While many find themselves enjoying the lazy days of summer, some of us find ourselves restless – in need of more direction. If this describes you, here are a few ideas to spice up your summer through fun and educational learning opportunities!

  1. Take a trip! Whether traveling far or near, map out an adventure the entire family will enjoy! Journal your adventures. This can be done with a spiral notebook or add Our Family Journal of travels or camps to record the experience.
  2. If traveling doesn’t fit the summer plans, take a virtual field trip. The Metropolitan Art Museum offers a kid-friendly tour at Met Kids , or check out France’s Louvre Museum. Tour American historical sites through the Smithsonian Institute , or travel to Ancient historical sites from home with the Lazy Historian. (Please note, parental supervision is recommended with any online activity).
  3. Catch and study Fireflies (or Lightning Bugs). Introduce younger children to this amazing insect with the National Geographic for Kids website. Middle schoolers and teens can learn more about Firefly Conservation and Research at Firefly.org.
  4. Learn a new skill. Many home improvement centers (Lowe’s and Home Depot for example) offer free woodworking classes through the summer. Or, check with local sewing or quilting stores to see if they offer classes. My children thoroughly enjoyed the time when we learned to make a block quilt through local quilting classes.
  5. Play games together! My family loved playing games throughout the year, but summertime gave us more time to play late into the night. Pizza and popcorn were essential. This is a great opportunity to practice math and language skills in a non-threatening way. Monopoly and Scrabble always provided a lot of laughs and learning. Logic, strategy, or just fast-paced luck of the draw games are also a great way to build family memories.

 

Opportunities for summer casual learning abound. Yes, you can still throw in a math worksheet or reading practice, but don’t let the paper and pencil be the only focus over the summer! This is also a great time to explore arts and crafts, music, or even a foreign language. Options abound, simply take time to find the one that fits your family!

~ Deanne