smart summer challenge fun learning ideas: week 2

It’s almost week #2 of our Smart Summer Learning Challenge–the campaign we’ve created to let all parents know the important–and totally fun–role they play in their children’s summer learning!

Like I’ve said before, it doesn’t have to be a huge and complicated activity; it can be short, sweet, and meaningful–done in the span of a great game or read-aloud . . .

. . . and even if you missed week #1, it’s not too late to jump on board now.  With a calendar full of ideas and prizes every week, there’s no reason not to join us. And you know who really benefits from your participation? You got it–your kids!

 

Here are some ideas for week #2:

• Ice-cream party: Take a poll about everyone’s favorite ice-cream flavor, and then chart the results

• Take the ice-cream poll to the pool or at a July 4th picnic–make a poster and then hang it up!
• On a big sheet of paper or poster board, write every flavor of ice-cream and then have picnic guests or pool friends make a smiley face near their favorite flavor–then tomorrow analyze results!
• Make your own ice-cream in a ziplock bag–so fun!

• Clean coins with different solutions and then figure out what works best

• Skip count using coins
• Wrap coins and take them to the bank–cash them in!
• Do a little internet searching about the presidents who live on our coins
• Collect coins and then decide on a meaningful charity to donate your collection

• List all of the ways you can use a nickel other than for money

• Write a story about how someone used a nickel in a silly or unusual way
• Research the history of the nickel
• Design your own nickel

• Read about your country and then write an acrostic poem using the country’s name

• Visit the library and find books about your country
• Make an acrostic poem for your name
• Look at the weather forecast for your area–and compare it to other areas of the country
• Watch a video about your country
• Make a list of all of the places you’d like to visit in your country

• Sit under a tree and read a book with someone special

• Write a note to someone special
• Send top-secret happy day notes around your neighborhood
• Try Skype–talk with someone special on the computer

• Visit a local government office–post office, county clerk, police station, or fire department

• Draw a picture for someone who works at a county office–then send it to him or her
• Discuss strategies for staying safe–figure out your family’s ‘Safeside Adults‘
• [For parents/ caregivers only] Become aware of safe areas of your neighborhood
• Play pretend–transform your living room into a fire station, police station, or even the White House

 

Remember, The Smart Summer Challenge is simple–it’s a challenge for all parents to pledge to incorporate at least one learning activity into their child’s day over the summer vacation.  That’s it.

The learning activity can be as simple as reading a book or as involved as packing up the crew and taking a hike.  It’s as involved as you want it to be, and our focus is to help parents realize the important role they play in helping their kids avoid the summer learning slump.

Here’s our calendar to print and hang on the fridge:
Smart Summer Challenge Calendar 2011

 

And if you are up for joining us in the Smart Summer Challenge–which we hope you are!–here’s what you can do:

• Step 1: The first step is to “Like” the Smart Summer Challenge on Facebook, if you have an account. We’ll be using the FB page to share ideas, questions, and successes from challenge participants.

• Step 2: If you are a blogger, we would love for you to grab our “Smart Summer Challenge” Badge for your sidebar and/or Smart Summer posts. Grab the code on the right sidebar!

• Step 3: Each week, from June 27 through August 5, we will be posting daily activities on our blogs. We would love if you would blog along as often as you wish (even once a week is great!) and share what you are doing to keep the learning going over the summer.

• Step 4: On Friday of each of the Smart Summer Challenge weeks, we will post a themed “linky” on our blogs where you can share your recent or archived posts. If you do not have a blog, please feel free to share your activities and pictures on the Smart Summer Challenge facebook page! We will highlight posts from participants on our blogs and on facebook.

We hope you will visit and comment on each other’s posts so we can all learn together!  You can find the Smart Summer Challenge linky each Friday here, on teachmama.com or on PinkAndGreenMama or NaturallyEducational.com.

Don’t forget to check out the we teach Summertime Learning eBook for even more cool summer learning ideas on we teach–you can download the whole thing for free and you’ll have a good 30 ideas!

Interested to know what kind of prizes we’re giving away to participants? Here are a few. . .

• $100 to your local book shop or toy store of choice, thanks to Juice in the City
• $150 to your local book shop or toy store of choice, thanks to Juice in the City
• $150 to use at Rosie Hippo
• $200 gift pack of LeapFrog products
• $200 to use at Guidecraft
• and more!

Looking forward to making this a Smart Summer for everyone–and for more ideas, visit my pals, Candace at NaturallyEducational.com and MaryLea at PinkAndGreenMama!