The summer months are fun, and can also be tough on learning retention. Our principals are weighing in on the best ideas they’ve found to keep the fun in summer while also keeping young minds sharp for school.
One of my favorite places to spend time at in the summer with my children was the library. We would visit there at least once a week and check out many books. The library has many fun activities for your child to participate in. While they are engaged in the activity, you get a chance to grab a book and relax in the quiet arena for awhile! Also, have your chidlren participate in the reading program that the library sponsors each year. The children love reading the books and earning prizes along the way. Enjoy your summer reading!
My own family has loved an activity called "Geocaching." Did you know that there are literally thousands of small treasures hidden around Omaha? A geocache is a small container that contains a log book. The GPS coordinates of each geocache are uploaded to a website that tracks the geocaches around the world. You can create a FREE user identity on https://www.geocaching.com and begin looking for the caches in our area. Once you find the information on a cache you would like to find, you enter the coordinates into a handheld GPS machine (available on many smartphones) and start searching. You can apply this activity to so many school topics - such as learning directions, estimating distances, and talking about geographical features. Many caches are hidden in historic areas of town - such as Bess Streeter Aldrich's house in Elmwood, Nebraska. These sites generate great discussions of local history. You can also hide small tagged items called "travel bugs" and track them as they travel cache to cache around the world. Geocaching is a fun way to keep your kids active this summer.
When my children were small, I enjoyed taking them on day trips and having them help decide the destinations. Even though we have the internet and GPS to help us out now, kids have fun and can learn a lot from reading maps and planning the routes to take. As Scott said, there are a lot of historical sites that can be visited in an afternoon. Pack a picnic lunch and find an interesting place to spread the blanket and eat! You can use the internet or visit the library to find places to visit, and along with learning history, you all can learn how to read a map legend and figure out the distances. Some of our best discussions occurred while we were trapped in the car together (no electronics allowed!).
Afterward on the trip home, talk about what it must have been like to live in the places you visited and the time periods highlighted. This might even lead to another library visit-- this time to check out some historical fiction!
Building on Nancy's suggestion: Give your child/children a budget and have them make the plans for what to do on the day trip or around Omaha. They will need to consider the cost of fuel, food and admission fees. The amount of accuracy and detail can be adjusted based on the age of the children.
As a former English teacher, I have always believed that students should WRITE in the summer! Creating a fun journal of summer activities, trips, and time with friends can keep them writing in an authentic way. Artistic students can add pictures; tech-savvy students can use online blogging tools; and those too young to write can dictate to Mom or Dad. The options are endless. When students see writing as meaningful, they are more likely to enjoy it!
I know families with high school age students sometimes cook together, requiring reading directions and using simple math with measuring. Omaha has the Durham, SAC, the Joslyn art museum and the zoo that encourage students to explore and learn from the exhibits. Summer time is a great time to visit the library or bookstore. I know some families that like to read novels and talk about what they think is going to happen at the end of the book. I know in my own family we had fun reading the "The Great Gatsby" together then saw the movie.
Summer is a time for rejuvenation, relaxation, fun and memory making! As mom of two (who are six years apart) their interests couldn't be more different! One idea I used, when they were younger, was creating a summer calendar. Both kids shared their “Top 5-10” things they wanted to do over the summer. Their ideas ranged from swimming; visiting local museums/art galleries, the zoo, picnics, skating, camps, library, festivals...the list was endless. We made a calendar together posted it on the “fridge” as a reminder. Honestly, they could have filled each day with somewhere to go!
However, what I found was really important was giving them time to be bored. Yes, I did say "bored"! Time being bored got them away from the hustle of the day AND the electronics that seem to accompany it! Although it was painful for me (SMILE) until they settled in, being bored gave them time to look beyond what was right in front of them. Some days we spent time building Legos for hours, others days were spent taking pictures, painting and drawing pictures, building forts, taking walks, reading books, creating plans for our home or dream vacations, or even playing four-square in the driveway. This is where I saw my children’s creativity, talents, and imagination come alive! For me, this time spent “being bored” are some of my favorite memories of summer.
Here are some ideas to keep on learning during the summer! Have fun! ~ Find educational websites and visit them at least once a week - check your school's website for ideas. ~Read a nonfiction book, then a fiction book - alternate through the summer based upon your interests - the books don't have to be long! ~Research the Summer Solstice and celebrate something you learned on June 21st! ~If it's REALLY hot, can you really fry an egg on the sidewalk? Try it - and research if it really can be done. ~Do the Alphabet List - starting with A, see if you can see/experience something for every letter of the alphabet.
Parents could encourage students to use Brainpop.com for educational games for all contents/grade levels or listen to a fun educational, free podcast like Grammargirl!
I agree with Heather about having students write over the summer. If students go on vacation write a narrative of your trip on what happened and be sure to use expression in your writing. Creating a great lead to hook the reader. This trip could be as easy as going to visit relatives. Students could also write a descriptive piece on their summer vacation using all their senses to paint a picture in the reader's mind as if they were there. Happy writing!
Our family enjoys camping throughout the summer. You can find parks within 15 minutes of the Omaha area like Two Rivers State Park. We spend time looking for different kinds of insects, birds, or other creatures we can find. Add cooking, swimming, fishing, storytelling (usually the scary kind!), and other adventures and in a weekend you can build a ton of background knowledge for students to rely on when reading and writing in the coming year. We often purchase a disposable camera for our kids to use to take pictures of whatever they choose. When the pictures are developed they can re-live our adventure and can even choose one to journal about. An added bonus..... you can "un-plug" and enjoy connecting with your kids in a new way!
Barnes and Noble offers a summer reading program. Children must read eight books, complete the form, and return to B & N for their free book. Forms are available at B & N or at the Abbott summer library. This encourages children to read and become somewhat of a critic as they need to offer a short recommendation with their form for each book read.
