COUNSELOR’S CORNER

SUMMER IS A GREAT TIME FOR STUDENTS to rest and recharge for the next school year, but it’s important for your mind and body to stay active. Try some of these activities with your family to keep yourself active.

Tips for families and students to do over the summer!

• Allen ISD Summer Activities - Allen ISD offers different summer activities, including Community Education camps and Athletics camps. Visit AllenISD.org for more information.

• Read! - Summer is a great time to connect with literature in different ways. This can be through story time, book clubs and different reading challenges. You can get the whole family involved in creating a summer reading plan.

• Hit the trail! - Getting outdoors is a great way to connect with nature, family, and friends. Allen has a variety of parks and trails to explore. Outdoor activities offer ways to physically get moving as well as allow children to explore their natural environment and problem-solve. This also is a great way to connect science with nature by inspecting trees, animals, and bugs in their natural habitat. You can find parks and trails in Allen at CityofAllen.org.

• Play! - Play is vital to developmental milestones in children, no matter what their age. Playing develops important social and problem solving skills that all children need, including teens.

• Play Outdoors! - Visiting parks and playgrounds is a great way to enhance physical exercise and dexterity, along with reaping the benefits of sunlight and Vitamin D.

• Play Indoors! - Break out the board games! Creating space for family board games helps children learn to cooperate, problem solve, and develop social interactions which include being a good sport, win or lose!

• Plant a garden - An outdoor activity to do as a family is to plant a garden. Invite children to decide what they would like to grow, whether it be vegetables, herbs, or plants. You can purchase inexpensive planter boxes, build them on your own, or repurpose materials to create one. Get to your local nursery for seeds and help children go investigate what it takes to grow their selectionsunlight, water, soil, etc. They can chart the progress, take pictures of the progress, or simply enjoy being involved in watching it grow.

• Unplug - Set time each day for children to be unplugged from electronic devices (phones, computers, video games, TV, etc.). Since summertime is often unstructured, screen time can become elusive. When it’s time to unplug, be sure to help them choose what to do with their time - arts and crafts, outdoor play, board games, recreation, etc.

• Have a Picnic! - Summer is an especially good time to picnic outdoors. With extended daylight hours, evenings can be spent outside. Picnics do not have to be elaborate. You can picnic in your own backyard, a park, or neighborhood. Changing locations to eat outdoors provides time to get out of the house and see new scenery.