All children look forward to the holidays when they have time off from school. What could be better than no homework to do? We all enjoyed those days, but the one thing that parents don’t consider is that school reinforces what the children are learning and being away from school, especially for longer holidays like Christmas vacation, cause your child to get out of the rhythm of learning and sometimes, especially if they were starting to learn a new skill, they forget some of what they just learned.
This means that the teacher has to refresh the young minds and your child has to refresh this as well. But you can avoid this by continuing the learning experience without your children even realizing they are doing it. The good news is that very simple everyday activities can help your child keep learning.
What Can I Do?
One easy way to keep your child learning is to plan holiday outings and activities with this in mind. You can start by taking your child to a museum, preferably one that has interactive exhibits.
If you have several children, of different ages and/or interests, you should get them involved in choosing an activity. You can let each child pick an outing based on age or their names in alphabetical order. Let the youngest child make the list of who chooses so their alphabet and counting skills are reinforced.
If you don’t have museums don’t fret, you can simply take your children on walks with you. As you come across rabbits or squirrels or other native animals, ask your child where they think the animal lives. Discuss how they could build their homes and what they eat during the winter or during droughts.
When you are at the grocery store have them help you choose the food. If you need five cans of soup, ask your child how much that will cost. If there is a sale on a small package of something, but there is also a larger package of the same product and it is not on sale, ask your child to calculate which is the better deal. You’d be surprised to find that many times the sale is more expensive.
If you use GPS a lot, buy a map as well. Give an older child the map and as the GPS voice gives directions, have your child follow along on the map. Not only is it a great skill to learn, but it makes them less dependent on technology.
If you are looking for a school for your children with many ideas like this, contact Country Club Montessori here in Mansfield, Texas. We have been educating children in the Montessori approach since 1983.
