Summertime Learning Games
© Irene Taylor
It is finally summer! Everyone is looking forward to several months away from school. But, how will your child stay sharp over the summer, and not forget the valuable lessons learned during the school year? There are many fun ways to "practice" school skills, and have fun at the same time. Here are just a few. Use these as starters. Then be creative and you'll find lots of other ways to have fun and learn in the good old summertime.
Money Riddles: Ask your child simple money riddles such as, "I have four coins that equal 21 cents. What are they?" These kinds of questions give your child good practice with mental money figuring.
Newspaper Math: Search through the newspaper for mathematical data. Look for numbers in the news. Can you find the following things in the newspaper: a graph, a number less than 10, a number more than 50, a number more than 100, a number that is more than 100 but less than 999, a number that is more than 1,000, more that 10,000, more than a million, something that comes in 2's, 3's, 4's, something that comes in a dozen, today's date, yesterday's date, the days of the week, the months of the year, a symbol or word for inches, feet, or yards, a schedule of some kind, a triangle, circle, or square, a weather symbol, a percent sign, sports statistics. How else are numbers used in the newspaper?
Board Game Fun: Playing board games can be another way to practice math, spelling, or vocabulary. Simply add the rule that each player must spell a word, answer a number fact, or a vocabulary question before taking a turn. Choose the questions from material you want to review with your child. This is even a great way to "review" for an upcoming test during the school year. Before each turn ask your child a question related to the subject being studied. When it is your turn, let your child ask YOU a question on the same material.
Games for the Car:
Here are some fun games to play in the car whether you are going on a long trip, or just a short trip to the store.
Using the Alphabet: Find words on signs, or objects seen from the car in alphabetical order. Take turns, or just keep track of the letter you are on as everyone in the car keeps an eye out for the right word or object.
License Plate Math:
