Tips to Avoid the Summer Slide — Plus Giveaway!

Are you looking for easy tips to keep your kids engaged with learning this Summer? Recently, I had the opportunity to ask the lovely Soleil Moon Frye (Mommy Ambassador for Target) to share her best tips for avoiding the “Summer Slide” — when students are most at risk for losing reading skills.

Not only did Soleil provide an amazing video with her tips, but Target also offered to sponsor a giveaway for a $50 Target gift card plus 10 age-appropriate books to one lucky Inner Child Fun reader!! (Thank you, Soleil and Target!)

 

I have always been impressed with Target’s commitment to education. I hope you will enjoy the short video below from Soleil where she shares more about:

  • Target’s education initiative
  • Her best tips as a mom of 2 to keep kids engaged in learning opportunities on-the-go this Summer
  • How much time kids should spend reading each day
  • Some easy ways parents can take advantage of outdoor Summer play time to foster their kids’ love of nature!

Now the FUN part — One very lucky Inner Child Fun reader will win a $50 Target gift card, plus 10 age-appropriate books courtesy of Target!!! AWESOME!!

To enter for your chance to win, leave a comment on this post sharing your best tip to help kids avoid the “Summer Slide” or tell us about how you like to make learning fun during the Summer months.

For an extra 3 entries, you can follow us on Twitter and tweet the following message:

Watch this interview w/ @Target Mommy Ambassador @moonfrye talking about #SummerSlide & a giveaway! @InnerChildFun http://tinyurl.com/8x4fngc

Just be sure to come back here and leave a comment for your Tweet entries!

This giveaway ends Saturday, June 23rd at 6:30pm EST and winner will be chosen at random.

Disclaimer: Target provided me with these giveaway packages to share with my readers at no cost. This sweepstakes is only open to U.S. residents 18 years or older. (See Official Giveaway Rules.) Please note that we cannot ship product to a P.O. Box.

[Update: This giveaway is now closed, and the winner is… Annie! Congratulations!!! Another great giveaway starts soon!]

Comments

  1. We encourage our kids to read, with incentives attached. Either for every page (they get a movie date for 100 pages) or for every book, etc. And if they read books tied to movies, then as a whole family, we have movie night and watch. Luckily, our kids love to read.

  2. Cortney B. says

    We are lucky to have 4 different city/county libraries near us, so we join all of their summer reading programs. Not only do my girls do a ton of reading they get great free rewards (amusement park tickets, pool tickets, etc.) so we get to do some great fun things this summer as well!

  3. I organized a US State Postcard swap so my kids could practice writing / reading skills plus learn about the US in the process!

    Beth

  4. I am now following you on Twitter (LivingLifeInten) and tweeted =-)

    Beth

  5. I am now following you on Twitter (LivingLifeInten) and tweeted =-) Extra Twitter Entry #2

    Beth

  6. I am now following you on Twitter (LivingLifeInten) and tweeted =-) Extra Twitter Entry #3

    Beth

  7. Encouraging children to read and journal are two ways I think the summer slide can be avoided. Reading is fantastic and takes children to faraway places. Writing helps encourage creativity and build imagination. As a teacher, I saw many children struggle with writing. I think having them journal about their summers would be a fantastic way to cultivate their skills.

  8. Read read read! Also like to use Peggy Mayes games for learning and games for math!

  9. My boys are still young, so we haven’t dealt with the summer slide yet. My oldest will be entering kindergarten. My plan for this summer is to READ TOGETHER OFTEN. All four love to be read to, and thanks to hand me downs from lovely friends we have quite the library. I’d estimate a good hour is spent reading together each day. Sometimes my oldest reads to us, and the rest of the time my husband or I read.

  10. Followed you and tweeted!

  11. Followed you and tweeted.

  12. Followed you and tweeted! (I was supposed to type this three times right? If not, sorry!)

  13. We love to have little summer surprises. Pajama ice cream run, late night read-alouds, little gifts, movie tickets – at times and days when most unexpected. We do lots of reading aloud too. This week I hid a skeleton key in the dirt under my middle child’s favorite reading spot (she just finished the Secret Garden).

  14. brittany k says

    Reading a lot and practicing some math so they dont completely forget it!

    littleassemblyrequired at gmail dot com

  15. We work on spelling words and math in the car when we are going some place. We also participate in our local libraries summer reading incentive program.

  16. We are huge fans of books here. We have a weekly library visit (all year long) and we’re constantly reading together at home. Bedtime, quiet time, any time. My kids particularly love animals, so when they have a question about animals, we research out the answer with them. For instance, my son had a question about one of the animals he saw at the zoo that we couldn’t find the answer to. We e-mailed the zookeeper and actually heard back! That was fun to share with our preschooler!

  17. I’m following you on Twitter as well. Thanks for the great giveaway!
    https://twitter.com/funfinds4fams/status/213313534648520704

  18. 2nd Twitter entry!

  19. And last Twitter entry. Thanks again!

  20. We would be going to the library and doing a lot of reading at home. 🙂

  21. Lots of reading!

  22. Find some chapter books that are kid appropriate that you like and read a chapter a night before bed. My daughter BEGS to be read to about “Lauwa and Marwy” We’re on the second book in the Little House series, and she is hooked! I can’t wait to read my other childhood favorites with her!

  23. My kids are a bit young to have summer slide, but we try to foster continued learning with toddler friendly nature walks, toddler (adult supervised) science experiments, and of course library story times (and a lot of reading out loud every day).

  24. For young kids, I think spending time outdoors exploring is one of the best ways to combat the summer slide – maybe true even for teenagers! Getting unplugged 🙂

  25. Our 5 year old daughter loves the library. So… we have been encouraging her to read books. It isn’t a hard task at hand. Reading is her new “LOVE.” We just ask her if she has has read the books at hand and then offer her another visit to the library!

  26. I also am a follower of yours on twitter (@jessicadehring) and tweeted about the giveaway 🙂

  27. Christina says

    We take every day opportunities to teach the kids during the summer. My kids also love the Summer Bridge books. Their school has summer homework with the change to do up to 3 projects over the summer to earn extra credit.. the projects are all really fun and my kids (7 and 8) love doing them. We do a program at the local library that keeps them reading, and developing a love for reading.

  28. Christina says

    I follow you on Twitter (@myangeleryn) – https://twitter.com/MyAngelEryn/status/213322075337793537

  29. We always join a summer reading program (or two, or three) to keep our kiddos reading over the summer. We also let the big kids stay up “late” to read in bed at night.

  30. Was already following you but also tweeted 🙂

  31. This summer I made up an Anti-Brain-Drain sheet for my soon to be 4th grader. Each day he reads, practices spelling words and math facts (on his iPod) and does some math, language arts, and science worksheets. He needs to complete his checklist before we can move on to our fun activity for the day.

    Thanks so much for the giveaway, Valerie!

  32. I like to have my son practice his math facts using an app on my Ipod touch- he actually earns time that he then uses to watch TV or play video games.

  33. We take a weekly trip to the library…we have lunch on our library’s outdoor deck and then fill our bags with books to take home. We also try spend time studying nature: watching and identifying birds, identifying wildflowers, taking nature hikes.

  34. We love spending hot mornings in the library. Ours has a fairy tale themed summer reading program this year.

  35. We have ‘schoolwork’ time every weekday. Before summer starts, I get workbooks and short stories and activities out of coloring books and put together packets. It takes FOREVER but it’s great to be able to just grab one for each kid each morning! After breakfast and morning routines, it’s the first thing they do in the day. They expect it and are happy to get it done because then it’s free time!

  36. tweeted

  37. Nikolette B says

    We go to the library all summer long! My kids love books. My oldest will be starting kindergarten and we have a program on our computer to help with his phonics.

  38. Nikolette B says

    I tweeted about this 🙂

  39. We love going to story time at our Library every week. Afterwards, he gets to pick out some new books to checkout.

  40. We try to do an hour of reading each day, and regular trips to the library. We always participate in the library’s reading program, and Barnes and Noble’s summer reading program, too.

  41. My daughter and I do lots of reading (she is 3). We are working on letter recognition by using shaving foam, finger paint, and water. We also play games like find the letter a (& so on) on this page, lay cards on floor with letters and play simon says jump to this letter, burry letters in sand so she can dig them up, & lots more! We pretty much “play” school school every day! Its getting her ready for preschool and gives us fun things to do 🙂

  42. Michelle says

    My oldest girls will be starting kindergarten next year, so we haven’t had to worry about summer slide yet, but this summer I am doing Hooked on Phonics with them and doing a lot of reading with fun activities related to what we read.

  43. I do several things with mine… we do some educational computer games, we do a few worksheets daily to review what they learned this past year or give them the boost for next year, and I use the SRA (its from the origninal) from Hooked on Phonics to give them reading and grammar practice. They earn points for a treat via getting their written work at a certain grade %. As for my daycare… we do a lot of review of skills using a theme (or a state as we are still trekking across the US) during the summer. We read every day so they interact with books daily.

  44. Jennifer says

    We are very fortunate to have a wonderful library with a summer reading program. We also spend lots of time outside. My kids are under school age so we don’t really have a summer slide, but as a former teacher I would say find new places to read that seem exciting (tent, under a tree, garden), give children binoculars, magnifying glasses or bug bottles and investigate nature, and write or draw about summer experiences.

  45. Lovia Teal says

    I have been taking my little one to different free events that are put on by Lowes, Home Depot, Michaels etc… Our library offers programs throughout the week. We get to do things but they are free! yay!!

  46. My boys are still young but we have always done lots of reading ever since they were born. They both love books which is great. We also do lots of puzzles and practice our letters and numbers. Thanks for the chance to win!!

  47. Tweet entry #2

  48. Tweet entry #3

  49. Lots of reading – both my reading to my girls, and then also having them read to me and to each other. Also incorporating counting/simple addition/subtraction into everyday activities (my girls just turned 4).

  50. I kept all of my daughter’s daily Kindergarten homework sheets and we are repeating variations of them over the summer to reinforce the learning. We also make weekly trips to the library year around and will be participating our library’s summer reading program.

  51. How awesome! I don’t know very much about the summer slide. We are hSers and my littles are still little. My only suggestion- Just LOVE reading, read, read & read with your kids.

    Becca

  52. Melissa B says

    My oldest is starting first grade in the fall, so we are working on writing in addition to reading. She wants to write stories, and this is helping not only with spelling, but also with reading what she has written. Both my kids participate in our local library’s reading programs – they usually do one in winter and one in summer where you can earn a free book and other small prizes. We try to go once a week and read a lot at home together. My final idea if you haven’t tried them is audiobooks. My oldest really loves them, and my younger listens along. We like barefoot book stories for car rides.

  53. My sons aren’t school age yet, so we do a lot of stealth learning. Whenever my older son shows an interest, we start talking about letters and numbers. He’s already learned most of them this way, and he’s just over three.

  54. We sign up for the local library program and follow a few online reading programs to inspire us to read lots during the summer. We also find an easy workbook to work on whenever we have down time for all the adventures we plan for hands on experiences during the summer. Here’s a few more suggestions to encourage summer reading and growth. http://theeducatorsspinonit.blogspot.com/2012/06/resources-for-this-summer-reading.html

  55. Joanna Bucaro says

    Reading becomes so much more exciting when Monkey Ponkey (that’s how we named our monkey puppet) reads the story, kids love it!

  56. Nancy D. says

    We join the library’s summer reading program. We practice handwriting by sending postcards to friends and family. On car trips we play the license plate game. Think of a word for each letter on the plate and see what funny phrases you come up with.

  57. We read a lot, and try to visit cool museums and other places.

  58. Melissa Foster says

    Sight word water balloons!

  59. Christine Q says

    Gosh, I’d not really thought about a “summer slump,” but it makes sense. My eldest just completed Kindergarten, so this is our first real summer break. These comments have been a great nudge in the ribs for me. Off to the library!

  60. We always join our library’s summer reading program. The kids love keeping track of how many books they read and getting rewards.

  61. the holly says

    we are doing no electronics after dinner which has led to firefly catching, reading on the couch, and creating using anything out of the craft shelves!

  62. Mami2jcn says

    We take frequent trips to the library and bookstore story hour, plus we have workbooks that we use at home.

  63. Mami2jcn says

    I follow you on Twitter and tweeted–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/213388644575227904

    #1

  64. Mami2jcn says

    I follow you on Twitter and tweeted–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/213388644575227904

    #2

  65. Mami2jcn says

    I follow you on Twitter and tweeted–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/213388644575227904

    #3

  66. We go to the bookstore twice a month and I let my child pick up a few books he would like to read. He really loves reading!

  67. Follow you on twitter and tweeted:

    https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/213390047678959616

    #2

  68. Follow you on twitter and tweeted:

    https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/213390047678959616

    #3

  69. Use chalk outside to draw and write a story. Act as characters from your recent book at the park. Use the outdoors to your advantage. Have a campout night in the backyard and read stories with a flashlight.

  70. Jessica T. says

    We go to the library alot during the summer and I let my son pick books that are interesting and fun to him.

  71. The Summer Reading Program at our little library has a ton of great activities to keep us reading.

  72. We join the summer reading clubs at the local
    Iibraries and hit up the local children’s museum.

  73. Reading outside, doing “real world math” while shopping or cooking, writing cards and making scrapbooks.

  74. Games, games, games! We love all sorts – Monolopy, Yatzee, Uno, Zoology, Boogle, Wizardology, and many more.

  75. We buy those school readiness workbooks and do a couple pages each day. We make it light and fun during lunch and my daughter loves it. She begs to do “learning”

  76. follow you on twitter and tweet https://twitter.com/SaraMama/status/213476134996803584
    #1

  77. follow you on twitter and tweet https://twitter.com/SaraMama/status/213476134996803584
    #2

  78. follow you on twitter and tweet https://twitter.com/SaraMama/status/213476134996803584
    #3

  79. We love getting family museum memberships (and zoo, aviary, etc.). They are so worth the cost. In addition to just visiting whenever we feel like it, I try to check their calendars often and mark their free events in my calendar.

  80. The summer is for learning at the zoo or the farm or wherever else that the kids get to run around.

  81. Erin Zackey says

    We’ll be learning as we adventure, hands on learning is the best! But also since I have a new reader I’m signing up for all the bookstore and library summer reading programs. We have a deal that for every 20 mins he reads we’ll read 20 mins to him and then both count on his chart, up to 4 times a day. He’s halfway through his first chart and his official summer hasn’t even started yet!!!

  82. My daughter loves to read so I have no problem getting her to read during the day. To help keep her writing strong, I have her journal her favorite part of each day. Not only is she practicing her writing skills, she’s also documenting her summer!

  83. Jessica L says

    My oldest will be entering Kindergarten this fall (AHHH!) and is just starting to sound out and read words. I make sure we have plenty of beginner books and let her take the lead…that usually means reading through only a couple pages a night and then stopping when she gets frustrated or tired. Learning to read is tough, but she feels SO happy every time she gets through a page!

  84. I am following you on Twitter (@ShooieFox) and have tweeted your giveaway.
    https://twitter.com/ShooieFox/status/213625451866898432

    Entry 1

  85. I am following you on Twitter (@ShooieFox) and have tweeted your giveaway.
    https://twitter.com/ShooieFox/status/213625451866898432

    Entry #2

  86. I am following you on Twitter (@ShooieFox) and have tweeted your giveaway.
    https://twitter.com/ShooieFox/status/213625451866898432

    Entry #3

  87. I have my GD read one of her books to her new brother every single day. That way he is getting the benefit and quality time with his big sis and she is working on her summer reading and enjoys it so much more.

  88. christine says

    I have three children and we make frequent trips to the library every summer. We join the library summer reading program which adds incentive for us to visit often and earn a free book from their prize box. Once in the library each of my kids have no trouble finding something they are excited to read!

  89. We joined the summer reading program.

  90. When my kids want to relax they read. I always make sure to have an assortment of library books on hand along with our own libary. This summer we are also checking out a variety of history books to supplement what we covered during the school year. This has already been so much fun. They love hearing the stories from ancient China and Egypt. I also make sure the older two are doing their flash cards for math and Latin.

  91. I think that making the most of the opportunity to be outdoors – camping, hiking, biking make great learning opportunities – especially for those of us in the midwest that don’t get to do these things all year.

    Thanks for all the ideas, love your blog (and love Target!)

  92. We do a lot of read aloud and games during the summer. Working on puzzles is fun too. Another thing we do is have tea time (iced tea or lemonade with cookies) and read some poems. Nature walks are a fun way to keep up science.

  93. We try to read to our kids every night and I am now encouraging my K grad to read a bit of it too!

  94. We are very involved with our local library, which offers great kids programs as well as a summer reading program. We look for lots of fun events to do and make sure we incorporate learning while still having fun. My kids (1st grade, preschool) also enjoy doing pages from summer workbooks for their next grade, and I love it because it keeps their minds challenged!

  95. My daughter has fortunately discovered a love of books, so she can often be found reading during indoor playtime. She now has her own library card (which she got when she turned 5), and loves visiting the library. Readathons under blanket forts are fun; we also do bug counts when out gardening and walking (and cat counts and dog counts… :] ). My husband is a gamer, so we’ve already found several board games to enjoy with our daughter. We’ll have to take a few books when we go for her first campout later this year. I can totally picture all three of us reading around the campfire in the early evening.

    And that’s so cool that Punky Brewster is the mommy ambassador for Target!

  96. We take full advantage of all the free shows put on at the libraries in all the area cities as part of the summer reading program. We see as much of the county fair as many times as we can too, checking show schedules ahead on the internet. I go online to the library catalog afterwards and find stories or interesting, simple nonfiction books related to anything that really catches my daughter’s interest. It’s all about fun, and the learning comes naturally.

  97. We use our local library a lot! They have a summer reading program that encourages the kids to keep reading. Each week we make a visit to the library for some new books.

  98. we use the library, and summer reading programs! so great!

  99. themeing weeks – so camping week, animal week, and planning activities around them!

  100. Our kids are in the Summer Reading Program at the local library and it keeps us reading and going to the library quite often! 🙂

  101. I’m a follower through twitter and tweeted: https://twitter.com/khmorgan_00/status/213823039354322945

  102. I’m a follower through twitter and tweeted: https://twitter.com/khmorgan_00/status/213823039354322945

    Entry #2.

  103. I’m a follower through twitter and tweeted: https://twitter.com/khmorgan_00/status/213823039354322945

    Entry #3.

  104. Obviously, reading is key, but we like to make reading fun… mix it up. Go somewhere new and read. Read somewhere unexpected-the beach, the park, the woods, . The other day we drug all of the pillows in the house and threw them in the living room. The kids played for about an hour, then as they were lounging, I suggested we do some daily reading, and they were thrilled.

  105. We do a lot of reading, drawing and nature studying outside.
    Thank you for the giveaway.

  106. Monica Young says

    We spend a lot of time indoors reading, doing crosswords, and puzzles. Living in AZ in the summer time you don’t have too many options of things to do sometimes.

  107. Monica Young says
  108. Tammy1409 says

    We visit our libraries OFTEN to check out new books and participate in all the activites they have planned for the children.

  109. As a librarian I’m thrilled with the number of library users in the comments! I would also like to point out that reading out loud to/with your child has no age limit. If your middle schooler will put up with you sharing a chapter with them, please do. It’s a great bonding activity!

  110. We regularly visit the library, play games, read, journal, etc. My son enjoys the mommy time of doing worksheets and loves to write, so we’re keeping up with his pencils skills that way. He’s four.

  111. Jennifer Marie says

    I think it helps children want to read when they can pick out their own books at the library and gain interest in what they are reading.

  112. Jennifer Marie says
  113. Jennifer Marie says
  114. Jennifer Marie says
  115. Have the older neighbor kids teach/play school with the little ones.

  116. As a daycare provider i have primarily preschoolers, during the summer we don’t change our schedule very much and continue to keep learning as a part of all we do, we talk about the colors we see around us, we count toys as we pick up, we play games and do activities to enforce the basics, we do add one fun thing in the summer: Field Trips! We go to places that are fun and educational (things like the zoo, park, and a few local museums)!

  117. Jeannine Q says

    We go to the library religiously and get new books

  118. My son is going into Kindergarten this Fall. We like to look at the calendar for various reasons such as talking about the day of the week, month, and even the moon phases. We write down and discuss upcoming holidays and birthdays. We will make birthday cards, check out books from the library about holidays, and overall just every opportunity we have throughout the day we talk about spelling, sounding out, and writing words. Going to the grocery store may take longer, but is a great way to spend quality learning time with your child.

  119. My twin boys are only 2 and a half, but we read quite a bit. After reading books to them before bed or naptime, I ask them to read a book each to me. It gets them verbalizing what they see on the pages and often they start connecting the stories to their everyday lives. Yesterday, while eating blueberries, my son told me he was “just like Blueberries for Sal!”

  120. well we homeschool, & I guess we lightly homeschool year round with fun summer science experiments & I make them keep up on reading & math…..mean mama! 🙂

  121. During our daily family bible time we have our kids take part in the reading of God’s word. It keeps their attention and helps with their reading skills! Be sure to praise them for a good job!
    God bless,
    Amber

  122. Life is full of learning experiences! From matching socks (colors and eye cordination)for young ones to measuring cups and table spoons (math fractions)for older ones! Most of it is making the learning fun, and that is accomplished by your attitude toward it (which can be hard at times but trust me, the results are worth it!).
    Ashley
    P.S. I’m not entering the giveaway because I’m 15. I’m also homeschooled the oldest of nine and am always involved in the teaching, so I DO know. 🙂

  123. Keep kids on a schedule of reading even though it is summer this will keep their minds going.

  124. We read to our children every night before bed. They also write their own stories and read them to us! Btw, I love your website!

  125. We read a lot and participate in our local libraries reading programs. My seven year old son is reading everything.

  126. Tabathia B says

    They participate every summer in our local library summer reading program to earn prizes and the one offered at Barnes & nobles

    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

  127. Tabathia B says

    twitter follower (chelleb36) & tweeted #1

    https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/215663330071805952
    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

  128. Tabathia B says
  129. Tabathia B says
  130. We do several thing to avoid the slide: participate in the summer reading program at the library, visit the library weekly, practice writing a couple times a week (mainly by letter writing to grandparents and journaling our summer fun) and play online educational games (starfall, etc.). **Thanks very much for this chance to win! 🙂

  131. Tweeted:
    https://twitter.com/anashct3/status/215732483474464768
    Thanks for the chance to win!
    email: anashct1 [at] yahoo [dot] com

  132. I follow you on twitter @anashct3
    Thanks for this lovely giveaway!

    Email: anashct1 [at] yahoo [dot] com

  133. to avoid summer slide, i make my kid read daily for 30 minutes and i also put math into the mix of things throughout our day! Thanks for a super giveaway!

  134. mary norman says

    I alwyas try to balance the studying with the fun stuff. I try to tell them we will read for 1/2 hr, get a snack, do worksheets for 1/2 hour and then we go bowling or to the pool. BALANCE is the key !!!!!

  135. Ashley Hatten says

    we do a lot to avoid the summer slide…my kids are in a book club at the library for the summer. they are also doing worksheets every day out of workbooks their teachers provided. They haven’t really complained too much about having to do the work since they get prizes at the library for every book they complete. Thanks so much!!
    ashleygatewood1(AT)gmail.com

  136. Ashley Hatten says

    following you on twitter @shuggysmommy
    https://twitter.com/shuggysmommy/status/215980258380353539
    ashleygatewood1(AT)gmail.com
    #1

  137. Ashley Hatten says

    following you on twitter @shuggysmommy
    https://twitter.com/shuggysmommy/status/215980258380353539
    ashleygatewood1(AT)gmail.com
    #2

  138. Ashley Hatten says

    following you on twitter @shuggysmommy
    https://twitter.com/shuggysmommy/status/215980258380353539
    ashleygatewood1(AT)gmail.com
    #3

  139. Laura Jacobson says

    We have a daily story time and go to Goodwill each week on half price day and pick out some new books!

  140. Laura Jacobson says
  141. Laura Jacobson says

    I follow you on twitter and tweeted
    https://twitter.com/Ilovemybeagle2/status/216016032916176896
    Entry #2

  142. Laura Jacobson says

    I follow you on twitter and tweeted
    https://twitter.com/Ilovemybeagle2/status/216016032916176896
    Entry #3

  143. It is all about themes! We focus around themes that my girls want to learn about, and then we read books, do crafts, sing Inge, etc.

  144. Michelle says

    Summer is a great time to get out and explore with kids. My daughter love to watch nature, animals, and just explore, so we try to get some books that engage those interests.

  145. Being my son isn’t 3 yet I don’t have to worry about a summer slide. In fact, I think he learns more during the summer because I’m a teacher and am home with him all summer. I make learning fun by finding educational opportunities all the time. The other day we were counting the Gatorade bottles we got a Walmart. We talk about colors of cars and other objects when we’re out and about. He points out letters he knows. I also take time to sit with him and do art projects and play. Even when playing with Legos we count and work on colors/patterns. By the way, I teach high school math!

  146. Samantha A says

    We home school year round. In the summer, we tend to do more field trips, museums, etc and we try to find books related to what we are going to see and do. Luckily, both our daughters love books!

  147. Lucinda Bostick says

    We take part in our local library’s Summer Reading program. The kids earn points for the books they read, and can redeem them for cool prizes. We are big readers anyway, but it amps up the excitement! The kids also enjoy helping in the kitchen, which opens itself to so many lessons. We talk about healthy eating choices, learn about measurements, and even touch upon some science. Of course lots of outdoor play, and don’t forget the arts and crafts!

  148. Michelle says

    We do the reading programs at the library. The kids get prizes, including books, if they read a lot. It helps that my kids love to disappear into a corner with a pile of books until they are hungry.

  149. Lots of reading. Lots of fun activities. Lots of baking. Lots of obstacle courses too!

  150. We go to reading time at our local library. Sometimes they do it outside which is very nice for the kids.

  151. JHollyhock (aka Jennifer H.) says

    I think our children continue to learn whenever we give the opportunity. We like to do swim lessons, summer reading programs, cooking and “Life of Fred” books for math. Thanks!

  152. brianna byman says

    the library has reading programs, so we will usually read. it’s something fun!

  153. Nicole G says

    My oldest is going into 1st grade. I have a summer writing journal for him to write a sentence about something he did that day and then he draws a picture. It will be a great keepsake too. Each week we go to the library and he picks out some easy reader books and I make a point for him to read 1 book each morning before we head out and do all our fun activities.

  154. I try to fill the summer with authentic reading and writing. My kids have notebooks and paper everywhere. I’ll “catch” my 6 year old making books, writing stories, and crafting and creating nonstop. It’s been wonderful watching her integrate writing into her crafting. Tonight she wanted to tell me what photographs to take (while I’m out of state next week helping a family member). I can’t recall if I asked her to make me a list or if she initiated it. She just brought down her list of requests along with an “I’ll miss you” note. ) I’m also constantly refreshing our library selections- instead of going to the library weekly, I get email notifications of new collections that I’ve put on hold (my hold list is often maxed out – I’m thankful that I got the kids their own lists, so I can monopolize their hold quota as well) and I’m frequently stopping into the library to grab the new books (fiction, nonfiction & audiobooks) as they become available to us. We’re always reading new things and talking about them. Because we get so much out of the library, we’re always reading a wide variety of genres and topics. Often I select one book thinking it would be great for my 4 year old son and my 6 1/2 year old daughter ends up loving it more. As for the reading programs, we participate, but casually – it’s not what motivates us – our love of books is what keeps us going.

  155. Kristine says

    *We chose a country to “explore” this summer and we will be busy creating maps, art, and lists about what we are learning..as well as learn about foods and customs, clothing, etc…It is exciting for the whole family!!

  156. I go every Tuesday to the rytm and song time at my librqry !

  157. Amanda Castleberry says

    We have reading worksheets in a special folder, a toolbox and desk area set up to play school. Our kids love to dress up, role play teacher and student, so all the while are keeping up on their reading and writing skills. We also have a bookshelf full of children’s books next to the rocking chair we use to rock the baby in several times a day. We have a deal that when Mommy is in that chair, the kids know they are free to climb up with the baby, rock, and READ. 🙂

  158. I love when my girls use their imagination… I love having them express themselves through Art, songs, or dance… I encourage them to read to each other, or by themselves for some quality quiet time… My daughters also love writting to their pen Pal… we make summer lots of fun with exploring, socializing, resting it’s all a big part of growing up.

  159. JHollyhock (aka Jennifer H.) says

    I think our children continue to learn whenever we give the opportunity. We like to do swim lessons, summer reading programs, cooking and “Life of Fred” books for math

  160. JHollyhock (aka Jennifer H.) says

    Follow and tweeted #1

  161. JHollyhock (aka Jennifer H.) says

    Follow and tweeted #2

  162. JHollyhock (aka Jennifer H.) says
  163. Brooke Fekken says

    We are lucky enough to have access all summer to our school’s math curriculum website to keep up with math. We also love playing hangman to practice spelling! Playing makes learning so much more fun.

  164. I’m going to do some journaling with my son this summer… not so much “now it’s journal time”, but I’m going to get some notebooks and then just sit down and start writing/drawing in one of them. I’m sure he’ll get curious and want to join in. Once we get started, it’ll be fun to bring them on nature rambles we do together and find other ways of using them creatively.