Summer is coming - ready or not! Children view summer with anticipation as a time to kick back and have fun. However, many parents dread summer because it means patching together childcare arrangements and worrying about losing ground that their child made during the school year. The keys to a great summer are careful planning and an attitude adjustment.
Try reframing summer as a time for you and your child to use play as a way to continue the progress that he/she made during the year. Gardening, for example, is truly for everyone and children will learn many skills and concepts. Plan a garden with your child in mind. If your child has visual limitations plan a sensory garden with mint, dill, and other herbs. How about a pizza garden with oregano? If your child has physical limitations, consider ergonomically designed tools and/or raised planting beds. Many resources for gardening with children are available on the internet or through your state extension service.
Planning is key to making an enjoyable summer happen. Book into your calendar regular events, such as park concerts with picnic dinners. Invite other families to join in and make it a pot luck. Your child with benefit from experiencing various types of music and learn about beat and rhythm in a fun way. Social skills are also enhanced when children have opportunities to socialize with others.
Search online resources such as your local childcare resource and referral agency, your community calendar, your newspaper, or just Google “children’s activities” to find classes and experiences offered this summer that would be great for your child. Plan to enroll early for these programs. Hire a college student part time or switch with a friend if you need someone to transport your child. Be sure to help your child with the transition to summer by having them help plan and prepare for what is to come. Think about your inner summer child of the past and try to introduce your child to some of those things that you loved to do. It may be as simple as picking dandelions or lying in the grass and pointing out cloud shapes. Get out there and play, you’re learning too!