Temps are on the rise and summer is in full swing here is Des Moines. The last thing on your kids’ mind is school. Studies show that students can forget a serious amount of what they have learned over the summer, forcing teachers to spend the first four to six weeks of the new school year catching up. While most kids don’t want to spend their precious summer days inside doing math facts and writing essays, parents can encourage plenty of fun ways to keep learning all summer without it ever seeming like work.
Science in Nature
An outdoor adventure is about fun, relaxation and play–but it can also be a perfect time to brush up on some basic educational activities. Before you go, create a scavenger hunt of animals, plants and other sights you might see. See our Pinterest Board for Ideas. As you discover squirrels, deer and wildflowers, cross them off the list.
Turn a day at the lake into an engineering challenge. Encourage your kids to find a way to build the tallest, or most structurally sound, sand castle they can. You can also build a boat or other floating vessel before you head to the lake and then test its buoyancy once you’re there.
Zoology
Spending a summer day at the Blank Park Zoo is always a fun outing. But it could also be an edventure learning about biology. Before you go have your kids make a list of questions about the animals they’ll see. What do flamingoes eat? How much does a tiger weigh? How tall are the giraffes? Do a little research online together and form a hypothesis about what you might learn.
As you tour the zoo, test those theories by observing the animals in their habitats and reading the signs. Ask the kids if their answers were correct or if they learned something new. When you get home, have each of your kids draw a picture and write a few sentences about their favorite part of the trip. Hang them on the fridge as a reminder of the fun experience and day spent as a zoologist.
Museum Discovery
If it’s rainy or too hot to spend time outdoors, summer activities can quickly resort to watching TV or playing video games. Instead, head to one of Des Moines’ many museums for some dry, air-conditioned learning fun. From science experiments at the Science Center of Iowa to art appreciation at the Des Moines Art Center to history at The State Historical Museum of Iowa, a day at the museum is learning that never feels boring.
Bon Appetit
Dining at home or at a restaurant is a fun family activity, but is also another educational opportunity. Bake a batch of cookies or brownies and let the kids figure out how much of each ingredient is required. They’ll never realize that they’re practicing their fractions. They’ll just be looking forward to eating the treats they helped create.
When deciding where to eat out, try a restaurant with international cuisine. Before you go, look up some information about the culture of the food you will be eating. Before the bill arrives, have your kids add up the total, without pulling out a phone or calculator, and see how accurate their figures are.
Summer Journal
Summer always seems to go by way too quickly. Before you know it, it will be time to send the kids back to school. To help preserve all of their summer memories, have kids create a journal or scrapbook. They can work on arts and crafts skills, as well as, writing skills. You may want to create some writing prompts so they can log their favorite memories such as “Animals we saw at the zoo today” or “My favorite art piece was”. Journals and scrapbooks are also a great rainy day project.
What are your tricks for sneaking in a little education in the summer?
