Summer is just around the corner and kids are counting down the days until school’s out. While they might be more than a little tempted to just watch TV and let all the knowledge from the past year leak out of their brains, you need to make sure they make the most of the summer by getting some fresh air. It might also be good for them to learn a skill or two. After all, education doesn’t begin and end in the classroom. Here are some suggestions for fun activities you can do with them, and they won’t even realise they’re learning something.
Hands on learning
Sometimes children can learn best when they choose which activity they’d like to try for a day. Even practical activities such as dancing, gardening, and playing with their friends will help them develop social skills and coordination, and gardening will teach them about the cycle of life and where their food comes from. This approach to learning is often called the Montessori Method, which encourages children to choose their own interests and activities to work on each day, with a healthy mix of both indoor and outdoor work. You can learn more at BecomingMontessori.com and use some of these principles to help your kids keep learning throughout the summer. Ultimately, you only need to provide children with some sort of hands on activity, and they will get something out of it.
Explore the wilderness together
There is a lot to be learned from nature. If the weather forecast looks promising, you could take your kids camping for a few days and teach them how to survive in the wild. They can learn everything that’s taught in the scouts, but under the assumption that they’re just spending time with the family, and maybe a friend or two. As you’re going to be out and about, you can also show them a few first aid tricks in case anyone gets hurt. If you only have one day, you can still take them for a walk in the nearby woods and give them a quick crash course.
Travel
As the world becomes increasingly global, it would be a shame if your kids missed out on educational, yet fun, travel experiences. If they’re learning a language at school, take them to a country that speaks that language so they can practise. Traveling is a good supplement for history lessons, because every country features in both modern and ancient history. You give them a head start on the curriculum, then use your holiday photographs to help them study for exams.
Encourage sports
Sports activities not only teach kids how to play the game, they also teach kids how to work as a team toward a common goal. Your child does not have to join a sports team to become active in sports; because many recreational centers have spontaneous games that people play just for fun. You can also organize a game for your child’s friends in your backyard.