Glossary:

Oblivescence:  forgetfulness, forgetting

Keep ‘em Busy

A month into summer now and the kids are getting bored?  Here are two fun activities that can occupy them for more than a day and create memories: 

• Broadway Babies.  Have the kids write, produce and put on a play each month.  Check out library books on plays and theater, and have them encourage friends to join in.  If your kids are tech-savvy, let them create movies.
• Memory Makers.  Start a summer scrapbook.  Let youngsters take photos of anything their hearts desire, using a child’s digital or disposable camera.  Have them work on scrapbooks each week.  By summer’s end, they will have a keepsake.

Keep ‘em Smart

Unless the kids are in year-round school, the long summer break tends to be a time when what they learned in class gets forgotten.  The Brain Quest Workbooks for pre-K to fourth-grade students are a way to help kids maintain their sills and learn new ones.  The cover the three Rs along with science, social studies and other topics like “Time and Money” or “Fun and Games.”

Students of all ages can take advantage of the long summer break to catch up on fun reading that they have missed out on during the school year due to homework and extracurricular activities. Some schools have required summer reading. If your school does not impose such a requirement, there are many resources that can spark your child’s interest in reading and vocabulary.

* Public libraries: For younger children, many libraries offer story hours and summer reading programs, usually built around a theme, that offer incentives and rewards for youngsters to read. The children’s librarian or the reference librarian can offer suggestions about books that are age-appropriate and match your student’s interests. Visit the library with your child frequently so he can browse the bookshelves and look at the latest magazines.

* Recommended reading lists: The American Library Association (ALA) and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) are both well-known organizations that provide through their respective websites a wealth of specialized reading lists for all age groups and areas of interest. Check out the following links:

 http://www.ilovelibraries.org/booklovers/recreading
 http://www.rif.org/educators/books/book_list_index.mspx

* Freerice.com: This philanthropic and educational website is a fun way for children, teens and adults to test and build their vocabulary knowledge. The website is designed to automatically adjust to the user’s level of vocabulary. It begins by asking you the definition of a word, giving you four answers from which to choose. Based on how you answer a series of such questions, the program will adjust the level of difficulty upward or downward. When you correctly get three words in a row, the level of difficulty automatically increases. Another interesting feature is that when you define a word incorrectly, you will be asked that same word a few turns later in order to “re-test” you. You can also click on an icon to the right of a word to hear how it is pronounced. FreeRice describes itself as a website that is designed to end world hunger. For every correct answer a player gets, 20 grains of rice are donated to the United Nations World Food Program (WPF). Sponsors make all payments to the UN World Food Program directly. Beware: This is an addicting site!

*  The SAT Game for Dummies: From the well-known “For Dummies” series, this trivia-style board game is touted as a fun and interactive way to prepare for the SAT. The game is designed to be played with multiple players who all have incentives to answer each other’s questions so everyone gets involved on every turn. Competition between players mimics the competitive environment of test day and questions are timed.

  
* SAT Vocabulary Novels: These free on-line novels, produced by the folks at SparkNotes, incorporate 1,000 of the most frequently tested vocabulary words and provide definitions. An interesting-dare we say “novel” -alternative to boring old flashcards!

Do your kids spend the summers moping around the house, watching television and complaining of boredom? Put an end to summer sluggishness by providing your children with activities and ideas that will get them motivated and moving. Squash summer boredom and have a wonderful season!

Culinary Projects

Are your children always underfoot in the kitchen? The summer can be your opportunity to teach them how to cook their favorite dishes. Plan out meals, make shopping lists, and hit the grocery store together. Cooking is a fun way to spend time with your kids while teaching them something new. Plus, they’ll have the satisfaction of being able to say, “I made it myself!”

Go to a Museum

At the start of the summer, check out your local museum’s schedule and search for exhibits that your child might find interesting. Mark them on your calendar, and read up on the exhibit and the subject matter before you go. Challenge one another to remember facts and data, and turn this learning experience into a fun day that your child will look forward to.

Summer Scrapbook

Encourage your child to create a scrapbook that documents her experiences throughout the summer. A scrapbook can be more fun - and less demanding - than journaling. Your child can draw pictures, paste in concert or movie tickets, and use bright colors and glittery accessories. This arts and crafts activity will motivate her to stay active so that she will have more experiences to describe in the book.

Volunteer

Check out churches, soup kitchens, or community centers in your area for volunteer opportunities that are appropriate for kids, and encourage your child to get involved. Volunteering will do more for your child than just keep him busy: it will offer him a new perspective and introduce him to new and interesting people. Best of all, he’ll feel good about helping others.

Put on a Production

Let your children experience the thrill of the stage by organizing a play, a film, or a dance with them and their friends. Have the group develop a story idea, write a script, and make costumes. Once the production is ready, assemble family members to watch the performance and perhaps videotape it. This is a fun and creative way for your kids to spend their time, and they can be proud of the end result on show night.

Garden

If you enjoy gardening, share your hobby with your kids. It’s a great way to get your children away from the television and out into the sunshine. Gardening can be hard work, but your kids can help with the lighter tasks, and they’ll enjoy learning about the plants and flowers that grow in your yard. Enjoy making the outdoors beautiful together - it’s a great way to bond with your family!

Summer Festivals

Along with summer come fun festivals throughout the country. Did you know that the teeny town of Spivy’s Corner, North Carolina holds an annual Hollerin’ Festival, where a contest is held to determine the screamer with the most style? In Wisconsin, citizens of Prairie du Sac are challenged to see who can throw cow dung the farthest. You may not find a festival quite as wacky in your local area, but there is sure to be some sort of festival nearby. Take the whole family for a summer celebration.

Take a walk

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best. Summer weather doesn’t last year-round, so take advantage of the balmy breezes and head out for a stroll with your child. Leave your cell phone at home and enjoy the day. Consider this a chance to chat with your child and find out what is happening in his life.
 

The I Spy Games

I Spy is one of the first car games your kids will probably ever learn. It’s the kind of game you start playing with kids long before the first car trip. You may have played it for the first time with your little one in the doctor’s office—when you were waiting … and waiting … for your name to be called. It might be one of the first games that pops into your head to keep your child from getting bored. It’s a great game to play one-on-one or in a group.

I Spy with One Child

If you’re playing with one child, you start by saying “I spy with my little eye, something that is …” and fill in with a color. The child is then required to guess what it is you’re looking at. You can pick any color, of course. It’s a great way to help your child build an understanding of colors.

When the child guesses the object, it is then the child’s turn to “spy” something. You keep going back and forth, alternating turns.

If the child is a little bit older, you can use letters. “I spy with my little eye, something starting with the letter B.” If the child knows some basic reading skills, you can easily play this game with him or her.

If one of you never guesses the object and “gives up,” the person who did the spying gets to take another turn.

Who Am I?

When I was a kid, we called “Who Am I?” 20 Questions. One person thinks of something—person, place, or thing—and asks, “Who am I?” To figure it out, the other players have to ask questions like:

• Are you an animal?
• Are you blue?
• Do you swim in the ocean?

The person answering should only give “yes” or “no” answers to make the game a little trickier. With little kids, you might want to allow full answers so they don’t get too frustrated with the game.