Ideas For Educational Things To Do During Summer

[sahm2three]

I try to incorporate education into anything we are doing, but the school agers are getting bored. We are doing a patriotic bear craft today, cutting it out and gluing it together and talking about the history of the bear and what the 4th of July is why we celebrate it. So the craft may be a bit juvenile for the SA's, but the history should be more interesting. What are you all doing to keep their brains working? I don't use a curriculum, just stuff off of the internet and from workbooks. Thanks for any ideas!

Oh, forgot, another thing we are doing during the summer is like the school Book It program. Each child has a sheet that they log what they are reading and how long they read each day. And if they read 20 minutes a day while they are here (longer for some of the older kids, and book count for the younger ones), at the end of the month they will earn a personal pan pizza or dairy queen gift card. What do you think of that idea?

[Crystal]

My school agers, including my own, spend 30-60 minutes reading daily, during naptime. They play board games....like Monopoly and my husband teaches them sports and works on various skills with them. They also are "teachers" here...they help with the younger children, with table activities and small group activities. They are given internet time on educational sites as well. They are also provided with field trips....aquatic center, movies, etc. I only have two school-aged children, then my own 12 year old (and 17 year old who works for me) This is my last summer with school-age, this particualr family has been with me for 11 years, and their oldest son no longer needs daycare =( I will finish the school year with their youngest and then be done.

I like your bookit idea....so will the kids! Did you know you can do Book It beginners each spring? http://bookitbeginners.com/redzone/default.asp

[sahm2three]

My school agers, including my own, spend 30-60 minutes reading daily, during naptime. They play board games....like Monopoly and my husband teaches them sports and works on various skills with them. They also are "teachers" here...they help with the younger children, with table activities and small group activities. They are given internet time on educational sites as well. They are also provided with field trips....aquatic center, movies, etc. I only have two school-aged children, then my own 12 year old (and 17 year old who works for me) This is my last summer with school-age, this particualr family has been with me for 11 years, and their oldest son no longer needs daycare =( I will finish the school year with their youngest and then be done.

I like your bookit idea....so will the kids! Did you know you can do Book It beginners each spring? http://bookitbeginners.com/redzone/default.asp

Doesn't look like non-school programs qualify for their program. No biggy, I will just write off the expense! We do sports too. We have a field day one day a week. We do different stations, kickball, t-ball, sponge races, etc. FUN!