How To Shell Summertime Encephalon Drain The Playful Fashion {No Worksheets Required}

It's summertime. We are all supposed to move on a to a greater extent than relaxed pace, right? No to a greater extent than homework or scientific discipline fairs, at to the lowest degree for a few months. But all over the place, you lot come across workbooks for preventing the "summer encephalon drain" or online programs to assistance move along your kids academically ahead for adjacent schoolhouse year.

None of these things are inherently bad. We produce desire to move along our kids' minds active over the summer. I bring started a fleck of "schedule" alongside my boys then that nosotros consistently brand it about reading fourth dimension too handwriting exercise (especially for the burgeoning author 4-year-old). But I've too committed to simplifying this summer too that agency non then much pressure level to move along up.

Play is Real Learning

I bring written a lot virtually the value of play-based learning hither on the blog (and The Subtle Beauty of Child Development: What is Lost When We Push Too Hard
So let's recall virtually a summertime twenty-four hours alongside typical summertime activities too await at what your immature children are learning (without you lot fifty-fifty trying).

Simple Summer Learning

Breakfast--you enquire your older kid to assistance brand breakfast for his younger sibling(s). He toasts bread, spreads on about butter, too perhaps microwaves about bacon.

Lessons learned: responsibility, caring, fine motor skills

Outside play--the kids run exterior to play. You mightiness elbow grease this game alongside them:

Bounce that Ball

My newly-minted tertiary grader loves math then he genuinely likes to practice math skills similar how to stand upwards for too compare information using elementary graphs. But alongside warm conditions in conclusion here, who wants to sit down within to practice? Head out to the driveway, ball inward hand, for a bouncing challenge. Then utilization those results to brand a colorful graph that lets your kid compare his results to those of the competition (you!)

Even if he wipes the flooring alongside you, don't despair. H5N1 rematch gives the loser about other shot…plus your kid gets about other fissure at graphing practice.

What You Do:

1. Have your kid bounce a ball inward identify every bit many times every bit she tin for 1 minute. Time him alongside a sentinel or timer. Record the seat out of bounces.

2. Now, it's your plough to bounce the ball. Have your kid fourth dimension you lot too tape the seat out of bounces.

3. Make a pictograph to demo your results. Draw a nautical chart alongside 2 rows too 2 columns. In the showtime column inward the move past times row, bring your kid write his name. Write your advert underneath his inward the showtime column inward the bottom row. Using a marking or crayon, bring your kid describe a ball for each of his bounces. In the column contrary your name, demo your seat out of bounces inward the same way.

4. Discuss the information on the graph. Ask your kid what each ball represents. Ask him who had the most bounces. Ask him how he knows this. He may tell it's past times looking at the graph or past times counting. Explain to him that many times you lot tin await at a graph too know which soul has the most too which soul has the fewest, without fifty-fifty counting!

Disappointed alongside the results? Demand a rematch! And brand it about extra graphing inward the bargain...

Lessons learned: eye-hand coordination, counting, cooperation

Related reading: The Reverse Bucket List Summer: Helping Kids Grow inward Gratitude

Lunch--you create upwards one's heed to produce a read-aloud acre you lot get together for lunch. Here are but a few that nosotros dearest (even the tertiary grader likes these):

Harold too the Purple Crayon

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Caps for Sale

We're All Wonders

Lessons learned: reading (of course), tranquility listening (this is a difficult 1 inward my house), vocabulary, next instructions

Quiet time--if you lot are similar me, an hr or then of tranquility fourth dimension inward the trouble solid is crucial. Little ones nap, older ones entertain themselves quietly

Lessons learned: self-control, boredom (it's a skillful thing), creativity

Related reading: Calming Activities for Super-Active Kids

Water play--hot afternoons hateful enough of H2O play--swimming, sprinklers, skid too slide, etc. 

Lessons learned: properties of H2O (volume, mass), pouring skills (eye-hand coordination)

Pretend--siblings create upwards one's heed they desire to clothing upwards similar their favorite characters--superheroes, cowboys, cowgirls, police, animals, etc.

Lessons learned: life roles (practice for later), divergent thinking, self-control (to stay inward character), imagination





Dinner--you enquire the kids to assistance you lot prep dinner. Perhaps they tin utilization a kid-safe knife for chopping or they tin mensurate out ingredients.
Lessons learned: measurement, fine motor skills, nature (how veggies grow), well for you lot eating habits

Bedtime--you read stories earlier bed alongside your kids. Perhaps you lot reverberate on the twenty-four hours too enquire what was their favorite part.




Lessons learned: reading skills, self-regulation (calming earlier bed), linguistic communication (discussion alongside parents), tranquility reflection/self-awareness

In 1 elementary summertime day, you lot bring but gifted your kids a twenty-four hours total of learning--no worksheets required. Enjoy summer!


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