Usborne Book and More

Depending on where you call home, the school year has either already ended or will end very soon.  Sadly, for many children the learning has ended as well.  Don't get me wrong, as a homeschool mom, I will be the first to admit that I LOVE summer vacation.  But is it the learning that kids need a break from or the structure and rigid, margin-less routine of the school year?  Weekdays packed full with school, after-school activities and sports, then homework leaves little time for family, play or pleasure.  Then add weekends filled with weekend sports, travel, shopping, household chores, and church.  Nine months of a routine like this and no wonder people are ready for school to be out.  However, spending the summer at the pool and in front of the TV or XBox complete with late nights and sleeping late in the morning is hardly the prescription for a healthy, productive, and restful summer.  So, what's the answer?  With a little planning and creativity you can have the BEST summer vacation EVER--complete with MORE time at the pool, MORE rest for everyone--including mom, MORE learning and reading, MORE creativity and even MORE time for friends.

First of all, as a parent decide what you want to accomplish this summer.  Better yet, close your eyes and pretend it is September 1, 2011 and you are sitting down to write a letter telling someone about the amazing summer you had with your friends.  What would you write.  What does that look like in the picture book of mind?  Here are some questions to get you started:

• Do you have house or yard projects to complete?
  
• Is there a class you would like to take or a skill you want to learn?
• What about the kids?  Do they have a special interest you could explore?

How would your kids answer this question:  If I could learn anything I wanted at school, it would be......

Now, make a list of fun, educational field trips you can take with your kids and maybe a friend and her kids.

Finally, make a schedule.  Kids work well with a schedule.  You don't need to schedule every minute of their day and to be quite honest, kids NEED unstructured time to play and be creative but this unstructured play time often gets left out unless it is planned.  Finally, take time to read to your kids every day.  Choose a great book that you can read aloud--even if only for a few minutes a day and even if your children read independently.  Stay tuned for MORE great tips on summer great summer reading and learning as well as book reviews on fabulous read-aloud books and fun projects to keep your kids reading, learning, and thinking all summer long.