- My #1 choice for educational summer fun is cooking! Just think about it – young chefs have to read the recipe, follow the directions in sequential order, organize and measure the ingredients, and use timers and thermometers. Want to really get fancy? Halve or double the recipe!
- Road trips are #2. Older kids can help plan the trip, set up a budget, read maps, and calculate miles-per-gallon. Younger kids can learn basic map skills, calculate distances, keep a trip journal with time and distance, learn about miles-per-hour, and budget their own spending money.
- Does your family have a summer garden plot? Kids can measure the length and width of the garden and learn what “area” really means. How many squash did they pick today? How many inches a day have the tomato plants grown? Buy a rain gauge and keep a graph of the summer rainfall. Keep a garden log.
- Time to run errands! A trip to the grocery store is a golden opportunity to reinforce math concepts. How many apples does the family need? How many eggs are in a dozen? How much does a watermelon weigh? How do shoppers compare prices? For smaller purchases, let the kids pay with cash and count the change.
- Time for some rest and relaxation? Board games and card games involve number recognition, counting, matching, and following directions.
Next week we’ll look at summer writing ideas. Stay tuned!