Tips for Planning a Productive Summer for Your Students Without Overscheduling Them

It is tempting to start enrolling your child in activities for the summer as soon as school is out. He can play baseball and take swim lessons. She can go to several camps and dance practice. They can attend drama classes or art groups or computer classes. Mom and Dad become the schedulers and spend their spare time working out the logistics of getting children from one activity to the next. Although it is good to keep children busy, over-scheduling can become stressful to the kids and the parents. There are ways to plan a productive summer for your student without over booking them.

The Library

Most public libraries offer summer reading programs geared toward elementary students. It is only once a week for a couple of hours. But your child can check out books to bring home and read between library visits. Even if she is not an avid reader, encourage her to look for books in her area of interest such as fashion, mystery or animals. If you have a hands-on learner, seek out book with directions for craft activities or science experiments. There are lots of options for enjoyable reading, even for those who don't consider themselves lovers of books.

Building Projects

What could be more fun than being turned loose with a collection of nails, screws, hammers, screwdrivers, saws and lumber? Give kids enough time on their own with these supplies, and you will be surprised at what comes from their imagination--a bird house, fort, skateboard ramp, tree house, pet bed. Even if the finished project would not win a contest, the builder can take pride in the fact that it is handmade. Of course, some supervision is needed before kids are allowed to "play" with these grown-up tools.

Scavenger Hunt

Indoors or out, this activity is lots of fun, and requires very little planning. The children can plan the hunt for each other, or the parents or sitter can make the plans. Make a list of not-so-obvious items around the house or backyard. You could even use descriptions like different colored objects or objects made of various materials (fabric, iron, leather). Another variation is to make up clues to find one big item, with each clue leading to the next one. Make doing a dreaded chore a game by following the clues until you reach the cleaning supplies and directions for cleaning!

The Computer

Computers can be a mixed blessing. It is easy to waste time and become a "mouse-potato" by playing games for too many hours a day. But with some parental guidance, students can take advantage of educational games to brush up on weak spelling or math skills. There are some great geography software programs and online activities. Limit the computer usage to certain hours of the day and encourage more physical activity in addition to computer games.

By finding a balance between structured activities and not-so-structured time, your children can be productive and recharge their minds and bodies during the summer months.