Ah Summer! When I think of summer, I think of my childhood. As a child, summer meant no school and more fun! My fun consisted of endless hours of playing outside with my neighbors, eating heaping amounts of juicy watermelon (with chili powder lol), and reading great books.
Nowadays, kids getting out of school for the summer, still have this same type of mentality but their view of ‘fun’ has altered. Now, the biggest craze is Minecraft and YouTube. If I were to interview any one of my students, these are the top two things they love to do.
Parents have asked me for suggestions on how to keep their kids active during the summertime and I would like to share a few tried and true suggestions:
- Routine: Ensure to keep the same family routine, as when your child is in school. For example, waking up, eating breakfast, playing outside, eating dinner, going to bed, etc. According to the Child Development Institute’s article, ‘children thrive on repetition and routine. As they get older, when a child knows what is going to happen and who is going to be there, it allows them to think and feel more independently, and feel more safe and secure.’ Here is another link from Money Saving Mom: How to Set Up a Successful Summer Routine
- Going to the local bookstore or library. Have your child take the lead in picking out a book that interests them (parent-approved of course). Allowing your child to have the responsibility of choosing empowers them to read and finish their book. Set aside time to read with them for 20 minutes a day and/or ask them questions about what they read.
- Playing outside: Have your children play outside with friends or neighbors (with parent supervision of course!). It’s amazing how creative kids can be without a videogame console, TV, or iPhone in front of them. Some suggested activities to play outside are the following: water balloon toss, scavenger hunt, hula hoop, jump rope, tag, basketball, etc. Playing outside gives kids the opportunity to be creative, build trust with whomever they are playing with, and stay active. It also helps put them to bed lol
- Tutoring: Keep your child’s mind active over the summer by hiring a private tutor with INTELLI-G. Help them get ahead or improve their test scores. INTELLI-G works with each child 1-on-1 to create customized lesson plans that are fun, engaging, and confidence-boosting.
