Tag: summer break

Classic Ways to Have Fun and Keep Cool this Summer

June 27, 2019MBEhleEntertainment, Outdoors, Summer

Downtime sounds fairly straightforward, right? Unfortunately, busy schedules often prevent many families from spending enough time together simply relaxing and having fun.

With an overwhelming 96 percent of people believing it’s important to have downtime together as a family, according to research from Mintel Trends, you may be looking for some ways to do just that this summer.

Check out these great ideas for the warm weather months ahead:

Picnic Time

Sunny day? A picnic can be extremely easy to prep on a moment’s notice. Pack some blankets on which to spread out, as well as lunch — which can be as simple as sandwiches, fruits, veggie sticks and dips. Bring along lawn games, such as a croquet, badminton or bocce set, or keep things simple with a couple of frisbees or a soccer ball. Then, find a shady spot in a nearby park to enjoy the afternoon. Don’t forget to take along some bags, in case there are no garbage cans around. You’ll want to leave the area as pristine as you found it.

Hit the Pool, Lake or Beach

Nothing says summer fun more than relaxing or splashing around at the pool, lake or beach on a hot day. And this is one activity that doesn’t require a lot of advance planning; just grab some SPF and a few pool floats and you’re ready to go. Easy to pack and inflate, the latest novelty pool floats from Intex are the perfect accessory to look cool while staying cool in the sun. Durable and trendy floats for all ages like the Angel Wings Mat, a Sit N Float lounger, Realistic Sea Turtle Ride On, even a juicy Strawberry Island or Watermelon Island, are available at select online, big box and specialty retailers. Just don’t forget to pack the camera because there will be plenty of picture-perfect selfies for any Instagram post!

Baseball, Up Close

Root, root, root for the home team at a minor league baseball game, where there are no bad seats and fans have more chances to interact with the players, pose with the mascot and even round the bases. A great activity for a weekend or even a family fun night mid-week, minor league baseball games are affordable, fun and local.

When the kids are out of school and the days are long, use all that downtime to your advantage, finding classic ways to unwind, reconnect and have fun.

How To Keep Kids Engaged Over Summer Break

July 20, 2017MBEhleSeasonal, Summer

Reading is a great way for students to keep their brains sharp during prolonged school breaks. Children in North America will spend, on average, more than 900 hours attending school in a given year. The average school year in the United States lasts 1,016 hours, the equivalent of 42 continuous days. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, many developed countries begin their academic years in September and end them in June. Some, like Australia, feature four terms with two-week breaks in between each term. Others go to school for most of the year – with various holiday breaks in between – and then get the bulk of their time off during the summer.

As much time as kids spend in school, there will be times when they are left to their own devices, and during these times it’s easy for them to forgot classroom lessons. Sometimes called “summer learning loss” or “summer slide,” this forgetfulness sees many students fail to retain all of their lessons over prolonged breaks from school. Studies indicate that students score lower on standardized tests at the end of the summer compared to their performance on the same tests at the beginning of summer. Anywhere from between one to three month’s worth of educational achievement can dissipate during prolonged breaks from the classroom. To help ensure that those hard-earned lessons are not so easily forgotten, parents can help children remain intellectually engaged in various ways over school breaks.

Stick To A Schedule

Try to maintain a schedule similar to school, with children waking at the same time each day and going to bed at similar hours. This will make it much easier to get back into a routine when a new school year begins.

Encourage Reading

Set aside time for reading each day. All it generally takes is 15 to 30 minutes of reading per day for kids to remember their vocabulary lessons and maintain their fluency and comprehension skills. Children may enjoy picking their own books rather than having a required reading list.
Keep a math book handy

On long car trips or rainy days, children can do a few math problems to keep their skills sharp. This will help keep learning loss to a minimum. Math workbooks may be available at bookstores, or parents can look online or ask a teacher for a summer to-do packet.

Plan Educational Trips

Vacations and day trips can be fun, entertaining and educational all at the same time. Science centers, museums and living history locations can bring to life information learned in the classroom, even on family vacations.

Learn At Camp

Many children attend camp for a portion of their school breaks. Look for camps that do not simply babysit children, but engage them through enrichment activities.

Take A Class

Children and families can learn together by exploring new skills. Enroll in something educational and enjoyable, such as a music or dance class, a STEM seminar or something else that engages the mind and body. This gives everyone a chance to learn something new and have a great time together as a family.
Parents and educators can reduce lesson loss over school breaks by encouraging families to remain intellectually engaged in any way they can.

Keep Kids Engaged During Summer

June 11, 2015MBEhleAdvice, DIY, Healthy, Organize, School, Seasonal, Summer

“Summer Slide” is a term parents may hear at the end of the school year. No, it doesn’t have anything to do with playground activities. Rather, “summer slide” refers to knowledge gained during the school year that may be lost over the duration of summer break.

The National Summer Learning Association says many students lose about two months of grade-level equivalency in math computation skills over the summer. Students tend to score lower on standardized tests after summer vacation than they do when the same tests are taken at the onset of summer.

Minds left to sit idle can haunt children when it’s time to return to the classroom. But parents who engage kids throughout the summer and reinforce educationally sound activities can prevent summer slide.

· Make vacations educational. Visit a locale kids have studied in class and explore its culture and traditions.

· Offer plenty of reading materials. Reading can expand children’s minds and help them build and maintain their vocabulary.

· Ask teachers for work packets. Students can stay on top of their studies by doing some light schoolwork throughout the summer. This can reinforce lessons kids have already learned and keep their minds sharp.

· Purchase a journal. Encourage kids to write about their summeradventures in a journal. Chances are their teachers will ask aboutsummer vacations and may require an essay when students return to school.

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