Tomorrow is the first day of summer!
And whether you celebrate solstice, school vacation, or something else, the National Summer Learning Association has a gathering for you! Events are planned all around the country. See the Summer Learning Day Event map to find one near you. There’ll be other parents and kids to meet and share ideas for summer learning and fun with.
For now, here are some low- or no-cost ways to keep your tween’s or teen’s grey cells active this summer while enjoying each other’s company.
Use Public Libraries
Planned programs abound, as do books and audio-visual materials. Meet friends and engage in story-based gatherings, exercises (practical math, research methods, historical sleuthing, performance rehearsal, etc.)
Encourage Your Teen to Write
Suggest they keep a list of books and stories read and a journal, too. Journals are perfect for kids to find a voice because the style is open, as is the topic, and finding a range and manner emerges naturally, as fluidly as the thoughts inspiring the writing. A bonus is that it serves as a time-piece, a capsule, a record of life and all that may entail.
Enjoy Free or Low-Cost Things to Do
Visit local or close museums, public courts and pools, national or regional parks, zoos, nature conservancies, farms, or other such places and things. Encourage your kids to record their activities and trips, including commentary. They can write, talk, photograph and film the day, interviewing others and speaking for themselves, too. Overcome shyness and be creative!
Inform about Nature
A profound sense of wonder and peace may result. Once, walking with my children, I noticed the leaves on several trees and the changes in air pressure and color of sunlight. Despite a lack of ominous clouds, I told my kids it would start to rain in about thirty seconds. They laughed, both in disbelief and humor. The rain came twenty-nine seconds later. This is a true story. It led to beautiful moments with lots of fun and new interest in, and increased understanding of, our planet, world, and environment. I’m happy to say that we’ve all kept a healthy sense of marvel and wonder about nature and life.
Practice Math
From preparing food to watching or playing games and sports, you can incorporate math a lot more interestingly than otherwise. Remember the 1988 movie Big? Tom Hanks played a boy who, inhabiting a grown man’s body, thought to explain math problems to another child using basketball. It worked in the film and it works in life.
Take a Hike, or Climb, Dive, or Do Something Else Outside
Across the board, children gain more weight during less than three months of summer than during the entire school year. Help them remain or get into shape. For those not inclined to compete or even participate in sports, athleticism is still possible, so take up regular physical activities and a few well-chosen exercises appropriate for your child’s physique and personality.
Encourage Creativity by Being Creative
Entertain your inner goofball and incite a little zany weirdness in your routine. Inspire your young ones’ laughter and collaboration. Make a mock documentary around the house or while shopping (hey, how often do guys go along with the women to shop for a dress or shoes? Have fun with it!) Start a commentary while driving through the town, Monty Python style. Your tweens and teens will slip into it pretty readily and take it in some pretty cool directions. Poetry, riffing, and rap will spontaneously emerge, too. Doing this kind of stuff will also give your kids something to write about in that journal you asked them to start so long before…
Remember, your children’s inclinations will emerge and determine how they approach things and what they do. Encourage them and, feeling secure in your presence and that of your social circle, they will likely more easily find themselves and enjoy doing so, as well.
I hope you have a magnificent summer, and a fun one, too!
Some Helpful Sources:
To find outdoor and learning resources and opportunities in your area see:
The Children and Nature Network
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