Information and Resources

Summer Learning Opportunities

In a few weeks, school will be out, but summer time offers many learning opportunities for kids. Parents take on the challenge of keeping their children physically busy and mentally active during long summer days.

1. Mathematics is part of everyday life, especially when shopping. Since you have to go to the grocery store anyway, why not make it a mathematical playground? There are a number of different skills to practice both before and during shopping. Begin by approximating a budget, get your kids' help to make a list, and you can take off from there.
2. Teach kids to cook with the step-by-step lessons and recipes at Cooking With Kids. The site also includes measurement reminders, safety tips, and suggestions for involving kids in the cooking process. 
3. Read with your child.  Check out the local library for a summer reading challenge. 
4. Staple together pieces of plain paper or use a notebook to help your child make a cartoon flip book. Kids draw a sequence of cartoons and simulate motion as they "flip" through the pages. 
5. Learn about national parks from the comfort of your own home, and encourage your child to complete online activities and become a Web Ranger. 
6. Start a rock collection. Collecting Rocks, a Web site by the U. S. Geological Survey, and The Audubon Society Pocket Guide Familiar Rocks and Minerals North America will help children identify and label the rocks and minerals they find.
7. Put old wallpaper and magazine scraps to good use by using them to create Recycled Paper Beads. This easy activity requires very few common materials and keeps kids very busy on rainy days. When they're finished, children can string their beads and give them as gifts or wear them for fun.

• Adapted from Education World® and Verywell Family