If you have kids home for summer vacation {or are homeschoolers taking a break} but still want to include some fun and {sneaky} learning into their days, you can easily set up simple activities that will keep their minds and imaginations running and growing.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some fun enrichment activities to do with your kids over summer vacation. Some of the activities are easily carried out in your backyard, and others take just a bit more planning and even include field trips.
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First up- enrichment in your backyard! Grab a backpack, a few fun items like a notepad and binoculars, and of course a snack and a cold drink and get out there with your kids! They won’t even know they are learning!
Become Bug Hunters: Grab a book about bugs to reference, it can be a general bug book or specific to a certain type like butterflies. Toss your book, a jar with some holes punched in the lid, and some other cool bug catching toys if you have them into a bag or backpack, and head outside. Turn over rocks, scrape off bark, find an anthill, or turn over leaves- bugs are everywhere! Point out their various characteristics and what they are used for- wings, armor,etc. Don’t worry if you don’t know it all- just look it up together! {Bonus: you are teaching them how to research and use technology as well whether you’re using the book or the internet!}
Optional tools to enhance your experience: Bug catching tools, The Best Book of Bugs
Be Bird Brains: Use binoculars and a field guide to look for common and not so common backyard birds. Keep track of what you saw and where. Draw, list, or photograph them to extend the learning and enjoyment.
Optional tools to enhance your experience: Binoculars, National Geographic Kids Bird Guide of North America
Have a field day: Gather up friends, family, or neighborhood kids. This is a great way to work in some gross motor skills, sportsmanship, and taking turns. You can also let one of the kids use a stopwatch and write down times and distances for different events- they will never know they are practicing their math and handwriting!
Optional tools to enhance your experience: Stopwatch
Explore Trees: One of our favorite outdoor activities is to explore various tree bark and to make simple rubbings of each one. To do this all you need is a piece of copy paper and a crayon with the paper removed. Just lay the paper over the tree bark and rub firmly but gently with crayon to create a textured rubbing. You can also gather leaves, use a book or look them up online to identify the type of tree they come from to continue your tree exploration.
Make outdoor art: This can be as simple as creating masterpieces with sidewalk chalk or bringing out sketchbooks and colored pencils. If your family really loves art, consider bringing out the easel and paints to make a larger scene. Let them freely create or pick an artist and have them try to create their own piece in the same style.
Optional tools to enhance your experience: Sketchbook, Branch & Twig Colored Pencils
There are so many fun ways to incorporate enrichment into your childs play and everyday life experience. When you gather your information, you can have them practice handwriting by writing down their finds, work on their math by counting the bugs or birds they find, and improve their reading and comprehension by devouring books on outdoor subjects they love!
What’s your favorite thing to do in your backyard with your kids?
Don’t miss the next post in the series- Learning Through Play: A Trip to the Zoo!
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