7 Ways To Avoid The Summer Slip

Fun & Educational Ideas For Kids

Summer is almost here. That means lots of free time and no school. homework, labs, workshops, etc.  I know my kids will still have music and sports plus volunteering at the library.  But besides that, I don’t want them to slip in the summer and have to relearn some of their subjects.  Depending on the age you can do a lot to keep them interested in learning this summer and their brains active.  Don’t let them sit on their computer, tablet, X-Box or iPhone wasting the day away.  Here are a few toys, games and ideas to help your kids avoid the summer slip.

Science:

Get Hands-On-Fun with Little Passports Science Expeditions.  You can get a monthly box with a new science kit in each one.  Depending on the age, most need adult supervision but kids can do the projects.  Most are geared ages 9+, or good for younger with adult help.  Kits include topics like Hydrology and Forensic Science.  Kids can do experiments like extracting the DNA out of a strawberry, understanding fingerprints or learning how scientists user splatter to determine events that occurred at a crime scene.  Kids from Little Passports can be purchased as gifts as well.    Science Expeditions: Berry DNA Video  They also make kits for preschoolers.  Teachers love the Little Passports Classroom Subscription! Every month, packages arrive for the classroom that reinforce geography, reading, and problem-solving skills with our award-winning materials.

Hand-Eye Coordination:

Sunk!  Is a fun social skill and action game by Winning Moves Games.  Each round takes 15-25 minutes and is for kids ages 10+.  It is a 2 player game.  Players try to ad only 1 drop of water at a time to a cup floating in water, trying to not sink it.  The game is fun and instructions are easy.

Math:

Math can be learned, relearned, studied and practiced in many ways.  Have kids play Sudoku, Monopoly (taking turns being the banker), do chore charts and have them figure out their own earnings for the week.  There are also apps with math problems-of-the-day.

Younger kids need to learn skills like telling them, counting to 100, skip counting.  You can do these with outside games, have them help with recipes in the kitchen, reading the recipe outloud (reading skill) and doing the measurements themself. I love this clock for learning to tell time, called Telly the Teaching Time Clock.  It has a analog display as well as hour and minute hands that tell time.

Kids can also learn math with make believe.  You can create a grocery store with pretend foods using empty boxes and cans.  Buy fake money and a cash register.  Kids can shop in their own store, have prices on all the food items and then figure out the total for their purchases.  My kids loved pushing around toy grocery carts when they were little, making plates of food to eat too.

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English/Reading

Kids of all ages can get library cards and join summer reading programs.  Get kids into books, audio books, podcasts, etc.  Anything to encourage reading.  Some bookstores, like Barnes & Noble, have reading programs where kids can earn a free book.  Other programs are prizes.  Join one or a few.  Make it a part of your routine.  Set aside a certain time each day for reading.

Explore and Travel!

Find local museums, community events and shows that offer fun and education for kids. I love our history museum’s Butterfly Pavilion, the animals at the Aquarium of the Pacific, the rotating exhibits at the California Science Center, etc.  In California we have a TON of museums to choose from plus events like the Cajun Festival, Strawberry Festival, Civil War Reenactment, etc.

Look for a map of all the parks in your city and visit all of them.  Have your kids help map them out and check them off.  You can even grade each one and discover new favorites.

Older kids can look into higher education classes.  Summer school at the school district, local Parks & Rec or community college.  If their high school requires volunteer hours for graduation than summer is the perfect time to get some of these hours checked off.

What are fun ideas you have to help kids avoid the summer slide?