Friday, June 12, 2015

How to Prevent Summer Learning Loss

Summer break is a great time for children to relax before the upcoming school year, but it is very important to keep your children’s minds sharp and continue their learning throughout the summer months. Too often, the summer wipes a child’s mind of some of the lessons they learn during the school year. Here are some fantastic ways to prevent summer learning loss.

Creative Writing Assignments
Have your child make a journal and document their summer adventures. This will get them thinking creatively and will help fine-tune their writing skills.

Take Vacations - Small or Large
Vacations are not only great for family bonding and relaxation, but they can also be very educational. Whether you go somewhere near or far, each destination will provide a great opportunity for your child to learn about the history of the city you are staying in.

Field Trips
Visit local museums, historical sites, zoos, or libraries. Doing so will get your child off the couch and out learning about the community.

Storytime
Read to your child each night before bedtime. You can also create an on-the-spot story about an imaginative topic. Create characters and a plot. Then have your child create a story too. This will sharpen their imagination!

Encourage Interaction with other Children
Set up play-dates with other children. Getting your child to interact with other children will help their social skills and will teach them about getting along with others, which will help them greatly when school begins.

Cooking
Cooking will teach your children how to use measurements using various cooking utensils. This is also a great time to pull out that old family cookbook and teach your child about your family’s history.

Projects
Have your children assist you with any summer projects you may have. This includes crafts, home remodeling, or even planning for your upcoming school fundraiser!

Start this summer off right and keep your child’s mind sharp by trying some or all of the tips above. Come next fall, you child will be ready to return to school- maybe even prepared to teach their friends a thing or two!



Monday, June 1, 2015

Family Fun on the Fourth

Along with celebrating our nation’s independence, the Fourth of July is a great time to bring the community together to create fun memories with friends and family. Among the fireworks and parades, the fourth is full of excitement- especially for the kids. Activities such as creating fun crafts, making festive treats and playing outdoor games are always popular among children.


Creating crafts is always a hit with kids, no matter the age. For the younger children, try something as easy and fun as creating a Fourth of July wand, a red, white & blue wreath or simply having them decorate individual napkin holders for your Fourth of July get together. For the middle-aged children in the family, try crafts such as creating a Fourth-inspired word find or patriotic firecracker favors. These crafts are guaranteed to get your kids excited about the festive holiday.


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Although kids love crafts, they also love sweets! Making fun holiday treats is always a great way to get the kids ready for the Fourth. Putting together something as simple as red, white & blue cupcakes or attempting more of a challenge with festive sugar cookie bars will light the little ones up like fireworks. Along with being fun and tasty, making treats with the kids is a great way to gain valuable family bonding time over the holiday weekend.


Playing outdoor activities is always a great way to get your kids excited about the Fourth of July.  When it comes to outdoor activities the opportunities are endless. Some hits among children are the bean bag toss, polish golf, and of course potato sack races. These games are great for getting your kids involved with the other children in the community as well as making memories for years to come.

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The Fourth of July is a great summer holiday that the family will be sure to enjoy. Whether you choose to create a craft, make treats, play outdoor games or all of the above, your kids will enjoy the fourth in ways they never did before! Check out our Facebook page for even more ideas for family fun on the Fourth.