Dr. Wendy Ghiora
June 23, 2013


Looking for a "heart warming" summer read?

Check this out at Amazon.com:

(copy & paste into your browser)

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/179-2542141-8523629?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=unleashing+the+Student%27s+%22I+Can%22





 

Sizzling Summer Learning Ideas for Kids

Dr. Wendy Ghiora – Posting #118 - June22, 2013

Let’s make sure our children stay bright and mentally active throughout the summer. And let's  make it fun at the same time. Here are just a few ideas to try. Many of these activities link to online resources. In most cases, however, the activities can be completed even by those without Internet access. The activities that do require Internet access can be printed and distributed to children or accessed and printed by parents at most public libraries.

1. Read aloud The Paper Crane by Molly Bang. Then introduce the art of paper folding by printing and following the instructions for How to Make an Origami Crane.

2.Help children use pencils, drawing paper, and rulers to create, decorate, and fill in their own summer calendars.

3. Create musical instruments from materials found around the house. Need help? Enchanted Learning provides instructions for such Musical Instruments as a rattle, box guitar, maraca, and rain stick.  

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html

4.Teach kids to cook with the step-by-step lessons and recipes at Cooking With Kids

(http://cookingwithkids.net/

The site also includes measurement reminders, safety tips, and suggestions for involving kids in the cooking process.  Children can also make history books books come alive by trying out recipes from Colonial days, the Civil War, and the Lewis and Clark expedition.

5.Print a grid of dots from Connect the Dots by Math Cats and invite your child to make an original tessellation. http://www.mathcats.com/          

     

6.Read aloud a selection from Candlelight Storybooks or your own favorite myths or fairy tales. Discuss the stories with your child. Then invite your child to choose a favorite story, and together make a diorama depicting a pivotal moment in the tale.

    

7.Staple together pieces of plain paper or use a notebook to help your child make a cartoon flip book. Kids draw a sequence of cartoons and simulate motion as they "flip" through the pages. (Note that the first image in the series should be at the bottom of the stack of pages, and the illustrations should progress from bottom to top.) How to Draw Cartoons or The Complete Cartooning Course by Steve Edgell, Brad Brooks, and Tim Pilcher, offer simple instructions for drawing cartoon figures.

    

8.Learn about national parks from the comfort of your own home, and encourage your child to complete online activities and become a Web Ranger. Materials are grouped by age and include cool awards and a membership card.  http://www.nationalparks.org/connect/npf-kids

    

9.Take a virtual CampusTour of colleges and universities your student might be considering. Tour the schools' grounds, look at maps, view videos and photos, and request information about those institutions of higher learning. If you don't have Internet access at home, take your tour at the local library.

    

10.Kids rarely have the opportunity to design their own rooms to best suit their individual needs. Invite your child to devote some thought to ways to improve his or her living space. Explore with your child Kids' Room Decorating Ideas to find ways your child might individualize his or her room without spending a great deal of money. Then have the child draw the layout of their "new" room. The following questions might guide kids as they consider the possibilities:

        Other than sleeping, what do you do most often in your room? Play games?

        Work on a computer? Listen to music? Do homework? Entertain guests?

        What furniture or other items do you use most often? What do you use least often?

        What kind of storage do you need? A dresser? A bookcase? A clothes hamper? A desk?

        What do you like best about your room? What do you like least?

        How do you want to change your room?

           

11.Turn plain white carnations or fresh-picked Queen Anne's Lace into dramatic colored creations by Coloring Flowers. Using just food coloring and water, flowers can be changed from white to any tint, usually in just one day by leaving the stems in colored water. Colors deepen over time, and kids will enjoy modifying the experiment to see what unique combinations they can make.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/colorchemistryprojects/a/coloredflowers.htm

 

12. Take a fun trip to the zoo and keep children engaged with this packet from Oopsey Daisy (free download): http://www.4shared.com/web/preview/doc/2XbXKber

This is just meant as a starter. I’m sure you can all come up with a myriad of fascinating projects and activities to keep the thinking and imagination of your children working and growing all summer.  Have fun!