by Nicole Thelin

Created on: June 05, 2009   Last Updated: July 20, 2009

Expand the minds of your children this summer by taking advantage of the unique educational opportunities available during this special time of year. There are many creative, unique, and entertaining ways to extend education beyond the school year.

For children who are actively in school, talk with them in depth about what they learned this year. Were any of the topics particularly interesting? Perhaps they particularly enjoyed a unit on dinosaurs, the Grand Canyon, or animals.

There are many ways, both simple and elaborate, that a parent can expound upon this knowledge and cultivate a deeper knowledge of these subjects. Beginning with subjects that children are already interested in eases the transition into a summer mode of learning.

For example, there are many things that a parent can do for a child interested in dinosaurs. Most large metropolitan areas have some form of dinosaur or natural history museum that families can visit. Parents can also make or purchase artificial dinosaur bones and bury them in a sandbox or designated dirt area for an aspiring paleontologist to discover. For an indoor activity, bone shapes can be cut out of paper and mixed on the floor for a child to unscramble and assemble.

If the child or children cannot readily identify areas of interest, the parent may choose to cultivate more interests. It is important for children to learn that there is more subjects and opportunities for knowledge than he or she will ever encounter in school. Children cannot be expected learn to love subjects that they are not exposed to or are introduced to only briefly.

Consider taking a family trip to an interesting local venue such as a planetarium, museum, park, or monument. There are many of these across the nation. Science centers can portray science in a much more interesting light than a textbook can. National and state parks can be an opportunity to teach a child about nature, ecosystems, and even a region's history.

There are many multicultural summer event that occur in cities large and small across the country. Attending these events can open children up to a variety of new ideas, including different methods of dress, food, mannerisms, language and entertainment. These events can vary depending on the history of the region in which the children live.

If there are no such events readily available, parents can encourage children to research a particular culture and host an event of their own for their family, friends and/or neighbors. This provides an entertaining and enriching method of learning.

If reading is an essential function of a summer learning plan, parents can encourage children to make their books come alive by dressing up like characters, acting out scenes, making food the characters like, and writing alternative endings or scenes.

Summer is the time to make learning fun for children. When the textbooks are set aside, learning can take on a new life, becoming exciting and real. This type of education is every bit as important as school learning is.

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