Summer is nearly here and it’s time to start thinking about the best way to plan you and your family’s months off! We know how tricky it can be to fill up your child’s school-free days, but we’re here to help! We have laid out four awesome ideas that will not only allow your child to have fun, but also help them develop mentally and physically. Summer is not only a time to relax, but also a time to experience new things and learn about the world in ways schools can’t always teach us. It’s a time to explore and discover hidden talents or develop known passions. We hope you are just as excited as us about the three months ahead of us! We can’t wait to share with you how to help your child have lots of fun while learning!
Summer programmes
In this blog we will highlight four ways you can make your child’s summer fun, active and educational. The first one we will discuss is summer programmes. There are hundreds across the UK and choosing one can be difficult. To help get you started, we’ve listed out some popular activities around London and the UK. We’ve focused on art, sports, music and cooking lessons, but there are of course many more. The two main factors to consider are your child’s age and interests. Once you’ve narrowed down a few ideas, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a great programme for your child. Here are a few ideas to get you started! But if this list doesn’t have exactly what you are looking for, don’t hesitate to have a quick look online. You’d be surprised how many activities you can find around London!
Arts:
– Mini Artists
Music:
Music summer courses – list includes:
– Music Theory
– Folk Music
– Pop/Rock Music
– Vocal Music
– Ensembles
– Music Production and Sound Engineering
– And many more!
Cooking:
– The Kid’s Cookery School
– Caldesi
Sports:
Summer reading
Our second suggestion is to encourage your child to read. The best time to start a book is during the summer. Not only is the weather nice, but it’s easier to muster the energy and focus when school is no longer in session. Innerdrive, a mental skills training company who also works in education with over 120 schools, explains why reading is so important and well worth doing in their blog Benefits of Reading. The benefits reading can offer your child include: improving learning outcomes, boosting brain power, lowering stress, as well as improving sleep. So why not plan a visit to a bookstore or library during the first week off of school and help your child choose a few books to read over the summer? Setting goals to finish the book(s), as well as allocating time each day can help to not only encourage your child to finish the book, but also teach him or her how to set and accomplish tasks. A great life lesson for all children!
Discover new places
Our third summer idea is to travel. This is a popular idea during the summer, but we often forget that you don’t need to go far to discover something new. For example, why not spend an overnight in Windsor and explore the town and castle with your family. Or what about heading down to Brighton on a sunny day to soak up some sun and relax on the beach. Other ideas include doing a little road trip to see Stonehenge and Bath, or else checking out some breath-taking scenery such as the White Cliffs of Dover or Durdle Door. London is really close to some incredible historic and natural sites. So why not think of some cool trips nearby to explore, learn and bond as a family?
Tips to prevent summer learning loss
When summer rolls around, it’s easy to forget all about learning and its importance. We believe the summer break is the perfect opportunity to boost skills, and research the best education options for success in the next academic year. That’s exactly why our super tutors and consultants always get booked up quickly for our summer tutoring services from primary to PhD. So, read on to prepare for the upcoming break and prevent summer learning loss.
1. Read
Reading can do wonderful things for people of all ages. In fact, we always emphasise how it impacts vocabulary and communication skills, and is a great way to spend a lazy summer’s day or keep busy on public transport. So, an easy way to keep children’s brains active is to encourage them to read a little everyday. This can include non-fiction, fiction, e-books, poetry, magazines or newspapers, which can all be great reading. Additionally, you can use this summer to visit your local library as many run reading challenges and other events that are both fun and educational.
2. Play
Take this break to spend some quality family time and play games you all enjoy whilst keeping your brains ticking. For example, board games such as Scrabble or Monopoly have junior versions available and require quick Maths skills and strategy whilst still being bags of fun!
3. Keep a scrapbook
Encourage your child to document their summer and keep a scrapbook. Scrapbooks can include tickets and pictures of places they have visited, or note any books they have read and something new they’ve learned. They are a brilliant way to be creative and encourage self-reflection. Additionally, entries don’t have to be long and are an effective tool to keep your child engaged throughout the summer. A great way to prevent summer learning loss!
4. Make holidays educational
This doesn’t have to be in the style of traditional lessons. However, there are many fun and educational ways to keep children stimulated whilst you’re away to prevent summer learning loss. Ideas include small tasks in a foreign language or a trip to a historical site. Actively involve your child in planning your holiday and come up with things you all enjoy. And remember: trips to a museum or cultural site don’t have to happen abroad! Use this summer to explore your local area and learn something new.
Bespoke summer crash courses
Our final suggestion to help your child keep learning this summer is to set up a bespoke summer crash course. Every year we tutor hundreds of children over the summer to both catch up on what they fell behind on during the previous academic year, as well as prepare them for the upcoming school year. This is done at all levels, from primary school to university level and in all subjects. These sessions prove to be invaluable and deeply beneficial as your child will not only be solidifying his or her academic foundations, but also building new skills to guarantee a successful academic year. Summer is really a fantastic time to set up private lessons, since it will be a low-key structure to their summer and will help your child to keep learning in an optimal, positive, stress-free environment.
Looking for more information about the UK’s education system? Our education consultants have written about various hot topics. Here are some of the new popular ones:
– What the difference between private schools and state schools?
– Fun ideas to help your child boost their imagination and creativity
– What’s the International Baccalaureate?
– Transitioning from A Levels to university
If you have any further questions about your child’s education or want to start your child’s bespoke summer tutoring programme contact us at 02030867311 or info@ubertutors.co.uk.
