Tips for a GREAT Summer Break

HELP! It's Summer Break!

School's Out!

If you close your eyes and remember back to when you left elementary school or middle school for summer break each year, you'll surely relive the excitement children feel when they realize school is out for the summer. As parents, though, we face big changes to the daily routine that we finally mastered during the school year. While pondering the different choices available to our kids for the summer, parents must try to put together a schedule that's both fun and enriching.

 

Send 'em to camp!

Some parents will decide, for various reasons, that day camp or even overnight camp is the best way for their kids to spend the summer. For others, day care or a swim club or park is where the summer routine begins each day.

Yikes, what do we do today?

For many parents, the summer means long days of spending time with children who crave varied and curiosity-arousing activities. There are so many outdoor activities that you can enjoy with your children, while at the same time reinforcing responsible behavior. As kids frolic in the summer sun, they can be learning how to become more self-sufficient. Given certain situations, your children can learn how to respect and cooperate with others. Having the extra time and being in a less structured environment will also mean your kids will be making more decisions on their own, without the help of a parent or teacher.

Bring on the Fun!

As your children plan activities with you this summer, encourage them to be proactive in handling the different responsibilities they face each day. Empower your kids to be able to make decisions themselves. Provide them with alternatives that are acceptable to you and allow them to choose between them. Have them practice cooperating with others and have them take turns delegating and being in charge.

 

Many of the activities seem obvious or familiar, but you may find a new perspective in helping your children become confident and self-assured.

Whew! Can you feel the heat?

The enriching activities included in this book are an effort to provide parents with a starting point from which to plan a healthy and fun summer with their kids. Many of the activities seem obvious or familiar, but you may find a new perspective in helping your children become confident and self-assured. Once your kids start to become more responsible for themselves and learn how to respect and cooperate with others, they will find all activities to be much more entertaining, but especially during the fun-filled days of summer!

From the book: 101 Tips on How to Survive the Summer With Your Kids By Marty W. Stewart

 

Activities for Summer Break

Submitted By: http://www.sandbox-learning.com

Summer is a much needed break for many children and families.  Make the most of summer by helping children have fun while learning new things.  The ideas below are for children of all ages and include suggestions for both the home and the community.

 

1. Enjoy the Weather - Many communities have swimming lessons, group sports, or one-day neighborhood events.  Encourage children to participate in these activities so they make new friends, learn new sports, and stay healthy.  If children are ambivalent about trying something new, let them join with a friend.  Children may be more interested in an activity if one of their friends is on their team or in their swimming group.  Doing outdoor activities is a great way to spend quality time with your children and show the importance of physical fitness.  Make evening walks or bike rides part of your routine.  Besides doing physical activities outdoors, learn to simply enjoy the nice weather by having picnics or sitting outside to read or have a snack.  A change of scenery can add excitement to the usual afternoon routine. 

 

2. Explore Creative Opportunities - There are many free websites with printable games, coloring pages, and ideas for simple art activities.  These easy and free resources are fun for children.  To locate activities, search the internet using keywords like 'children's art activities' or 'children and art'.  Additionally, many art supply stores, arts centers, children's museums, and home improvement stores offer free or low-cost one day clinics.  The classes usually appeal to children of a wide age range and are offered on a regular basis.  Don't forget to check activities in your community center.  Many community centers offer singing, acting, or music classes to help children of all ages explore their creative side.

 

 

3. Invite Friends to Play - Plan play dates for children.  Besides having fun while playing, children develop important social skills by spending time together.  When planning a play date, have a variety of fun games and activities handy to encourage children to interact instead of watching television.  Rain or very hot weather can prevent children from playing outside so be sure to have board games, cards, and other indoor activities handy in case they can not go outside.  Simple games are not only fun for children, but they teach important skills such as turn taking, sharing, problem solving, and conflict resolution.

 

 

4. Complete Projects Together - Projects such as planting a garden, planning a summer party, or researching ideas for the family vacation are exciting summer activities.  Include children in your projects to teach them time management, responsibility, and life skills.  If you are planting a garden, children can learn about plants, water them regularly, and pick fruits and vegetables.  If you are planning a party, kids can help make invitations, plan the menu, or prepare the food.  If you are planning a family vacation, show children guide books and maps and let them help plan different events for the vacation.  Children like to spend time with adults and work with them on projects.  These activities will engage children and teach them valuable skills while giving you a little extra help.

 

5. Read More - Encourage reading for enjoyment by including reading activities in your routine.  Local libraries often have story time for preschoolers and a variety of other learning activities for elementary aged children.  If your local library does not have these programs, have fun at the library by browsing and checking out books with your children.  Also, check your local book stores for children's program.  They frequently have similar story times and fun programs.

 

Idea Jars

Submitted By: WestValleyParents.com

Idea jars help teach responsibility, family unity, and can be very useful in helping things get accomplished around the house. Take a mayonnaise-sized jar and fill it with strip pieces of paper, each with a "to do" on it. Let the person who has to do the chore select from the jar themselves (usually works best with children ages four and older, but even two-year-olds can learn to chip in around the house - they can dust). These jars can be used once a week or once a month depending on your family's schedule. Just remember that consistency is key for it to be most effective for your family.

Chore Jar Examples:

* Dust (pick one room)
* Wipe down baseboards
* Sweep front patio and/or sidewalk
* Sweep back patio
* Vacuum
* Wipe down outside tables and chairs
* Wipe down fridge / dishwasher
* Help with laundry
* Fill up cat and dog food bowls
* Clean play room
* Wipe down window sills
* Clean up outside toys
* Clean the trash out of the car
* Wipe down car interior
* Use glass cleaner on windows / sliding glass doors
* Clean one bathroom

 

Family Fun Jar Examples:

* Go swimming
* Rent a movie and make popcorn
* Go to a water park or pool
* See a movie at a movie theater
* Have dinner at a fun restaurant
* Play a board game
* Go out for ice cream
* Go to the park or beach
* Go for a walk
* Go to the zoo or a museum
* Go miniature golfing
* Paint
* Play with Playdoh
* Build sandcastles in the sand
* Wash the car together as a family
* Go for a bike ride
* Build an indoor fort for the kids and play in it with them
* Set up a tent in the backyard for the kids

 

How to encourage your children to keep reading in the summer

Submitted By: A Parent Like You

• My 3 year old is starting to memorize some short books- mostly board books. Whenever he reads/recites a book to me, I write down the name of that book and draw a small picture of something memorable from the book so that he can keep track of all of the books he can read. He also gets a sticker on his reading chart for every book he reads!
• I got a big Kindergarten workbook from Sam's and I have my daughter work on some pages every day. We also read and make up stories.
• We research books and read reviews (On sites like our public library and NPR), reading about all the new books is very motivating! And, we read together, in different 'summery' places, like the trampoline. Also, my son enjoys earning points and prizes on the 'Book Adventure' web site.
• Before summer begins, I establish with my eldest that we will do an hour of school work Mon. - Thurs. (If we have a special outing or visitor then we skip it.) If there are any complaints about doing the work at all then I extend the hour to 2 hours. I don't hear too many complaints. We use books, learning games, the computer, etc. and mix up the work to make it interesting in 20 minute segments so that it goes by quickly while she does review.
• I enroll my kids in the library summer reading program, we go to the library 3 times a week, we do a puppet show about a book every week, and we write letters to each other talking about anything we want. 
• The library also has good performances. My kids enjoy checking out activity books and doing the crafts listed in the books. We use the book, 'Picture Book Activities: Fun Games for Preschoolers based on 50 Favorite Children's Books' by Trish Kuffner. It helps us choose great books at the library and it has fun activity ideas. 
• I buy lots of new educational materials (from Paula's and Paper Shack) and bring them out a bit at a time. Having our home summer camp, helps the toddlers keep to their routine but also encourages them to keep learning and exploring how to do new things! We go over letter sounds, numbers, songs, shapes, colors, etc. Its endless learning and lots of fun!
• Bribes! Our 9 year old has to read every day f(BUILT IN) (Icons/Graphics) mathkids.jpgor 20 minutes, and do multiplication flash cards for 10 minutes. He then gets 30 minutes of his favorite computer game. We keep up the learning with these wonderful workbooks for Language Arts and Math. He earns a point for each one and gets to choose his reward, gum, TV, or candy. He does everything with a good attitude because that's part of the deal.

Staying Cool in the Summer

Submitted By: J.Tuxen

Believe it or not there are ways to stay cool in the summer, even when it is burning hot outside. This is not impossible. Here are some ideas to help you and your family stay cool in the summer heat.

1. Take it easy, don't move quickly. Try to avoid physical work during the hottest hours of the day.
2. Drink a lot of water. You can become dehydrated quickly in the summer due to the excessive amount of perspiration. Avoid caffeinated beverages that dehydrate your body.
3. Wear white clothing to stay cool. It reflects the heat away from your body while dark clothing absorbs the heat making your body temperature rise.
4. Eat light meals. Foods that are heavier on your stomach take a lot of energy to digest which slows down your body's cooling process. Eat salads and fruits frequently throughout the day.
5. Lay down with a cold towel over your face, take a cool bath or shower.
6. Install a dehumidifier in your house. A de-humidifier will not do much to cool down the air, but it can take the sticky humidity out of the air. Which will make it feel more comfortable.
7. Rest during the hottest hours of the day, if it is possible. This usually occurs between the hours of noon and five. Take your children out to play in the cool, early morning hours or later in the evening.
8. Consider a ceiling fan, it works excellent, and it cost a lot less then an air conditioner, also it costs a lot less to use then an air conditioner.
9. Hang some white or light color wet sheets over the windows, which will let the water evaporate in the breeze. It works really well, especially with a fan near the towel and the open window. It will also help keep the sun out too.
10. Try not to cook, use the iron, or anything else that will warm up the house. If you must do these things try to do them early in the morning or at night when it is cooler.
11. Plant trees for shade if possible.
12. Enjoy water-based activities such as swimming, playing in the sprinklers and having a water balloon fight. The water will cool you off quickly.
13. Rest frequently and avoid overexerting yourself. Laying on a raft in the pool is the ultimate form of relaxation to beat the summer heat and stay cool.
14. Make sure to wear sunscreen and reapply often throughout the day.
15. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes when you are outdoors.