School i s out for the summer and some children will be sent off to camps or extracurricular activities. It has been researched and studied and many professionals agree that children benefit from filling their time to maximize their ability to acquire skills in areas like math, ballet and soccer.
Yet what if we can't afford to give them extra lessons or send them off to camp this year? Will they be left behind or suffer academically? Or can children acquire beneficial skills by being allowed to play outside, read books, explore their neighbourhoods and simply be kids?
Before the 19th century, many children were expected to work in mines and factories and contribute their wages to support their families. Extracurricular activities have taken the place of children's work.
The reality is that children are working hard at school and at lots of other things. A summer off may be a gift that will be appreciated for years to come.
Some of the free time can still be filled with fun activities that can be done close to home and will require minimal cost. Thanks to many wonderful websites, the effort to find ideas can be minimal on the part of the parent or caregiver.
You can start by seeing if anything appeals to your child in this list of 101 things to do this summer.
It would be a challenge not to find something fun to do.
Here are a few other ideas that can easily be adapted into other themes.
If your child loves ballet:
- Put on some classical music, clear a space and let them dance. If they are shy give them privacy.
- Sew a simple tutu.
- Learn about some of the great dancers such as Anna Pavlova, Rudolph Nureyev, and Martha Graham.
- Listen to the music of Swan Lake by Peter Tchaikovsky.
- Gather a few friends and put on a concert.
If your child enjoys soccer:
- Do some research and learn more about the World Cup of Soccer which will be held in South Africa in 2010.
- Learn about some of the great soccer players such as Pele and Beckham.
- Design a gold medal for the world cup of soccer.
- Hold your own world cup of soccer by organizing a series of games with friends and family.
With the help of the internet it is easy to organize activities and expand ideas around a theme that will appeal to your child.
[Photographs copyright by Linda Dunbar. Reproduction prohibited]
