by Cathy Keturatana

Created on: June 09, 2009   Last Updated: July 20, 2009

Wiling away the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer is tempting, but too many lazy days now can mean countless crazy days later when your child returns to school with only a hazy memory of all that he learned just three months earlier.

Consider these ideas for extending your child's educational experiences this summer. Chances are he'll have so much fun, he won't even realize he's learning!

While at home . . .

* Cooking and baking provide meaningful practice in reading and following directions, measuring, counting, and working with fractions.

* Your child can follow a recipe for homemade play dough and then create his own sculptures. Suggest he design a character or setting from a book or make his own castle, fort, or pueblo to tie in reading skills or social studies topics.

* Experiment with dish soap, baking soda, and vinegar to create a volcano, or encourage your child to try other science experiments that can be done using simple household materials. For suggestions, look online or head to the local library.

* Play games like Scrabble and Boggle to practice spelling and phonics skills. Monopoly encourages children to count, add, and subtract while Clue offers a fun approach to problem solving and critical thinking. Hasbro's Cranium games are perfect for preschoolers to adults.

* Don't discount Web sites or computer games. Sites like Study Island.com and FunBrain.com are aligned to state standards and provide games and tutorials that children learn from and enjoy. Programs like Summer Bridge help your child review skills learned during the school year to decrease summer learning loss.

Consider taking your child on more unusual field trips such as...

* An afternoon concert. Encourage him to listen for different instruments; then recreate the compositions at home using pots and spoons, bells, and kazoos.

* A sporting event. Golf, soccer, baseball, and basketball provide great practice in probability and statistics.

* A movie or play. Read the book first and then discuss similarities and differences. Ask your child if the characters and settings looked as he imagined them to be. Find out which version of the story he prefers.

* Many grocery stores, restaurants, veterinary offices, hospitals, fire stations, and police stations offer tours of their facilities. Also consider a tour of a local factory that manufactures a product your child is familiar with or a city sightseeing tour.

Seek out groups and speakers with similar interests as your child to share their expertise. Ideas include . . .

* Animal rescue groups

* Theater troupes

* Choirs and bands.

* Gardening clubs

* Sports teams

Plan your vacation around school topics of study, and pack a travel journal for your child. Possible travel destinations include . . .

* Military forts and Civil War battle sites

* Washington D.C.

* Kennedy Space Center

* Mount St. Helens

Focus on the fun; the learning will happen naturally. Your child deserves a mental break and will feel refreshed and ready to continue learning come fall.

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