Question:
I can’t afford to send my children to summer camp or to costly local
programs. Beyond swimming, biking and playing, what activities can I have
them do that they will enjoy and that may be educational?
Answer:
There are so many activities nowadays that can add to summer fun. Here’s
our list of ones that will have some educational element. Talk over these
ideas with your children, and encourage them to select ones that interest
them. Together you can then make a calendar listing all appealing
activities.
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Select one day a week and call it your family’s adventure day. Make
it a point to visit some place of interest in your community – a
historical home or site, a business, a zoo, an unusual museum, a
wildlife park or reserve, or a farm that harvests fruits or
vegetables. -
Visit two great online summer camps: Camp Wonderopolis and Google Maker
Camp. Both have great ideas for things that your children can do. Camp
Wonderopolis lets children explore different tracks of science, and the
Google camp lets them make all kinds of things. They will need to register
for both free camps. -
For activities that are primarily educational but still are fun, visit
our website and look
at all the activities that we have for
math, reading, language arts, science and social studies. They will truly
keep your children learning. -
Check with your local library and parks and recreation departments about
camps and other activities. -
Your children probably like scavenger hunts. There are now high-tech
scavenger hunts where kids find objects using handheld GPS tools or a GPS
app on a smartphone. You can search for them online.
