Childrens' Activities to Keep Learning During Summer Vacation

Every child dreams of the last day of school, that surreal moment when it is suddenly summer vacation and there are no more math worksheets or spelling tests for three whole months. However, it can be tough for the parent who has been struggling to help a child along in a tough subject, is just beginning to see some progress, and is worried that all the learning will disappear during summer vacation. These activities will keep a child's mental muscles busy during summer vacation so they will be prepared to be back to school in the fall.

Summer Vacation Activity: Research a Favorite Topic

Every child has something that has fascinated them in school. Whether it is why rainbows exist, or the intricacies of every battle in the Civil War, children are naturally drawn to topics that interest them. Find out what your child is interested in, and help them to learn more about it during summer vacation. If you think it would help motivate them, you can even encourage them to write up a big report about it, or make a poster and present the findings at a special speech for friends and family at the end of the summer.

This can also be a great time to teach your child more about how to find information in books, encyclopedias, and the Internet. Make a trip to the local library and do some searches through the catalog for appropriate books. Teach your child how to find reliable sources online. These are skills they will carry with them into the next school year and beyond.

Summer Vacation Activity: Mental Math at the Grocery Store

If you typically take your children to the grocery store with you and they are at the age where they understand the concept of money and can do simple addition, one way to keep their minds working during summer vacation is to have competitions to see who can guess the grocery bill correctly. Have the children pay attention to everything you are putting in the cart (this will also keep them attentive and less likely to run off and buy things) and add it up in their heads as you go. For an extra challenge, have them try to estimate sales tax as you're waiting in line at the cash register.

Summer Vacation Activity: Visit Museums or Historical Sites

Summer vacation is a great time to take your kids on afternoon trips to museums in your area, or even on longer family vacations to historical sites. If they just studied the Revolutionary War in school, make an east coast trip and visit the battle sites and towns along the way. If the topic of the year in history was westward expansion, make a trip west and see the recreated historical towns, railroads, and mining sites.

If they are fans of science, most cities have science museums with lots of kid-friendly hands-on activities to teach different things. These activities will keep kids occupied for hours and are likely to spark further research into some of the topics. Art museums are also good cultural experiences for older children. Regardless of the site, these activities will keep your children thinking and learning during summer vacation.