**This post is sponsored by KinderCare Education. All opinions are 100% our own!**
These are good, you guys. KinderCare sent us a bunch of ideas to help with summer learning, and I’m 100% taking notes. If you aren’t familiar, “summer slide” refers to loss of the achievement gains developed during the school year – something we want our children to avoid, obviously.
Typically, you don’t start hearing about summer slide until kids hit elementary school, but toddlers and preschoolers can for sure benefit from the educational ideas below. Do y’all know about KinderCare? Let me really quickly give you some background on them before we get to the goods.
KinderCare’s mission is to help children build confidence and lay the foundation for them to become life-long learners. Their accredited centers focus on helping kids build age-appropriate skills, whether as babies in the infant classroom or preparing for school in the pre-K class.
I know most of you have your summer all planned out by now, but if you’re still looking for a fun and educational summer camp experience that works with your schedule, KinderCare has a bunch of different programs running all summer long. And they’ll open a new center in Plano this August.
Ok, now for the tips. These are all so easy to work into your everyday activities this summer; kids can stay sharp without sitting in front of workbooks and flashcards all afternoon.
Keep Reading Fun
Your local library definitely has a summer reading program, and if your child has a competitive spirit, there are reading challenges they can get involved in at the library or online.
And keep reading to your children no matter how old they are. Recent studies show that listening to stories read aloud is important for brain development even through the teenage years!
Going on Vacation?
Involve kids in the packing process, asking them to name the colors of the clothes that are going in the suitcase, or have them name the body parts that the clothes cover (“The shirt goes over my heard and covers my arms…”). Older kids can work on planning outfits, figuring out how many items of clothing they need to bring, and anticipating what they’ll need in their carry-on.
Once at your destination, after an outing (ideally somewhere historical or educational), talk together about what you saw, heard, smelled, tasted, and touched to reinforce the understanding of the five senses.
Sneak in Some Math
While you’re in the kitchen, have your little one help measure out the ingredients and talk about the sizes (1/2 cup is less than 1 cup, etc).
When you’re at the grocery store, make a game out of adding up the prices of the items in the cart or counting the items as you place them in the basket.
Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Ask your kids, or point out for them, the things in the stadium that start with each letter of the alphabet (“A” is for athlete, “B” is for ball, “C” is for catcher, “D” is for dugout…). You can also bring math into the adventure by having kids recognize the numbers on jerseys or have them help count out money when purchasing your treats.
{Side note: that alphabet game just saved the day for us on a recent car trip when my daughter was ultra-bored. She got so into it!}
Engage and Explore
Make a scavenger hunt so kids can search for things around the neighborhood (or around the house since it’s hot as fire outside). Examples: “Find the fruit in the kitchen that starts with the letter ‘A’” or “Find something that flies.”
Summer = Bugs
Now is the time to create (and have kids decorate) a bug catcher mason jar. Go out and find some bugs, then spend time reading books or looking online to find out more about what you caught. Encourage a respect and love for nature while you’re at it!
If you have more questions about summer slide and ways to avoid it, visit KinderCare.com for even more tips and activities!
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