Help to promote your child’s learning and development this summer by creating experiences that are both enjoyable and educational. Here, the educators at Celebree Learning Centers provide ways to promote fun learning over the summer months.
It is important for families to be able to relax, unwind, and have fun during the summer. However, this doesn’t mean that your summer activities have to be void of learning. Help your child continue their development and education by keeping their brains working in fun and engaging ways all summer long.
Play Outside
Outdoor play is engaging both physically and mentally for young children, and as such is a terrific way for children to learn and have fun simultaneously. Consider creating your own learning adventure at home this summer by setting up a camp in your back yard. In doing so, you can encourage your children to explore their surroundings and learn about their natural environment while spending quality time together. You may teach your children about the vegetation and ecosystems in your neighborhood by catching insects and picking flowers, or by drawing examples of their environment in a journal.
Taking your children for nature walks is also a constructive way to expose them to new learning experiences. Speak with your children while walking, and encourage them to identify the sights, sounds, smells and textures that they come across. Bring binoculars so they can spot birds and other animals, or a camera so that you may create your own picture book of your adventure when you return home. Regardless of the activities that you choose, spending time with your children outdoors is a great way to promote their creative, cognitive and physical development outside of the classroom.
Indoor Play
Summer rainstorms keeping everyone indoors? There are plenty of ways to take advantage of indoor time. Develop your own cooking class, or encourage your child to help you prepare a meal. This provides your children the opportunity to employ their understanding of numbers, learn about cause and effect and practice how to follow directions.
You may also inspire your children to start an art project. Create jewelry, musical instruments or sculptures out of everyday household objects and materials. Give children prompts, and encourage them to create a story or cartoon based on it, or even a visual flipbook. Construct paper airplanes, and see whose can fly further. Such activities not only help to entertain your children, but allow them to think creatively about how they can use their supplies to create something new, and the process of steps they will need to take to do so.
Community Events and Charitable Work
Head to your local library or community center; these places often have free story time, arts-and-crafts projects, live performances, and other events that help children learn to interact with their peers and community. Local museums often have free family days during the month that are great opportunities for children to learn about new topics and concepts. Local farms, farmer’s markets, and other venues often provide children opportunities to learn about growing fruits and vegetables, raising animals, and experiencing the changes that occur in nature.
There’s no need to plan expensive vacations or activity packed day trips to encourage your children to continue their education and development over the summer. There are activities that you can engage in at home that are often far more valuable and can be just as engaging, if not more so. It’s all about promoting an environment of learning at home: children who see their parents constantly learning and experiencing new things are more likely to engage in similar behavior.
At Celebree, we stress educational experiences that are fun and valuable for children’s development. To receive more information about one of our infant, toddler, preschool or school-age educational programs, contact us today!