Summertime is right around the corner and contrary to popular belief, your child doesn’t have to spend every day sleeping in and playing video games. Summer is a great time for your child to participate in productive activities that stimulate their brain while they’re having a great time!
Here are 4 productive activities for your kids during the summer:
1. Help Them Find Books They Love
Your child might pretend that they don’t like to read but more often than not if you get them in front of a book they love they can’t put it down! We recommend taking your kid to the local library or bookstore on the first day of break and have them pick out a book or two. Make it a point to sit down and read at least once a day. Most educators recommend 20 to 30 minutes of reading every day.
To make it more engaging for your child, create a mini-book club with you two being the only members! Read along with them and sit down and discuss what’s happening in the story every night. If you’re reading along with them and participating in discussions with them, it will make them more invested. Don’t be afraid to let them pick the silly books if that’s what they enjoy reading. They’re children, they don’t need to read the Art of War.
2. Spend a Day at the Museum
A day at your local museum can be a lot of fun for you and your child. Most museums have loads of interactive displays for your child to interact with and learn something new while having fun. During the summer most museums have free days or discounts for children. If you want to go further, some even offer classes for children.
If you live in a big city with different types of museums sit down with your child and let them pick the museum they want to go to. If they’re interested in dinosaurs or space, the local science museum might be the perfect place. If you can already tell they’re artistic, take a day trip to the art museum to pique their interest. Zoos, arboretums and aquariums are also a great option!
3. Let Your Kid Be Creative!
Make sure your child has creative outlets at home that can stimulate their brain. Buy lego sets and let them sit down and build their own mini-city. Some educators recommend buying lego pieces rather than sets so your child can let their imagination run wild and build whatever they want.
Go to your local art store with your child and let them pick out something they want to create. Perhaps they want to paint the family dog or they want to sculpt the car out of Playdo, let their imagination run wild! If you let your child know early in their life that it’s important to tap into their creative side it will pay off dividends as they get older.
4. Sign Them up For an Educational Summer Camp
Find a local educational summer camp to send them to based off of their grade level. Look for a program that offers:
- Expert education – look for camps that are taught by highly qualified and enthusiastic teachers
- Small class sizes – the smaller the size, the more individualized the classes
- Hands-on projects – find a place that emphasizes presentation and communication skills through each project
- Innovative curricula – send your kids to a camp that helps deepen their interest in extracurricular activities and develop healthy study skills
- Reviews – check out the reviews of the place you are going to choose and see what others think of it
Camps are a great way for your child to interact with others while learning. It can bridge the gap between the school year.
Keep Your Child’s Brain Active
Summer break doesn’t have to be lazy! Your child doesn’t have to sleep in until noon and forget what day of the week it is. Let your child participate in activities that are going to stimulate their brain.