Tough economic times doesn't have to translate to summer months devoid of fun activities.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell recently released some tips for parents on inexpensive ways to keep kids active and learning during the summer months.
"When children are inactive mentally and physically during the summer, they often have to take time to get back up to speed in the fall," O'Connell stated in a news release from the state Department of Education. "This wastes students' valuable learning time and schools' scarce resources."
Here are some of O'Connell's recommendations:
What are some cheap, fun things that you do in the summer with your kids? Post your ideas here.
Want more ideas on how to avoid summer brain drain? Check out an earlier story I did for The Bee's Family section.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell recently released some tips for parents on inexpensive ways to keep kids active and learning during the summer months.
"When children are inactive mentally and physically during the summer, they often have to take time to get back up to speed in the fall," O'Connell stated in a news release from the state Department of Education. "This wastes students' valuable learning time and schools' scarce resources."
Here are some of O'Connell's recommendations:
- Step away from the TV and computer and get outside - Get a game of volleyball going with neighbors or dust off water toys like Slip 'N Slides. Benefits include physical activity, which help stave off childhood obesity, and lessons in teamwork.
- Read, read, read - Read the newspaper with your kids or go to the library. "Reading keeps children's minds active and engaged and ready to learn when they go back to school," the release states. For ideas on age-appropriate literature, go to the state Department of Education's online database.
- Encourage self-employed kids - Are your children clamoring for extra cash? Make them earn it by mowing lawns or pet sitting for neighbors on vacation. Local chapters of the American Red Cross even offer lessons on babysitting for 11- to 15-year-olds. The lesson involved here is responsibility and financial literacy, the release states.
- Cook with your kids - Let your kids help make a meal. Teach them how to measure and how ingredients interact, which will bolster math and chemistry skills.
What are some cheap, fun things that you do in the summer with your kids? Post your ideas here.
Want more ideas on how to avoid summer brain drain? Check out an earlier story I did for The Bee's Family section.
