It’s officially summer time . . . and that means it’s time for freedom! Once school gets out, we tend to take it easy during the summer and give our children a break from their everyday routine. We don’t have to keep their same school routine, but we can engage with them daily and prepare them for their upcoming school year.
Keeping Your Kids Engaged
- Read, read, read. All year long our children work hard to maintain their reading skills. Encourage daily reading based on your child’s reading level and/or capabilities. Reading can be fun! Make a day trip to your local library and allow your children the freedom to make their own choices for summer reading. If your little ones haven’t learned to read quite yet, allow them to play with shaving cream or sidewalk chalk to create words. This is an engagement opportunity as well, and you can assist them in their creativity! Reading to your children also helps them hear the words and assists in their own pronunciation.
- Practice writing. Writing practice is great for maintaining your child’s handwriting capabilities throughout the summer. A summer writing journal lets your child document fun day-to-day adventures and practice writing daily. Let your kids to pick out their own journal and let them be creative. Make this a fun part of the everyday routine!
- Work on those fine motor skills. Allow your children to get a little messy (yes, I just said that . . . that’s what outside and old clothes are for)! Bring out the scissors, play dough, chalk, markers, and paints. Letting our little ones be creative is an encouragement for themselves and gives them freedom.
- Get outside. Birmingham has many different local camps that allow opportunities for children to engage with others. Try to keep your children active with moderate or vigorous activity for at least 30-60 minutes per day. This will also help to get out all that extra energy! There are also many local splash pads that allow our families to beat the summer heat and let the kids have a great time!
- Plant a small garden. Gardening can be a great way to keep children engaged while also teaching responsibility . . . not to mention, it’s rewarding! Allow your children to purchase seeds or plants at your local home improvement store. You can plant them into pots, planter beds, or your preferred method. There are many different ways we can plant gardens. Let your children water the plants as required and see the fruits of their labor!
- Get to cooking! We all have our favorite recipes of what we like to make, why not involve our children? This will allow them to practice measuring, addition, and subtraction. It also works their fine motor skills and concentration. There are many different simple family recipes that can involve the whole family and be a great activity for everyone!
Summer is such a fun time to unplug from our children’s daily routines. I hope these suggestions help you to find other ways to keep them involved! What are your favorite ways to keep your kids engaged during the summer? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
