Thursday 4 August 2022

Tips to keep kids minds busy this summer.

Did you know that summer brain drain is a thing. It is more commonly known as summer learning loss. A reflection of the ‘use it or lose it’ phenomenon, studies suggest that kids may lose anywhere from 25-50% of their school year gains over the holidays, especially in maths and whilst there is no denying the need for a break from education, without regular practice, new skills and knowledge learnt over the year can fade or be lost. 

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Here are some tips on how to fight summer learning loss whilst keeping summer fun!

Bring out the board games.

By relating things that your children have learned in school to fun at home you can help make learning wonderful, inspiring, and enjoyable. Playing board games can teach kids about counting, negotiating, and taking turns. For a kid who enjoys colouring in, painting by numbers is fantastic. You can also let your kid measure or weigh the materials when cooking.

Set a reading challenge.

Libraries still do their summer reading challenges. My girls used to love them when they were little. Visiting a library can fill a morning or afternoon and borrowing a variety of books that will inspire your child to read while also providing them with a challenge.

Look beyond traditional techniques.

Let them play educational games online. There are plenty of apps out there which they can play on a phone or tablet and there are endless games they can play on a computer or laptop. I used to think Minecraft was a complete waste of time until I realised my girls could learn a lot from it.

 Take Trips to museums or the zoo and ask questions.

Family days out are a wonderful opportunity to spend time with your kids while teaching them about history, science, maths and other subjects. It has been demonstrated that children learn more when we support them in having hands on experiences like these and participate in family chats. Encourage these by asking open ended questions about what you are seeing.

Practice in short bursts but regularly for knowledge retention.

Like all other skills, Maths and English skills are developed by consistent practise. However, smaller kids have limited attention spans, so you should attempt to keep study sessions brief no more than 15 minutes at a time. It is best to keep study periods brief and frequent rather than long and infrequent. The confidence of your child will increase as they learn more. 

Summer break is a time for you and your child to have fun. Introducing some new activities into your family’s routine can make the summer holidays entertaining whilst keeping your child ahead of the game for the next school year.

How do you keep your kids brains active over the summer holidays?

2 comments :

  1. Great tips Kim! Lots of fun ways to keep those brains working while still enjoying the summer holidays.

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  2. Fantastic tips and such a great way to keep screens to a minimal! We have done the summer reading challenge for years. It's a nice activity to get involved with. x

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