Summer is well underway. And, while it comes with seasonal pleasures like fresh fruit and sunshine, parents around America knows it comes with one major challenge as well. How can parents keep their children not only engaged, but also productively learning during the three months they’re not in school? It’s hard enough to manage children during the year, but it gets even harder during the long stretches of summer when children don’t have a school schedule to keep them on track. Add a behavioral, social, or learning difficulty on top of all this, and you have a recipe for a challenging summer.
But parents shouldn’t have to suffer through 4 months of the year—especially when there are several easy ways to help children stay happy and productive. Pro tip: these suggestions also help make parents’ lives easier. From “letting” children help make dinner to taking in the culture of your city while teaching your child about art, these tips will help make summer as fun for parents as they will for their children.
Enjoy outside activities
Traditional wisdom says children are only learning when their brain is being stimulated. But parents can also help their children’s skills develop by stimulating their tactile and visual senses. Parents should encourage their children to play with sidewalk chalk and finger paints—it helps them develop their fine motor skills, and have some plain old fun during the hot months of summer.
If parents don’t want to deal with the cleanup of outside art projects, they can still enjoy the sun while getting their children moving. Parents should take their child on an outdoor gallery walk, or to the farmers market. Anything that involves active physical motion helps children to retain information and read with better comprehension.
Sneak in math and language practice indoors
There are lots of fun activities that involve math and reading comprehension—parents can help their child practice while disguising it as a fun activity. A prime example is letting children help out in the kitchen. Children can do simple activities like dividing up ingredients and measuring portions to practice their math. Then, they can read the recipe to practice their reading comprehension. Activities like this allow children to approach academics without being intimidated, and demonstrate the real-life applications of what they’re learning in class.
Stick to a schedule
A fully fleshed out schedule is the glue that holds a productive summer together. And, while that may go without saying, most parents don’t actually follow through and create one. If they do, they don’t stick to the activities they’ve planned for the week. But routines keep children grounded, and this is especially important when the routine of summer goes out the window.
Instead of imposing a schedule on their children, parents should let their children participate in creating it. Children will feel like they have agency, and they’ll appreciate their summer is full activities they’re choosing to do. And, of course, when children feel like they’ve planned their own summer, it makes it much easier and less tiresome to follow through.
These tips will make summer tolerable—and, dare we say it—even enjoyable for parents of children with and without difficulties. We encourage parents to grab their children and start making their summer schedule.
About the author:
Dr. Robert Melillo is the co-founder of Brain Balance Achievement Centers [www.brainbalancecenters.com]. As a clinician, professor, brain researcher and best-selling author of Disconnected Kids, Dr. Robert Melillo has been helping children overcome learning and developmental challenges for over 25 years. His areas of expertise include ADHD, Learning and Behavioral Issues, Processing Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorders. If you’re a parent who suspects your child may need more intensive support with social, behavioral, or learning difficulties, check out this simple online assessment: https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/our-program/childs-personalized-plan/online-assessment/.