3 Tips to Keep Kids Sharp for School All Summer

photo: Pixnio

Have you heard of the “summer slide?” Unfortunately, it’s not a fun amusement park ride. It’s a term used by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development to describe the way kids forget what they learned in school over summer. So, how do you keep your kids from being behind when school resumes?

Frank Milner, President of tutoring company Tutor Doctor, suggests you engage in “some simple, stimulating activities to keep their minds fresh.” Here are three creative possibilities to engage kids in learning. Have fun!

Plant a Garden
Teach your kids about planning, planting, and tending a garden. Assign them things to research online, like how to plant an organic garden or compost plant waste, then carry out the instructions. Kids can even sell their harvest to learn about money and business.

Explore
Get your kids to research local museums, zoos and other cool stuff near you. Have them keep a journal about their visit, take photos and even make scrapbooks. Have each child pick a different topic to share with each other, like a new artist or cool animal. This sharpens skills, like research, reading, organization and oral and written presentation.

Share a Skill/Learn a Skill
Your child may love to draw or play soccer. Maybe the kid next door knows how to jump rope or make friendship bracelets. They can trade each other lessons in these skills.

Have ideas on how to keep kids learning in the summer? Share them in the comments below!