Summer Bridges to Learning

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Summer Bridges
to Learning

Summer is here and everyone is ready to slow the pace and enjoy some free time. Your children have had a long, hard academic year and need some time to relax, just like we adults do when we take a break.

However, the summer break often leads to a slow start when fall returns and we send them off to school again. There are ways to learn without having to do the workbook thing (although a review is good to do before the opening of school).

Here are some things you can do to make summer a learning time without infringing on that great sense of freedom that our children need as much as we do.

Children of all ages can:

1. Keep a journal of great events of the summer. An inexpensive camera makes a great little motivator for writing a description of what, when, where and who. Day to day entries of adventures on a road trip make for wonderful memories. Older children particularly enjoy being the photojournalist for even a day trip.

2. Make a nature journal classifying and identifying all the lovely plants and animals one might encounter on a summer’s day walk.

3. Learn how to read a map. Children love the idea of navigating, figuring out distances etc. (introduce them to the compass rose)

4. Read historical information about places you are visiting. Collect brochures about places of interest that you visit. Find the one most interesting thing that they discover about this place.

5. Scavenger hunt for things that are smooth, things that are bumpy things that are slimey—you name it. This is a good game for travel—spot things that are green, things that are square, etc. This helps children become aware of their surroundings, pass time and maybe win a treat when they find 10.

6. Choose a wonderful book together and share reading it while enjoying a glass of lemonade in the shade on one of those red hot summer days.

7. Choose some music your child likes (give them broad choices-classical, jazz, rock). Provide a small sketch book and allow them to draw to their heart’s content — if you're very brave... bring out the paints! (tempera paints hose off the patio quite easily)

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