of museums and other exhibits to visit. And if you watch the schedules carefully, you will usually find free of discount days.
5. Continue to support your kid’s schools by collecting Box Tops all summer long.
Through the Box Tops for Education® Program, participating schools can earn up to $20,000 per year. And the schools are using this money to buy things that they need like computer and playground equipment and books. There are several ways to collect and submit Box Tops, but the main way that my family collects them is by cutting them off of products that we find in our pantry.
We clip Box Tops all year round. Yes, even in the summer we are doing something that will support the schools. Each of those Box Tops coupons is worth 10 cents. What if each of the 1000 kids in our school brought just 10 Box Tops to school with them on the first day of school. That would be $1000 raised for the school!!! It’s just that simple.
Summer is fast approaching, start getting prepared now so that you can maximize the fun and the learning for your kids. Also, don’t forget to clip those Box Tops and turn them in on the first day of school.
BMWK – what do you do to ensure that your kids continue to learn over the summer?
Disclosure: Lamar and I are paid spokes-bloggers for the Box Tops For Education program. We will be providing information and stories throughout the school year in hopes of encouraging our community to take advantage of the millions of dollars that are being given to schools across the country each year. All opinions expressed are our very own.