Eight Quality Summer Learning Activities For Students Of All Ages

Escape the Summer Brain Drain!

The summer months are the perfect time for you and your family to embark on a world of learning and to participate in summer learning activities. Learning shouldn't stop when the school year ends; there are a wealth of summer learning activities at your fingertips for your family to explore.

This summer consider:

1. Mapping the route If your family is taking a road trip challenge your child to map the route ahead of time. Allow online access to sites such as mapquest.com and provide your child the necessary street maps and an atlas.
2. Beginning a family challenge Many families thrive on competition, does yours? Challenge your family to a reading competition to see how many pages the group can read during the summer months. Set a reasonable goal and keep track of how many pages until the goals is met. Once the group meets the goal it's time to celebrate!
3. Exploring the animal world If your town has a zoo, animal park, or wildlife preserve you can use these attractions to learn more about the animal world. Ask your child to choose a specific animal to study and begin by checking research books out of the library. Once you've read these books and have learned more about the animal you can take your child to see it up close and personal.
4. Going somewhere new Challenge your family to think of a place or attraction you've never visited. It could be as simple as taking a hike in a local park or could involve a day of travel. Before you depart discuss what you might see, hear, or feel. Use your visit as a way to learn something new.
5. Keeping a family blog The world has gone digital and keeping a record of your family's adventures has never been easier. There are several different free blogging sites that allow you to create an online blog. Involve your kids in this endeavor by challenging them to participate in creating and editing blog posts.
6. Going on a virtual vacation Even if you don't have any vacation plans for this summer you can still send your kids on a trip. Choose a location to "vacation" to and then work to learn as much as possible about your virtual trip. Encourage your child to do online research, check out books from the library, or interview friends or family that have already been.
7. Going professional The summer months are a great time to explore future careers for your child. Ask your children what careers are most interesting to them and what things they may want to do when they grow up. Help your child research the requirements for these jobs and what level of education is necessary. You could also work to arrange a shadow or mentor program for your child to learn from the professionals. A child that is interested in becoming a fire fighter will learn an amazing amount by simply spending a day at the station.
8. Seeking reinforcements If you're hoping to use the summer months to better prepare your child for the fall courses at school consider contacting Huntington Learning Centers. We offer tutoring programs that bridge the summer months and provide valuable learning opportunities.

The professional tutors with Huntington Learning Centers are specially trained to help your child make the most of summer vacation. We can work with your child to review previously learned content or to prepare for the upcoming school year. Programs designed especially to boost study habits or improve test taking skills are also available. Participating in tutoring at Huntington Learning Centers is all about finding ways to better prepare all children for future academic challenges.

What has been the best part of your summer so far? What fun summer learning activities has your family participated in?