How to Keep Children Learning During Summer Vacation?

Just because school is closed for few days doesn’t mean your kids should stop learning. Parents often regard summer vacation with a mixture of excitement and dread. Most parents are ready for a break from the hectic schedules of school, sports and homework, but many also wonder how to keep their children engaged, active and learning during the months away from school. Summer camps, sports and enrichment activities allow children to take a break from the highly structured atmosphere of a regular school day and offer new opportunities to learn and socialize with peers.  In the case of tiny tots who are yet to begin with their schooling, summer vacation can be a great way to plan and prepare for the school years ahead. The simplest of activities can be turned into great learning experiences if you put in a little effort. Let’s see what you all can do to keep your kids learning while fun in their summer vacation.

• Ask your child’s school if they are offering summer programs for kids. Some schools open these programs to pre-K children that are enrolled in the school for the next year. Summer programs are often a mixture of sports and academics, which in the case of pre-K children may be learning to sing the alphabet song or counting to ten. If your kid’s school is offering such programs then sending kids to school during summer break is a good idea to keep them engaged in studies.

• Make a schedule for the whole day. By planning out the day ahead of time, you will be less likely to be caught unprepared and scrambling for something for your kids to do. Share your schedule with your kids so he or she will be excited about the day's activities. Consequently, your child will be less likely to wander off from the schedule or feel bored sitting idle for the whole day.

• Keep the schedule for your kid’s as normal as possible, ensuring to integrate the standard meal, snack and nap times. Snacks and meals should mean healthy food items; try to avoid foods that will excessively energize your child such as sugary foods and beverages. Nap time will not only allow you and your child a much required break, but it will also keep your kid's day on a positive track by heading off grumpiness or boredom that can be caused by being tired.

• Set up open-ended activities for your preschooler. Activities that are open-ended are those that allow your child to use his imagination to dictate his game play. These are also the types of activities that will keep your child's focus for the long time because they are not bound by rules that may limit the length of play time. For instance, you can give your kid pillows, blankets, empty cartons and light furniture to use and create a play house. This play house can then become whatever your child desires: a spaceship, a race car or a fort. This leaves game play open to continue for as long as your child's imagination allows.
• Let your kid help you in the routine household work. If your day is filled mainly with household chores, give your child a few easy tasks to do such as sorting laundry or helping you put away dishes. Or you can take your kid with you when you are watering your flower pots or plants in the garden and you can tell him/her the benefits of plants while doing so.
• You can also enroll your toddlers in summer programs at local museums. In large cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai or Kolkata, you will have access to children’s museums, which are already in themselves a great way to learn and have fun at the same time.

• Organize your own learning experience. Visit farms, go camping or take the kids for hiking. While pre-K kids may not be able to enjoy the outing as much as an older kid would, it can still be a great learning experience if you prepare the trip in advance. For example, you can talk about, wild animals, farm & pet animals let the kids practice writing their names or discuss what they eat or how they live.
• Always be prepared with a back-up plan. You never know when a rainy day or a failed activity will disturb your plans, so it is best to keep around alternatives such as coloring books, crayons, color pencils, pastel colors, paints or other activities like the activity kits that can be accessed speedily and keep your kids occupied while you adjust your schedule again.
• Give them interesting books, like educational stories, activity books which can keep them engaged by reading and doing, encyclopedias which can give them knowledge beyond their text books.

If you have any other suggestion to keep the children busy in their summer vacation please do share with us. Write your comments in the comment box below.