Ways to keep children learning and engaged during the summer

Children impatiently wait for summer during the school year: long warm days, relaxed schedules, and, most importantly, no homework…

However, as a parent, you might want them to spend their time doing more than just play. A study published in the American Educational Research Journal found that over the summer months, students in grades 1–8 lost between 17–34 percent of their learning acquired throughout the school year. Encouraging your children to continue learning during the summer months will put them ahead of their peers.

Here are ten ways to encourage children to learn while having fun during their summer break!

1. Keep children reading 📕

According to a recent study published by the Johns Hopkins University Press, only five percent of English language majors could understand proficiently and in a way that could be described as "detailed" and "literal" the introduction to *Bleak House* by Charles Dickens, a novel whose prose is full of complex diction. This study signals issues with the adult literacy rate that are due to learning setbacks from COVID-19 and over-reliance on technology to read texts. This is an alarming finding.

To ensure your children can read at an appropriate level, consult many of the recommended reading lists online and encourage their interest in reading by engaging in discussions about the texts.

2. Organise fun and educational trips 🏛️

The options for hands-on learning are endless: local libraries, museums, or nature centers are perfect places for children to explore the world around them and learn new things.

Pick a location that is in line with the child's interests — whether it be history, biology, or literature — and organise a field trip there!

3. Set up DIY projects 🖍️

Encourage kids to engage in project-based learning. Whether it be a model of a rocket, a mini-volcano, or a collage of summer photos, there are many projects that will spark your child's interest in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics).

Whichever topic sparks your child's interest, there is an age-appropriate STEAM project for them, whether it be coding, environmental sustainability initiatives, or painting!

4. Encourage learning through a summer course 🤓

There are many summer courses and summer camps available for children at affordable prices. Some are even offered by universities!

Do your research and choose a program with your child. Not only will going away on their own encourage their independence, but learning alongside peers interested in the same subjects will accelerate their learning pace!

5. Encourage them to be active through play 🏸

Sports are very important for a child's development. Make learning a new sport a game for the child — whether it be tennis, football, basketball, or something else altogether!

Engage in competition with your children — it will help them stay engaged in the activity.

6. Suggest volunteer opportunities ❤️‍🩹

Many local organisations and businesses are in need of volunteers. Encourage your children to do what is possible for them to help out in their communities. Whether it be a local food bank, a library, a clean-up initiative, or an animal shelter, there will always be something that will catch your child's eye.

Not only will that make them into engaged and active adults later in life, but it will also encourage the children to experience responsibility, service, and independence.

7. Play a new card game or board game ♟️

Many card and board games include elements of language-based learning and mathematics.

A regular family game night will help your children develop through play.

8. Go to the cinema or the theatre 🍿

Learning storytelling and imagination, as well as media literacy, doesn't only happen through books. It can also happen through going to the cinema or the theatre.

Stories are wonderful ways to engage with the world, and experiencing them through the work of actors and directors allows a direct emotional connection with the characters that perhaps will be easier for your child than reading a book.

9. Write your own stories 📝

Summer creative writing is a fun way to let your child improve their writing skills such as spelling and grammar, and a great exercise that develops their imagination and creativity.

Whether it be through giving them prompts or encouraging them to keep a diary, there is something useful in every writing activity.

10. Encourage boredom 😕

The need to always be active is a modern obsession that sometimes puts a lot of pressure on children just as much as it does on adults.

However, an article published in *National Geographic* suggests that being bored actually bolsters creativity. It is widely known that people have great ideas in the shower — and for good reason. Sometimes, the lack of stimulation makes the brain develop new ideas faster.

So encourage your children to take breaks sometimes — and you will be rewarded.