When it comes to early childhood education, every minute counts toward your child’s social and motor skills. Best described as sponges, children take in everything that goes on around them. So, there is always a way to challenge them and open their minds to learning, no matter where you are. Many children look forward to summer because it means time away from school. However, that should not mean that we stop educating our children. They are always learning, so why not take regular summer activities and allow our children to continue to expand their horizons?
A Day at the Beach
Children are fascinated by the creatures they can run into at the shoreline that are different from what they come into contact with on a daily basis. Encounters can become a learning experience that your child won’t forget. There are many things to find on the beach, from seashells to seaweed to little creatures in the water. You can use these moments to teach them about the ecosystem that they are currently in and how it is different from home, such as what lives around and what you find. You can also allow them to play with the sand and learn about the differences between dry and wet sand as well as what the wet sand can do. Allow them to build and destroy as they find out. Many things can happen during a day at the beach, and anything can teach children.
Take time to grow some veggies
When a lot of children learn about food, they open the fridge and figure that’s where their food originates. While this is very true for a majority of their diet, you can also use the beautiful weather to grow a garden with vegetables and greens so that they can grow their salad. It is a fun way to teach children where some of their food comes from outside of the supermarket. It also may get your kids willing to eat some vegetables when they are interactive with them. If you have space for a small garden or a small flower box, you can try to grow some tomatoes with a tomato plant, lettuce, or even some baby carrots. You can use this time to teach them about how to care for the plants, protect them from their “predators” such as cats and rabbits, and then show them how they get prepared for the plate.
Museums can unlock new interests
No age is too young for your child to get interested in something. If they show interest in fairy tales, take them to a castle museum. We have one in Massachusetts! If they like planes, take them to see some planes at Hansom Air Force Base. This way, your children can explore what makes them happy while learning all they can. Also, it will give your kids the opportunity to learn about different things they cannot see every day. Just a trip to the science museum on those hot days can make your child see things in a whole new way.
These activities are just some of the ways that you can take summer opportunities to teach your child. Education is not always in a classroom, and as parents and educators, we should take the opportunity to expand our children’s early childhood education in a million ways. Even if it is something small, it does the trick!
