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Holiday Courses From language learning to sports, drama to canoeing, there are a vast array of summer holiday courses that children and young people can enjoy. Some are close to home and attendance is on a day basis, while others mean they get the chance to go on a residential trip as well as enjoying a new learning opportunity. The residential ones don’t always come cheap but if you are a working parent who has to either fork out for summer child care or complete the daunting organisational challenge of using friends and relatives to provide care, it may be worth considering. Often with these courses they won’t be learning in classrooms in the same way as they do at school, they will usually be active and experienced based, and even a local ‘day’ holiday club will give them the chance to mix with lots of new folk and hopefully try some new things.
Board Games Many of us may have memories of Monopoly when it was too rainy to go outdoors -and most children really enjoy board games. They may need adult input to get it going smoothly but it is a great way of learning some vital social and emotional skills. If the sun is shining then there is nothing to stop them playing in the garden and having a picnic as well, you or the children, could even arrange a ‘tournament’. Projects Often children or young people when they do have a moment of inspiration, want to do things that will simply take too long, or involve too much effort, in the what can be very busy term times. It might be anything from building a den to starting a magazine or painting and re-designing their bedroom, even making a movie! As a parent try to be supportive, it’s sometimes tempting to say ‘no’ without thinking about the positives almost any project will be a vehicle for learning. There may need to be some budgeting, but that is learning too.
Clubs & Activities Quite apart from the ‘full time’ type of courses mentioned above, there are lots of other ways to keep children and young people learning. Summer holidays could be the time to try out sailing, golf or something art based. The council runs some schemes and schools may be sent information about local schemes. But once again, unless you meet specific criteria there is likely to be a charge.
Read Read Read It’s been shown over and over again that reading aids general learning. If your child struggles with reading then you definitely need to make sure they keep practising. Holidays could be the time for an intensive catch up course, particularly for younger children, an intensive phonics course for example could really boost reading levels. What they read is almost irrelevant, though clearly parents should select appropriate material, but books, magazines, reading on line or on Kindles, reading recipes or instructions, clues for treasure hunts, newspapers (or sections of them) are all useful and will all give much needed practice. Reading TO children is also really good and sharing, where you each read a bit, can help with books they find a bit hard.
Using Technology Many of us think the summer should be all about dragging kids away from computer screens or play stations and yes, as in all things balance is important, but technology can be a great way of learning. There are lots of sites with games and learning activities for children of all ages. Many schools subscribe to learning sites that children can access from home, so it’s worth checking with the school before the holidays start. Providing you have access to the internet many learning games sites are free, but if you don’t and are struggling to fill the days then using the internet at the public library can be an alternative. On a rainy summer day ‘playing’ some educational games can be useful for their learning and fun for them.
Time Without doubt most children and a lot of young people (though they may struggle to admit it) love spending time with adults, parents, other relatives or friends, and in some ways what they are doing doesn’t matter. It is the quality time with adults that is important. If you are baking a cake, painting a fence or digging an allotment, try to find a way to involve your child, as it can be a great learning opportunity.
Getting Active As a nation we understand more and more that we need to make sure children exercise. One of the good things about the summer holidays is that there is time for walks, bike rides, a game of rounders and simply playing outside. Young children generally have no problem being active, quite the opposite in fact, they love to run, jump, skip, hop, and as we are fortunate enough to have a lot of parks in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, gathering a group of your childrens’ friends and heading to the park is a low cost way of getting them active. It can even be good for the grown ups too!
So this summer don’t worry too much about those looming holidays, simply plan ahead and remember your time is probably the best aid to learning that you could give your child.
For more information and help dealing with emotional issues that impact on your own life 07921 193479 info@attunededucation.com www.attunededucation.com 33