Easing Kids Back to School: 5 Fun Things to Do with Kids Before School Starts

Summer's unofficial end is Labor Day, a mere 23 days away according to my elementary school aged child. Since our school doesn't start until after Labor Day (courtesy of the "Kings Dominion Law" here in Virginia), I have a little more time to savor summer before needing to ease the kids into back to school mode. With just a few weeks left of summer freedom, I have put together a list of 5 fun things to do with the kids before school starts.

Easing kids back to school: Spend a few minutes a day brushing math and reading skills

Summer has a habit of being all fun and no work, which is the best part of it if you ask any kid. Has your elementary school student back slid over the summer months? Are they a reluctant reader? Easing a child back into the school work to come can include a fun refresher course. My elementary school child loves the Math Magician site from Oswego.org. There, she can do basic addition and subtraction sums, and when she gets older, the multiplication and division. These short quizzes are 20 questions in length and offer the child the opportunity to print out a certificate for each quiz showing their score. My child was especially proud of mastering all the way to +10 and getting a 100% score for them all.

Libraries across the country are now prominently displaying many of their school related books on top of book shelves or on their walls. Choose a few books about school to read to or with your child, and allow them to choose a fun book to read together. Use the waning weeks of the summer to get them used to reading on a daily basis to ease their transition back to school. Don't forget: there's still time to participate in a Summer Reading Program at Borders or Barnes & Noble.

Easing kids back to school: Special one-on-one school shopping

In households with several children, it is important to spend one-on-one time with each of them. Make the time to take each child shopping alone so that they can help pick out their new school clothes, also giving you a chance to reconnect with them. Are they worried about going to a new school or afraid they will forget their locker combination? Make the time to find out what your child is excited about for the new school year and also what they are concerned about. Reassure them by letting them know you were once in their shoes not so long ago.

Plan a back to school party to ease kids back to school

A back to school party is a unique idea to ease kids back to school. It allows them to reminisce about all of the fun they had over summer and accept that summer (as they know it) is over. Try to invite school friends they haven't seen over the summer for the event. Shop the sales and pick up some cheap back to school supplies to hand out as party favors. This idea is great for elementary and tweens since most kids love to shop for school supplies and would appreciate getting new pens, pencils and Miley Cyrus folders to get them ready for school.

An educational field trip can help ease kids back to school

Take the kids on an educational field trip to a museum, farm, a state park for a nature walk, or any other point of interest that can be used as a learning experience. Field trips are something that all kids look forward to, so planning one just before school will get their mind geared back toward learning. Best of all, most trips won't break the bank and admission into a state park will only cost a few dollars. Recently, we took our children to a state park where a park attendant passed around animal hides and bones in an educational setting. The kids loved. Check with your local parks for cheap, educational and family friendly activities.

Easing kids back to school: Plan a day to clean off the fridge

Schedule a day a few days before school begins to clean off the summer artwork and make space for the artwork that is sure to come this school year. Make a special place for the school menu (notably absent for 3 months) and be sure to make room for the grocery list so that you will have all of your back to school lunch supplies on hand for when the big day arrives. What to do with the summer artwork now adorning your fridge? Have the kids address envelopes to grandmas and grandpas and mail the art work to them for their fridge. This activity is one that my children enjoy doing periodically when the fridge gets too cluttered with drawings and paintings.

These five fun things to do before summer ends are geared toward easing kids back to school. Whether it is a back to school party or an educational field trip, the extra time spent with your child easing them into school is time well spent.

Sources:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1813928/summer_2009_summer_reading_programs.html?cat=4
http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/games/Mathmagician/cathymath.html