The school year is coming to an end soon, meaning your
students will have much more free time on their hands. All of us remember the
joys and freedom of summer vacation, but one of the pitfalls is that it allows
students to be lazy and disengage their mind.
As an educator, there is nothing you can do about this. What
you can do is offer up some potential activities your students may engage in
over their summer vacations that will keep them thinking. You may even choose
to send this list on to your students for next year. You could offer an
incentive for students that choose to participate.
1.
Get your students reading over the summer. While
many students may dislike reading while in
school, summer opens up tons of new
opportunities. First off, they will be able to choose any book they want,
versus books they are assigned. They have entire libraries and book stores to
explore at their leisure. Speaking of leisure, they have plenty of time over
the summer to read at their own pace. Take some time to explain different
genres of books and graphic novels to students and they may be encouraged to
branch out and get reading.
2.
Encourage students to volunteer. The earlier a
child starts volunteering, the more likely they are to give back to their
community in the future. Volunteers must meet specific requirements, but there
are tons of opportunities for them. Some examples include: planting flowers in
parks, visiting a nursing home, sorting food at food pantries, and helping out at
an animal shelter.
3.
Tell students about some of your hobbies, and
encourage them to pick up a new one themselves. A new hobby will require students
to use their brains to learn, follow instructions, and more. Some hobbies that
are great for kids include cooking, learning a musical instrument, drawing, and
crafting.
4.
Speaking of hobbies, encourage student writing. This
can be a journal, a short story…anything that gets students writing. Put
together a list of writing prompts that students can take home with them at the
end of the year.
5.
Give students some options for summer fun that
are in your local area. Promote museums, which are a family favorite activity
and educational. Maybe try talking up the zoo, instructing students to actually
take some time to read about the animals. There’s tons of fun activities
students can partake in that are also educational.
6.
Make a calendar of educational events happening
in the community to give to students. These can include day camps, events at
parks, exhibits, concerts, and more. It’s an easy, visual way to catch student’s
and parent’s attention.
Summer vacation is a great time for your students to relax
after a long school year. But it is also a time for them to continue to use
their minds and develop. Do what you can to encourage this before they leave
your classroom!
