Two Weeks Worth of Fun, Educational Activities for Parents & Children!

With school breaks comes the same worry for parents. Every parent is concerned that their child will fall behind or potentially forget all they've learned while off. For those interested in furthering their child's education and helping them to retain previously acquired knowledge, I give you two weeks worth of fun, educational activities!

Days 1-3
Visit an Art Museum and Draw!

You'll need to start things off slow. For the first two days, one great way of breaking the educational ice is taking him or her to an art museum. This should be done early in the day so that your child has time to play and enjoy his or herself later on. Once you've exposed your child to the work of various artists, the next day comes into play.

Now that your child has hopefully been inspired, why not channel that creative energy on the second and third days by having him/her draw something? Pick up some drawing paper and some art supplies and let them create! You encourage creative thinking, widen their horizon artistically, and all in an enjoyable fashion.

Day 4-6
Read Short Stories and Write!

Art isn't every child's forte and while introducing them to an art museum is a good idea, you should follow-up with the great medium of writing. On the fourth day, read your child a few short stories of your choice- I'd suggest picking a genre you know they'll like. The exposure to formal, entertaining writing will do wonders for your child's vocabulary and imagination.

On the fifth and sixth days, sometime in the evening or later afternoon, have your child type up a short story or two. Hopefully the previous day's exposure to short stories had inspired your child. Having them type up their work will help to build essential typing skills- otherwise you can have them write it to help their handwriting, the choice is yours.

Day 7
And on the seventh day, he rested!

While your child does need some sort of stimulation on the seventh day, it is best to let him or her have a break from the primary academic undertakings. If this is during Fall or Winter break, order pizza or have some cocoa! Spring or Summer break? Opt for ice cream or snow cones to keep cool!

Days 8-10

Sudoku, Battleship, and Monopoly!

Back to business! Now that you've exposed them to some art and writing, mathematics should take the spotlight. Over the next three days introduce your child to a few board games that build mathematical skills. If your child is particularly young, start off slow with battleship. This game may appear to be little more than a turn-based war game, but actually it builds basic graphing skills as your child determines at which point to attack on the radar. B-5!

On the ninth or tenth day, take an afternoon off to play Monopoly! This game of business, money, and strategy will instill the concept of monetary value into your child and improve mathematical skills. A nice extra effect is the introduction of strategic, critical thinking. During day six and seven, if your child knows how to complete sudoku puzzles, it is recommended you have him/her do a few now and then.

Days 11-13
History Museum and the history channel!

With art, reading, writing, and math all covered- history comes next. On the eleventh through thirteenth days, visit a local history museum with your child and expose him/her to past events. With some mutual attention to the exhibits, you and your child could strike up a conversation about history to help foster interest in history.

At the same time the history channel or a historical internet special should be your child's best friend. Find an interesting presentation on ancient civilizations or perhaps a war time special. The Civil War and World War II are popular choices considering their historic significance.

Day 14
Have some fun!

No child should be forced to adhere to an academic schedule on their last day off. Talk to your child, see what he or she would like to do. Buy a gift, go out to a movie- do whatever your child wants to for leisure, in reason that is.