Five Summer Activities To
Get Kids Ready For Back-To-School
As summer wraps up and the sound of morning school bells draws near, it’s time to start thinking about school readiness. The long days of splashing in the pool are soon to be replaced by more learning and socialization than your child has likely experienced in months.
We want to help you prepare your kids for going back to school. Check out this list of five activities to get your children back into the learning mindset.
1. Decorate Their Work Space Together
It’s very important that your child has a quiet, functional space to do their homework and activities after school. In order to prepare for the school year, make a day out of decorating this space together.
The more comfortable your child feels in their workspace, the more likely they are to enjoy learning in it. Have an arts and crafts day where you decorate the space with your child’s artwork. Let them jazz up the area by bedazzling pencil cups, hanging family photos, or decorating bookends to showcase their favorite books.
2. Take an Educational Field Trip
If your kids have spent most of their summer at water parks or in front of the television, they’ll need to ease back into the learning mindset. Get them away from screen time and excited about learning again by taking them to an Indiana museum.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is a great place for kids to engage in hands-on learning. Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields is a great place to get immersed in culture again. You can also head over to the Virginia B. Fairbanks art and nature park to enjoy outdoor activities for kids.
If you’re not located near any museums, you can also check out museums around the world online from the comfort of your home.
3. Refresh Their School Wardrobe
One good way to get kids back into the school mindset is to spend some time considering clothes for the coming school year. Turn organizing into a fun activity for your kids by promising new clothes or picking out their first day outfit.
Sit with them and figure out which outfits they still like and which outfits they’ve outgrown. Sort these clothes into piles to be thrown out, moved to storage or donated. Once you’ve cleaned out their closet a bit, it’s time to head out for a back-to-school wardrobe refresh.
Trading in swimsuits and tank tops for jeans and light sweaters will signify to your child that fall, and school, are on their way. Getting them close they feel confident and comfortable in will also make them feel more ready to tackle the school year.
4. Visit Your Local Library
Libraries are a great way to dip your child’s toes back into a school setting. First of all, libraries require quiet and reflection. Secondly, there are often children’s activities and programming happening for little to no cost.
Check your local library’s website to find out if there are educational movies or arts and crafts days coming up toward the end of summer.
5. Establish Reading Time
Once you’ve taken a trip to your local library and picked up some books for your child, it’s time to start enforcing reading time.
This structured time in your child’s day will help them get into school readiness mode. You can start small with 20 to 30 minutes a day and then extend this time more as school gets closer. This is also a great time for them to tackle their summer reading if they’ve been putting it off all season.
Now You’re Ready For Back-To-School
Getting your child ready to head back to school after a leisurely summer can feel intimidating. Remember to start small and add in habits gradually.
If you’re looking for more ways to play and learn with your child, check out our developmental milestone guide where we give you activity suggestions for every age group.
