Betty Vasquez: 4 Simple Summer Routines for Beating the Summer Slide

Summer Learning Activities for Kids - 4 ridiculously easy ways to beat the summer slide and keep your kids learning all summer long.

Next week is the last week of school for us and I know summer vacation has already started for many of you! To help you prepare for a wonderful summer filled with lots of relaxing, playing, connecting, and – yes – even learning, I’ve asked my good friend Mariah of Playful Learning to stop by and share her tips.

To say Mariah is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to education, is an understatement.

She has 20 years of experience working in the field of education and a Master of Science degree in Education. She’s worked as both a teacher and director at highly respected schools such as The Dalton School in Manhattan and The Ross School in East Hampton, New York.

In 2008 Mariah brought her expertise online when she started Playful Learning, a resource for parents and teachers.

Since then she has built a team of gifted educators at Playful Learning who passionately believe that how you teach children is equally important as what you teach them. And that there is a magic that happens when you meld a child’s interests and curiosity with thoughtfully planned experiences.

The work they have done has enriched the lives of families all over the world and in 2010 Playful Learning received the Parent’s Choice Gold Medal.

Have I convinced you? This is someone who knows her stuff and she’s got some great tips for us! I’m especially excited to try out tip #4 this summer- so smart, I can’t believe I never thought to use books in this way before!

Before we get to that, though, along with her free tips, Mariah has also generously put together an exclusive MPMK readers discount and bonus package for her online summer learning program, Camp Playful Learning!

For the Next 7 days only (!), Use code MPMK20 and Get:

20% Off Any Camp Playful Learning Purchase

Use the code to pick your workshops week by week, or buy the Summer Learning Pass and get all 7 online courses plus 3 online kids’ books clubs for $90 off… that means, with the additional 20% off code, MPMK readers actually get the pass for $126 Off the regular price! (and you get continued access to each class once it goes live so no worries if you’re out of town the week it comes out).

Plus these free bonuses

Access to their Playful Learning Spaces online workshop (a $78 value) – I took this class from Mariah and absolutely loved what it taught me about how to set up my playroom for maximum engagement.
An exclusive package of 10 writing paper printables to include in your writing center – this bonus pack was created just for MPMK readers and is not available anywhere else.

If you’re interested in a step-by-step plan for keeping your kids engaged and learning this summer in a low-stress and fun way, I highly recommend you check out Camp Playful Learning!

Now, here’s Mariah with those tips…

Concerned about the summer slide?

We all want our children to experience the delights of the summer season, yet the learning gap that happens while children are out of school is very real.

The good news is that you can have the best of both worlds! Below are some simple tips and doses of inspiration for providing your child with play-based learning experiences that help reverse the summer slide.

kids writing center

1) Set-Up a Writing Center

Create it and they will come… It’s almost like magic! If you’d like to see your children writing for pleasure in their free time, then create an inviting space with a variety of engaging materials.

The goal of a good writing area is to entice children to express themselves and their ideas and to connect with friends and loved ones through writing and drawing. When they discover that writing is a means for expressing their thoughts, sharing their stories, and relating to people in their lives, it becomes a joyful medium for them through which they find their voices.

It’s helpful to think of the supplies we, as adults, like to use when we are writing letters, making cards, etc. and go from there. Keep it simple, just start by putting a few materials out in a pretty display and observe how your children respond.

Some possible items to include:

Variety of different papers for writing in different sizes, colors, and textures.
Blank books (these can be as simple as a few pieces of paper staples together or check out MPMK’s tutorial on making experience journals)
Fun pencils, pens, and colored pencils
Alphabet stickers and stamps (these are an MPMK favorite)
Helpful supplies, like tape, paper clips, sticky notes, stapler, etc.

invitation to learn

2) Create Invitations

Leave out “invitations” that encourage your children to explore a new topic (or an old favorite). What I love about creating these invitations is that they are easy to put together and you can use materials and activities that you already have on hand.

It helps to think of these invitations as a way to highlight your child’s underused supplies, games or toys. It is amazing how putting together a few thoughtfully selected items on/in a tray, bin, or basket can reawaken a child’s interest.

Start by looking through your children’s toys and materials with the idea of sorting them by themes, you will often find that you already have everything you need to create an enticing invitation.

You will be amazed to find that old toys presented in new ways can spark a fresh interest in your child. And, here comes the best part, all you have to do is leave them out for your child to discover. You don’t have to say a thing!

collections

3) Start Collecting

Children are natural collectors. Tap into their enthusiasm for finding natural treasures and encourage them curate their very own collections from nature.

When you return home with all of your newfound discoveries, provide simple, baskets, boxes, and trays so that your child can create a display. MPMK’s DIY Vacation Memory Jars are another great way for storing these collections.

Keep field guides and non-fiction books handy to do additional research on the items they found.

books that enhance play

4) Spread the (Book) Love!

Placing books in special places throughout your house is a great way to encourage exploration, research, and can prompt great discussions. It’s fun to display books near materials that your children use on a daily basis, to encourage a deeper investigation into a certain topic.

For example:

Keep child-friendly cookbooks in the kitchen
Add books about architecture near the block area
Display books about art and artists near the craft materials
Leave out how-to books near the corresponding craft supplies
Don’t underestimate the power of interesting coffee table books. I have started rotating ours every couple on months and have found that my daughters will always flip through them and that they spark some great family discussions.

Carefully placing books in select locations for children sends them the message that books are helpful resources and can be used to make their everyday experiences more meaningful.

These are just a few tips to get you started on a summer filled with Playful Learning. If you’d like to take your experiences to the next level, make sure to check out our new online offering just for summer Camp Playful Learning.

You can pick your workshops week by week or purchase the Summer Learning Pass and guarantee that your child will be playfully learning all summer long…

For more information, click here.

Exclusive Discount & Bonus for MPMK Readers

For the next 7 days only (!), use the code MPMK20 and get:

20% Off Any Camp Playful Learning Purchase

Plus these free bonuses

Access to our Playful Learning Spaces online workshop (a $78 value) – I took these class from Mariah and absolutely loved what it taught me about how to set up my playroom for maximum engagement.
An exclusive package of 10 writing paper printables to include in your writing center – this bonus pack was created just for MPMK readers and is not available anywhere else.