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Learning Together Joyfully: Summer Fun

Welcome back educators, parents, grandparents and caregivers! Children, anticipating the Summer holidays, are excited and look forward to unstructured time to do as they like. Whether it’s visiting relatives or friends, sightseeing at popular destinations, or just unplugging from daily demands — health and wellness, physical activity and good nutrition will hopefully be a priority. It is a time for parents to support their children to organize their time so they can relax and enjoy fun activities such as chasing shadows or skipping or blowing bubbles…and just enjoying the lazy days of summer holidays! 

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1.  Read and Sing together 📚 

SUMMER ACTIVITY: SKIPPING OR JUMPING ROPE: Do you remember skipping as a child? Lots of friends, rhymes, double jump, skip jumps, hop jump and many more exercises – and lots of fun!   Introduce skipping to children around the age of 4 or 5 and look for the immense benefits it can provide children on an emotional, mental and physical level. There are many reasons why skipping or jumping rope, a classic kids’ activity, has been around for generations and is still popular and relevant today. Skipping involves children in motor planning, strength, range of motion and concentration skills.

Enjoy these read aloud books together or you can also check out your school and public library or bookstore to buy or borrow the following recommended books:

  • Hope Learns to Jump Rope by Amy Cancrye.  “Let me introduce you to a girl called Hope. who didn’t want to start school until she could jump rope. Hope tries to jump rope but soon realizes, jumping rope was harder than she’d ever imagined. Hope tries and tries, but is ready to give up, until she learns the secret to success. This book is a motivational story focused on the most basic of positive character traits. She displays the ability to work hard, and persevere. This is a short rhythmic story of a little girl named Hope, and her overwhelming desire to learn to jump rope, through practice, temporary failure and hard work.” 
  • The Skipping Rope Snake by Carol Ann Duffy. What can a little girl do in the jungle? Play snap with a crocodile? Join-the-dots on a leopard’s spots? Pin-the-tail on an elephant? Or just pick up a snake and skip all the way home! With its irresistible rhyme and “jungly” illustrations, this is a joyful, picture book from Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy.
  • Singily Skipping Along by Sheree Fitch. A “body movement multi-sensory inventive language poem” is is playful and imaginative book, asking the reader to pretend to be a tree, a whale, a spider, a cloud, and to find the many delightful ways they can move their bodies. The text uses some predictable and cumulative patterns but also includes joyful surprise patterns—and a healthy dose of nonsense—to stimulate children’s imaginations. Deanne Fitzpatrick’s hooked rug illustrations bring freedom and texture to the verse, and the result is a tactile and joyful classic Fitch book. 

 SUMMER ACTIVITIES: SHADOWS – As children read these books about shadows they will learn that there are three things required to make a shadow: a source of light; an object to block it; and a surface behind the object for the shadow to fall upon. After sharing these books with them, they may also be inspired to engage in activities and play with their shadows. You can also check out your school and public library or bookstore to buy or borrow the following recommended books.

  • Moonbear’s Shadow by Frank Asch. One sunny day Bear decides to go fishing, but his shadow keeps scaring the fish away, time and time again. Bear tries everything he can think of to get rid of this pesky nuisance. And at last he succeeds—or so he thinks! 

  • What Makes a Shadow? by Clyde Robert Bulla.When you run, your shadow runs. But you can never catch it! What makes a shadow? Where does it come from? When the sun is shining, everything has its own shadow—trees, houses, cars, even clouds and planes way up in the sky. You have a shadow, too. As the sun sets, all shadows become part of a much larger one—the night! Young readers will discover what makes the shadows they see and will be introduced to the fun of making shadows of their own. This is a clear and appealing science book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom.

 

  • My Shadow by Robert Louis Stevenson. Inside, outside, climbing up the stairs, or jumping into bed, your shadow may be following you! He may even be one step ahead as you run down the street! Complete with a cast of the whole family, a cat, a dog, and a teddy, this story is for everyone. Little ones who are just discovering their shadows for the first time will find inspiration between these pages, while older, more experienced kids are sure to learn new ways to play with their shadows.
  • Guess Whose Shadow? By Stephen R. Swinburne. This concept book introduces children to the basics of shadows and then leads them on a shadow hunt, playing a game called “Guess Whose Shadow?” in which young ones will discover there’s more to shadows than first meets the eye. 

SUMMER ACTIVITIES: BUBBLES – Playing with bubbles seems to capture the attention of children of all ages. It is a fun energy-burning undertaking, a science experiment, a leisurely way to pass the time, and a great sensory fun project. Read the following books to encourage children to enjoy playing and experimenting with bubbles.

  • The Bubble Factory by Tomi De Paola. Joining their grandpa on a tour of the Bubble Factory, a pair of mischievous twins get into “bubble trouble” in the Bubble Boutique, Bubble Bathery, and Bubble Gummery, in a story that is accompanied by bubble solution and a wand.
  • You Can’t Kiss a Bubble by Karen A Wyle. What can you do with a bubble? Many children – and adults – find bubbles fascinating, even enchanting. And yet they’re so different from most things we enjoy, lasting only a few moments. This book, with its lovely and whimsical illustrations, looks at both the charm and the transitory nature of bubbles, and reminds us that we can take joy even in the impermanent. 
  • Fancy Nancy Bubbles, Bubbles and More Bubbles by Jane O’Connor. Fancy Nancy and her class are going to see The Big Bubble Show! Nancy and Bree can’t wait to go. But when Bree gets sick and has to miss the show, Nancy decides to put on a bubble show of her own. Will Nancy and her classmates be able to put on the best bubble show ever? 
  • Bubbles Float, Bubbles Pop by Mark Weakland. What makes a bubble float? Are the bubbles in your soda the same as the bubbles in your tub? What makes a bubble pop? Discover the wonder and science of bubbles in this non-fiction book.
  • We Love Bubbles! by Vikram Madan. Did you ever have a friend who likes doing something that you find completely annoying? Well, Bobo and Pup-Pup both LOVE bubbles. Bubbles are the absolute best–on that they can agree! While Pup-Pup loves blowing them, Bobo LOVES popping them…way too much for Pup-Pup’s taste. It’s getting frustrating! Pup-Pup has a clever idea to stop Bobo from popping them. But, then Bobo gets carried away…literally!

SONGS: The following songs can be used to introduce the following topics: camping, skipping, shadows, and bubbles. Songs are a simple way to expand children’s vocabulary as they memorize repetitive words or learn how language works and how phrases are put together.

CAMPING

SKIPPING SONGS

BLOWING BUBBLES

SHADOWS

2. Create together: Puzzles, Crafts, Drawing and Constructing 🧩 

Crafts frequently focus on the development of fine motor skills. Cutting, pasting, tearing, and positioning are functional tasks that require fine motor strength, coordination, grasp, precision, and manipulation of craft materials and tools. Children can create while working on skills like fine motor dexterity and strength, line awareness, scissor skills, language, self-confidence, problem-solving, tool use, and more. Below, you’ll find crafts for kids that can be used to promote many of these skills.

SUMMERTIME FUN: SHADOWS – The following activities teach children about light, seasons, how shadows are made and how they change throughout the day. Read more about teaching children about shadows.

SUMMERTIME FUN: BUBBLES – Who doesn’t love bubbles? Children can learn how to make their own bubble solution or how to make a homemade wand to make large bubbles or how to make bubble snakes and more. Read on to find more fun bubble activities.

Art anyone? Learn how to make How to Make Art with Bubbles or  Frozen Bubbles. (CuriOdyssey.org)

3. Explore, Engage & Interact together 🌍

SUMMERTIME FUN: PLAY DOUGH AND LOOSE PARTS – There are many benefits for children who engage with play dough. It advances their fine motor development building up hand muscles as well as enhances their eye-hand coordination. It encourages creative open-ended imaginative play turning ideas into shapes. Play Dough can promote stress relief and can be calming as children pummel, roll and squeeze. It supports literacy and numeracy development as it is a great way to practice numbers and letters. Finally it promotes playtime and if playing with others can enhance social skills.

PowerfulMothering.com
This lavender playdough smells so good! Its our go-to no-cook homemade play dough - relaxing and fun for the kids.
  • Playdough is for the Birds! Playdough Bird Craft for Kids – As children watch birds nesting around their home, creating their own playdough bird nests is a great summer activity. Gather some sticks, leaves, berries, pine cone pieces, grass, or other natural loose parts and encourage them to create their own bird nest. (Howweelearn.com)
A great idea for playdough! Make a bird's nest for spring.
awesome idea for things to do with playdough!
  • Ocean Playdough and Loose Parts – Sparkly playdough, along with some shells, gems, and other beach-themed loose parts, makes for a wonderful summer-sensory activity. (theimiaginationtree.com)
  • Summer Theme Play Dough – This playdough setup is a great invitation to play. With scented playdough, little umbrellas, and tiny cocktail picks, children can create and serve some summer, pretend-play drinks. (Learning4kids.com)
  • Ice Cream Play Dough Tray – For this activity, all you need are a few small bowls, playdough, and a bunch of loose parts like pom-poms, beads, cut up straws, and some spoons. Children will love making their fun and colourful sundaes! (Engaginglittles.com)
  • Playdough Flowers Counting Activity – Children will practice fine motor skills as they roll and shape their summer flowers and then practice number skills as they count and add the right number of petals to their flowers. (Messylittlemonster.com)
  • Scented Kool Aid Watermelon Playdough – This playdough recipe uses Kool-Aid to give the playdough a wonderful summery scent! Children can add small black beans or sunflower seeds to add “seeds” to their watermelon, practicing fine motor skills and counting. (123homeschool4me.com)
  • Sunflower STEAM Activity with Homemade Playdough – This activity breaks down the process of making playdough into a wonderful STEAM learning experience for children—mixtures, solutions, and substances. Children will enjoy using seeds and pipe-cleaners to make some playdough sunflowers. (STEAMpoweredfamily.com)
  • Ice Cream Shop with Edible Playdoh – This edible “playdough” is made from frosting, powdered sugar, and a bit of food colouring. It is very sweet, so you will want to make sure children don’t eat too much as they are creating their masterpieces! (lifeonlavender.com)
  • Scented Lemonade Playdough – Nothing says summer more than freshly squeezed lemonade or the smell of freshly squeezed lemonade. Whip up a batch of playdough and add in some lemonade Kool-Aid mix, along with some yellow food colouring, and you’re set for a summertime, sensory experience. (preschoolplay&learn.com)

4. Healthy Living: Movement & Nutrition 👭

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SUMMERTIME MOVEMENT: SKIPPING – In today’s world where children are increasingly distracted with electronic devices, it is important to encourage them to participate in more physical activity to maintain their health and well-being and to promote good physical development. Jumping rope is a great summer activity to keep children fit and active. There are many benefits for children to learn how to skip. It promotes cognitive and emotional development as endorphins boost mood, memory & mental alertness; it also promotes relaxation and induces a sense of well-being. Their self-esteem and confidence builds as their skills improve, they make new friends, and try new things. It enhances collaboration, creativity and friendship as kids or groups are involved in teamwork. Children enjoy better balance and coordination as they practice jumping on the balls of their feet. Their overall muscle strength and strong bones are built in a fun and engaging way. Skipping, a fun and affordable activity, is portable, done anywhere and gets kids outside moving and burning off energy!

  • Read about some more Jump Rope Games your children can enjoy.. 
  • Jump for joy, summer is here! It not only gets hearts pumping, but it also strengthens bones.
  • Jumping rope is the perfect summer activity. All you need is a rope and a little bit of space. Encourage kids to start jumping with these fun activities:
    • How long can you jump? Keep track of how many minutes you jump each week and see if you can increase your time each day!
    • Have a jump rope contest with your friends! Who can jump rope for the longest time without stopping? Do double-dutch with friends.
  • Play your child’s favorite song on speakers and see if they can jump the entire time.
  • Read more about Why Every Child Must Have a Jump Rope.

SUMMERTIME NUTRITION:

  • Frozen Fruit Kabobs – These are perfect for children to cool down during the hot summer months. A healthy alternative to popsicles, this is a recipe that younger kids can easily make. Use fresh fruit that your child loves, but also consider introducing children to new fruits such as kiwi, star fruit, mango or pineapple. (Sugaraunts.com)
  • Ants on a log – this is a fun way to get children interested in “playing” in the kitchen and eating their veggies. (healthylittlefoodies.com)
  • Fruit Swords – a healthy snack of local fruit either picked from the garden or purchased from the store that is easy to prepare. (raindaymums.co.uk)

5. Reflect: Thoughts of the Day about Learning 💭

QuotesGram.com
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theiminaginationtree.com
theprimarypack.blogspot.com.au