School may be out for the summer, but learning doesn’t have to stop just because kids aren’t in a classroom over the warm weather break. One of the most anticipated activities over summer for most families is a summer vacation. Our preschool and early education teachers have put together a great list of fun learning activities you can entertain your child with during your trip. Whether you are headed to the beach, your favorite theme park or an unfamiliar destination, take this list along with you to keep little minds active and beat the “summer brain drain.”
Colorful Shell Sculptures
While your family is playing in the sand this summer, let the kids go on a treasure hunt for some of the sea’s most beautiful creations – seashells! After a day of gathering some stunning shells from the sea side, wash and dry each shell to remove sand & dirt. Here are the supplies you’ll need for this project:
- Shells
- Watercolor Paint Liquid & Paint Brushes
- Air Dry Clay
- Wax Paper
- Sand
- Sequins / Gems
- Beads / Pearls
Once the shells are clean and dry, let your child paint each shell to their heart’s desire. Whether all one color, or a mix of colors, their imagination can run wild. Let the shells dry for about 20 minutes. Place a lump of clay on the wax paper and get the gems, sequins, beads and sand in the middle of the table for easy access. Using the bits & bobs provided, let your child create a colorful shell sculpture souvenir they can take home with them after vacation is over. While curating their shell sculpture, talk about what types of shells they are using and what creates they can find living in shells in the ocean.
Building with Pool Noodles
Swimming is a popular vacation activity that can be enjoyed even if you aren’t visiting the beach this summer. Many amusement parks, resorts & hotels feature a swimming pool that guests of all ages can use. If your family enjoys fun in the pool, you probably have swimming accessories like inflatables and pool noodles. There are so many exciting things to do with pool noodles, beyond just floating around in the water and noodle-sword fights. If it’s nearing the end of your vacation and you have no desire to pack up the large, bulky pool toys, we have some excellent learning activities to try instead.
With just two simple supplies, your child can work on fine motor development, creativity, problem solving, sensory, and math skills. Here’s what you’ll need:
Pool Noodles cut up in different sizes and in different colors
Golf tees (grab a bag of colorful golf tees to encourage color learning)
Using the golf tees as both a way to hold pieces of pool noodles together AND as a way to decorate their creations (think eyes for bugs or buttons on a robot), kids can let their creative side show to build some amazing inventions.
Contact our early learning educators to find out more about using play as a learning tool. Our preschool & VPK programs are some of the best in the area and we look forward to helping your little one grow & learn so they can continue to excel throughout their academic careers.