Ideas – I’ve Got Them, You Need Them!

I SURVIVED MOTHERING 4 CHILDREN BECAUSE I RECEIVED GREAT IDEAS FROM OTHER MOMS.
 

A LOT of ideas. Moms who had been there and who had tested ideas and passed on the ones that worked.
Ideas were like gift cards to me.
THANK YOU! It is for this reason that I do a lot of idea sharing in my parent mentoring.

In my last blog post I urged parents to keep their kids’ minds stimulated and engaged by including educational activities in their All Done Day plans for the summer. You may have heard the terms “summer setback” or “summer slide.” Well, they are real! If kids just have fun all summer, putting intentional learning aside, they will experience some learning loss. Or, at the least, just tread water, not moving forward at all.

It doesn’t have to be this way, and it doesn’t have to be a chore to them.

Here are some ideas at different age levels for keeping them “in the game” learning-wise. (By design, they are not device-dependent).

Littles (4 years – Kindergarten)
            Weekly trips to the library for story time or activities
            Workbooks (Costco/Sam’s/Bookstores carry these)
            Sidewalk Chalk Games (see Pinterest)
            Work on Handwriting (white boards, write with pudding, workbook)
               Make an explorer backpack (notebook, pencil, jar for bugs, etc., binoculars- real or made from                   toilet paper tubes, nature book to identify birds, bugs or rocks, etc.)

Grade School (1st– 5th grade)
            Daily Reading goals/ Library reading programs
              Gratitude Scavenger Hunt (Pinterest)
               Yahtzee – great for addition practice
            Library Scavenger hunts (Google/Pinterest)
               Bananagrams game – spelling practice
               Organize a neighborhood talent show/or just a social event
            Start a book club with friends
              Baking is a great way to teach/work with fractions – yum!
              Handwriting – send notes to people who may need a lift
              Reading Activity-a-Day Calendars (Pinterest)
              Workbooks ($$$ reward for pages completed)
              Pick a historic location in your town, city, state to research. Plan a visit there, and YOU are the
                     tour guide.
             Dump out change on the counter each day for child to sort, count, etc.
             Plan and plant a garden, harvest and cook with produce
             Plan, shop for, and pack a picnic
              STEM Projects. Look online and find interesting courses, lectures, experiments to conduct.
              Become a whiz at your math facts
              Become a better speller 

Middle/High School

Have your teen make a list of 10-20 things they would like to do this summer.
Then, when you know what they want to do, use these as incentives to have them earn them!
Jobs! Have them set a financial goal and work to reach it.
Read daily. Mix up your genres
  Book clubs
Help with some disabled children/adults
Plan hikes and go on them!
Assign them the “family night activity director” role for the summer. Set a budget.
Go volunteer at a food bank.
Put on plays or puppet shows for younger kids.
Don’t know much about music types? Explore! Learn about composers and listen to their pieces.
Plan an art show and invite artists of all ages to participate. (Great for a neighborhood!)
Make a game plan for a family meal. Plan, shop and cook.
Start a summer business.
Get off screens – Go outdoors
Adopt a senior citizen to visit and help.
Organize a clean-up day to pick up trash somewhere with friends.
Create a physical fitness boot camp. Challenge friends to participate.
Volunteer with a kids program through a community center, school or church
Learn to Code. Learn to write copy. Help someone older with social media.
Look for or create an internship that interests you.
Plan a family staycation weekend or week.

There are SO many more ideas that could be shared – and I hope you DO share with me in the comments below. You can also sign up for the All Done Day Facebook group and share to that community. Make this summer one that your kids remember because they were learning, growing, and doing! Make this a THUMBS-UP Summer!

If you would like more accountability for your kids, read my book; All Done Day: How to Win at Everyday Parenting to learn about how I created daily plans to help my kids achieve and succeed all year long.

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Ann Lahm

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I love the opportunities to support parents and Moms in particular, that All Done Day has provided me.

Ann Lahm

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