School’s out…now what??
Most kids want to “veg” out in front of the TV. But growing sofa roots isn’t the best way to spend a summer vacation. Exercising the brain muscle is.
Ever heard of myelin? Myelin is a gel-like substance that grows along brain cells when learning takes place. Imagine dipping a fishing net in jelly. That’s how a memory for life appears in the neural networks of our brains.
Children’s brains contain 10,000 miles of neural network for every cubic inch of cortex. That’s a lot of potential real estate in which to install knowledge. So, don’t let a sunny summer day go to waste. Our children’s chances of myelinating fresh neural nets soars every time we turn off the TV and challenge them with a new activity.
Here are some summer-time Tips to kick off your child’s neural network and are fun too!
1. Hold the video games, board games, and movies for rainy days-they will enjoy them more!
2. Take your camera for a walk. Make a collage or scrapbook of your adventure.
3. Make homemade ice-isles and ice-cream sandwiches. Pour Kool-Aid (or your favorite drink) into ice cube trays. (Experiment with flavors.) Next, insert sticks that you can purchase at craft store or use toothpicks. Freeze and enjoy! To make ice-cream sandwiches, use two cookies of choice. Insert a scoop of your favorite ice-cream and press together. Wrap in plastic-wrap, freeze. Enjoy!
4. Take a trip around the world without leaving home. Each member of the family takes turns choosing a place they want to explore. Personally, I would choose Italy. It would be my job to gather info to share about the country with my family along with picking a few everyday phrases in Italian to learn and teach the rest of the family. The next day, the entire family dresses like the Italians, eats Italian food and speaks in as much Italian as they can.
5. Make a flower, herb, or veggie garden
6. Take a one-day trip to the zoo, aquarium, or museum
7. Have an old-fashion bloc party. Let the kids do the planning AND preparing.
8. Go roller-skating, bike riding, or take a hike at a NEW park
9. Eat outside as often as you can. As your food digest, lie on a blanket under a tree and see how many hidden objects you can find in the clouds. My dad and I use to do this when I was a little girl.
10. Enjoy sundown. Have a contest in catching fireflies or make homemade ice-cream. You might enjoy a game of “kick-the-can.” Remember that one?
11. Join a book club
12. Check out the activities at your local community center
13. Get involved. Volunteer at a Nursing home or hospital
14. Write a play and perform it
Add a summertime activity of your own to the comment section! I’d love to read your idea’s!
Digging for Pearls says
Great ideas for the summer Micca!
Praying you are doing well.
Blessings,
Jodie
Stephanie's Mommy Brain says
Hi Micca! I'm a first time commenter and a subscriber. I love your ideas – especially the trip around the world. That sounds like a lot of fun!!
Summer activities were on my mind for today as well. I have a list of 100 free or cheap things to do on my blog. I hope you can use some of them. 🙂