Summer vacation! The days are hot, the nights are long, and kids are free. The last thing on their minds is school, education, and learning, but as a mom and educator, it’s always on mine. I’m not one of these teachers that think children should keep up with school work every day during the summer, but every year I see firsthand just how much they forget during their vacation. The first several weeks of the school year are spent on review material, and I promise, teachers don’t just do that for the fun of it. Children need that review to bring them back to base level after a couple of months of living the high life.
It’s important to find a balance of fun and learning during the summer months.
If your children are anything like mine, they will fight you tooth and nail if you try to get them to do anything resembling school work during the summer. Thankfully, educational learning opportunities have come a LONG way since we were children. With everything readily available at our fingertips, your children may not even realize they’re learning/reviewing because they’re having so much fun.
Here’s a quick list of resources you can take advantage of all summer long:
Educational Websites:
Other ideas to keep young minds fresh:
- Summer reading programs through your local library
- Summer writing journals
- Vacation recap writing
- Summer reading lists provided by school
- Kids book clubs
- Local museum summer programs
- Homemade science experiments
- Vacation location history research
- Gardening
- Explore the history of Chattanooga
- Penpals
- Building projects around the house
