Four Fun and Low-Cost Activities to Fight the Summer Slide

Four Fun and Low-Cost Activities to Fight the Summer Slide 

(#4 might surprise you!)

With summer in full swing, many families are looking for ways to keep their kids busy and productive while also enjoying a break from the usual routine of school and homework. We’ve rounded up four fun ideas to keep your kids’ brains engaged without making it feel like a chore. Whether you’ve got preschoolers or teens, these ideas can be adapted to any age range and tailored for the skills you want to target!

1. Cooking

Cooking is a practical life skill, but it’s also a great way to practice math, reading, and fine motor skills! Plus, you get the satisfaction of a yummy treat at the end. Pull out a cookbook and let your child select a recipe, then take them with you to the store to shop for ingredients. A preschooler can help you count the items as you add them to the cart (“We need three bananas for the banana bread. Can you help me find three bananas?”), while an older child can read the shopping list and cross off items as you find them. For an extra math challenge, make checkout a game! Ask your child to add up the items in the cart to see who comes closest to the actual total.

Back at home, gather the ingredients and supplies, tie on an apron, and get cooking! If your child is reading, encourage them to read the recipe out loud as you work together to complete each step. Have younger children scoop and stir, both excellent activities for fine motor development. Allow older children to manage the more challenging tasks, such as separating eggs or grating cheese. Challenge teens to complete the entire recipe with just little supervision; gauge your child’s skill level and provide support when needed. Cooking is a great way to build independence and confidence! 

For older students, try doubling or tripling a recipe, then ask your child to work out the ratios needed for each ingredient. It’s great practice with multiplication and fractions!

Whether it’s something simple like a grilled cheese sandwich or something fancy like a soufflé, cooking together is a great way to build summer memories while developing important skills for both school and life.

2. Reading

We all know that reading is good for your child’s brain, but many kids can see it as a chore. Summer is a great time to try some different approaches to reading so you can engage your child’s interest while also building their confidence!

Reading out loud as a family can turn reading into a family activity. Select a book that’s interesting to the whole family (bonus points if it’s a smidge above your child’s current reading level). Gather together on the couch (or build a fort or tent for extra summer vibes!) and make a special snack for reading time. Then, take turns reading out loud. If your child is not yet reading independently, encourage them to look at the pictures and describe what they see, or ask them to guess what might happen next. This encourages active listening and keeps them engaged. For older children, ask them to take turns reading when your voice gets tired. Even if it’s just a short section, encouraging them to read a little above their current reading level can stretch their skills and build their confidence. Then, take over when they seem to be getting fatigued. Try silly voices to keep children engaged, and don’t be afraid to pause and explain what happened if they seem to be confused or if there’s a word they don’t know.

For extra motivation, select a book with a movie adaptation, and celebrate with a family movie night when you finish the book!

Don’t forget about the library! Make going to the library a fun weekly appointment and why not add a trip to the local ice cream store or park afterward. Creating special family memories like these fosters a love for books and reading that will last a lifetime!

3. Art

Most kids enjoy creating art, so this is a natural avenue for fun summer learning! Art is an excellent way to build fine motor skills, hand/eye coordination, and creativity–all essential skills for school success. A quick search on YouTube will give you tons of options for step-by-step drawing tutorials for any skill level, from preschoolers to advanced projects for high school students. Remind your child that it’s not about perfection, and they can always try again if a project doesn’t turn out how they envisioned. Keeping it low-stress will encourage your child to stretch his/her abilities. For children who are hesitant, a color-by-number book might be helpful to build confidence while still developing those essential fine motor skills. Or, think a little outside the box and try some messy outdoor art like painting the sidewalk with chalk watercolors (crush up chalk and mix with water, then paint with paintbrushes). The only limit is your imagination!

4. Unstructured Outdoor Play

Yes, really! Unstructured outdoor play is a great way to prepare your child for the coming school year. There are many benefits to unstructured play, including confidence, creativity, and gross and fine motor development. If you don’t have a yard where your child can play, head to a local park. Bring some snacks and water so you can stay a while. Feel free to provide some outdoor toys such as balls or jump rope, but don’t push any particular activity. The key is not to dictate how your child plays, but to provide an opportunity for him/her to invent a game independently. Some children may take a while to get started; that’s okay! Give them time. Children are naturally driven to explore their world through play, and they will eventually come up with an idea. Even older children and teens will enjoy a day at the park! Whether they end up climbing on the monkey bars, building roads or houses in the dirt, or kicking around a soccer ball, they’ll be building important life skills. And if they end up making a new friend at the park, all the better! It’s a great opportunity to develop social skills, learn how to navigate disagreements, and practice good communication! 

Conclusion

As important as school is for a child’s growth and development, there is also so much learning that can happen outside the classroom. The summer can be a time when children regress in skills and forget what they learned, but, with some intentionality and creativity, it can also be an opportunity to progress important skills in new and engaging ways! At Grace School, we believe education is a partnership between school and home, and we are committed to supporting parents in the important, God-given task of training their children for life and godliness. We hope this article sparked some new ideas for you to make the most of these long summer days, and we can’t wait to see you back here in the fall!