The summer holidays are synonymous with sunshine and relaxation. They provide an opportunity for students and teachers alike to recharge before the start of a new school year. Unfortunately, students tend to forget a thing or two after such a long break. To reduce summer learning loss, you can encourage your students’ parents to give these educational summer activities a try.
Without implying that they should try to fill your shoes during the summer, you can give parents some fun and simple activity ideas that will help their kids practise and retain what they learn in school. After all, learning can happen anywhere, not just in the classroom! With the help of an adult, there is so much that children can learn from their everyday environment.
Encourage parents to choose activities adapted to their child’s interests and grade level. You should also think about how you can meet the specific needs of kids from disadvantaged backgrounds or whose first language is not English or French—perhaps by giving them some additional printable tools, for instance.
In this way, you can help ensure that every child has an equal chance at realizing their potential and starting the school year off on the right foot. Here are a few summer activities we recommend, organized by subject.
Read in different settings and locations: Weather permitting, it is possible to read just about anywhere in summer, including during trips out of town: under a shady tree at the park, in the evening under the stars, at the beach, at home, or at the library. Parents can also help instill a love of reading in their child by leading by example and making reading part of their routine.
Play educational games: Whether you opt for educational board games or Alloprof’s printable tools and resources, games are a terrific way to get kids to review language concepts while having fun. Here are some examples that parents can find on Alloprof’s website: Spin and Spell, the Wheel of Sentence Types, the Parts of Speech Wheel, French Syllables with Flo, and Book of Spells.
Summarize a story in your own words: Encourage parents to talk to their child about what they are reading or watching. They can ask their child to recap plotlines in their own words and discuss what they thought about a book or movie.
Write a postcard: Many families travel during the summer, whether to neighbouring towns or overseas. Sending postcards is not only a thoughtful way for your students to tell their friends or family about their summer adventures—it also happens to be great writing practice!
Set up a sidewalk stand: For parents of students with an entrepreneurial mindset, you could suggest organizing a garage sale, lemonade stand, or craft stand. These activities get kids to practise money management and mental arithmetic without even realizing it.
Do a home reno project: By getting their child involved in a renovation project, parents can teach them math concepts such as measurement and planning.
Play grocery store: With our Allomarket game, children learn to count money while filling up their pretend grocery cart. Of course, parents can also bring their child on actual grocery trips!
Observe nature: There is no special equipment required to explore one’s local ecosystem. Children can learn a great deal from simply going for a walk in the woods and doing some birdwatching or making sketches of trees, plants, animals, and insects. Parents could even get the ball rolling with an outdoor treasure hunt.
Do science experiments: Recommend simple experiments to do at home to stimulate your students’ curiosity.
Explore astronomy: There are many activities you can suggest for students who have a passion for outer space. Examples include identifying and drawing constellations, tracking the phases of the moon, observing shooting stars, and much more.
Plant a garden: Cultivating a vegetable garden and watching seeds grow into fruits and vegetables is a fascinating endeavour that can teach kids a great deal about the growing cycle of plants.
Learn about robotics and programming: Some community centres and libraries offer free introductory programming courses. For kids who are interested, these can be a perfect initiation into the subject.
Make art: Encourage parents to let their children express their creativity. Developing choreography, editing videos, decorating their bedroom, and trying new, creative hobbies are all examples of activities that can help your students cultivate their imagination.
Learn a creative, hands-on activity: Examples include weaving, knitting, and sewing. These are often skills that children can learn from someone close to them, meaning they can reinforce that social connection while also honing their creativity, patience, and dexterity.
Visit a cultural venue: Going to the theatre or a museum can be a valuable opportunity to spark a child’s curiosity, deepen their cultural knowledge, and introduce them to new artistic perspectives. As an added bonus, these activities can be done rain or shine!
Day-to-day life is filled with teachable moments. Here are some final suggestions to share with your students’ parents:
Social Sciences
Get involved in the community: Summer is a great time to do volunteer work. Pitching in around their neighborhood or getting involved with an organization they care about allows children to build on their social skills, apply classroom concepts, and develop a sense of environmental citizenship.
Practise using geographical maps: There are many ways to make use of a geographical map. For example, students can place stickers on a map of the world to indicate the countries or regions they have been to or want to visit; trace the journey of an ancestor or famous historical figure; or close their eyes, point to a country at random, and let that be the starting point for a research project.
Visit historical sites: Experiencing museums and heritage sites, whether in person or by virtual tour, is an immersive way for students to learn more about the past and present world.
Go geocaching: Part treasure hunt, part orienteering, geocaching is a perfect option for students who crave adventure. In addition to getting to know their part of the world a little better, they will learn how to use a GPS.
Create a family tree: Having students map out their family tree is a great way to get them interested in their roots. Some libraries, such as the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (link in French), offer introductory guides to genealogy.