5 Fun Activities to Beat the Summer Slide

What kid doesn’t love summer? When school’s out, it’s time for fun and the only slides my kids are thinking about are ones with water.  But when they’re all play and no school for a few months, it can lead to the “summer slide”— a loss of academic skills from taking the extended break. So, to keep their minds as active as the rest of their bodies, my husband and I encourage some educational activities disguised as fun.

1. Birthday Cards. We ask our kids to make birthday cards for everyone from friends to relatives and even our dogs. My kindergartener keeps his writing skills from getting rusty, my preschooler gets to draw, and both get to think creatively.

2. Car Bingo. I grabbed some inexpensive car bingo cards in a toy store and these have been a huge hit! Instead of asking for electronics on an extended trip, now we play as a family and talk about all the different things we see outside our windows. It’s great for practicing shape and letter recognition, too.

3. Board games. Even the simplest board games like Candyland gives my kids a chance to use their math skills to count spaces. We’ve recently gotten into Monopoly, too!

4. Legos. My kids spend hours building fantastical creations with their myriad colorful bricks. They love getting a new set to build, which is an excellent exercise in patience, following directions, and using their fine motor skills. The open-ended toys also teach lessons in simple mechanics and problem solving. Blocks and similar building sets are great alternatives.

5. Quiet book time. Every night since they were born my husband and I read books before bedtime to and with our kids. It’s one of our favorite family times together and my older one loves being able to read a book to all of us.

Want more ideas for keeping your kids active and engaged? Check out our posts on family-friendly activities and share your favorite ways to beat the summertime brain drain in the comments below!

~ Robin Saks Frankel