Summer vacation is fast approaching, and parents who want to keep their kids learning over the summer (think “if they don’t use it, they’ll lose it”) are looking for creative ideas to keep them entertained in an educational sort of way.

The National Center for Summer Learning has some great tips on their website
(hat tip to Clay Burell’s post on Change.org for pointing me here.) I will paraphrase them below, while adding in my own two cents for good measure.

1) Enroll your children in a summer program that matches their interests and fits your budget. Some programs offered by schools, recreation centers, universities, and community-based organizations even have a specific educational focus (i.e. science camps, art camps.) I recommend starting local by checking your community paper, and then going online. (Here’s a link to the American Camp Association.)

2) Visit your local library – often! And make sure to check their summer schedule to take advantage of special programs. I recently took my friend’s 3 year old daughter on a library visit and we had a surprisingly great time choosing and reading books together. I also couldn’t believe the selection of children’s DVDs that were available to borrow free of charge. (For tips on how to make summer reading most effective, click here.)

3) Take free or low-cost educational day trips. Parks, museums, zoos and nature centers make great summer fieldtrip destinations. If you can, do some research with your kids in advance about what you plan to see. (It will make the actual seeing more interesting—and give you more to talk about.)

4) Practice math whenever you can. Measure items around the house or yard. Track daily temperatures. Add and subtract prices at the grocery store. Learn fractions while cooking. There are countless ways (pun intended) to incorporate math into your regular daily activities.

5) Play outside. Fresh air and exercise contribute to healthy development. Try having a field day with relay races and prizes. Or learn a new sport that you can play with your children. (I hear pickleball is all the rage–at least around these parts.)

6) Do a community service project. Children learn what they live so if you model compassion for others they will do the same. Find out how you can volunteer with your children to help people in need in your community.

7) Keep a schedule. Try to maintain daily routines, provide structure for your children, and continue to set limits during the summer (like how much TV/computer time your kids can have.)

Prepare for fall. If you’re really ambitious and want to give your kids a head start, find out what your child will be learning during the next school year, and preview concepts over the summer.

A few of my own additions:

9) Do an art project. Take a nature walk and make a collage of things you find along the way. Bring watercolors outside and try some “plein air” painting. Sit under a shady tree and draw self portraits. The possibilities are endless.

10) Have a regular movie night. Rent classic films with your kids and then discuss them afterwards. (For example, if your child read To Kill A Mockingbird in school, watch the movie together and ask open-ended questions afterwards like: How did the movie compare to the book? Who is your favorite character? Why?) Make sure you do most of the listening and encourage them to do most of the telling.

11) Go camping. And if you can’t go on an actual camping trip (which is a great way to teach kids about nature), camp out in your own backyard. Have the kids read instructions for how to pitch the tent; do some stargazing and see if you can identify different constellations; take turns reading ghost stories aloud or making up your own.

11) Plant a garden. Your kids will love working by your side, watching the plants grow, and enjoying the fruits of their labor. (It’s great for the environment too.)

And finally: Don’t forget to give your kids time to do their own thing during the summer (play outside with friends, ride their bikes, hang out by the community pool) because while it’s a good idea to keep their minds active, it’s also important to let those minds rest and recuperate.

(Photo: mikebaird’s flickr photostream/Creative Commons)