Fresh Ideas for Preventing the Summer Slide

Although school isn't over just yet, teachers may be starting to worry about their students losing educational ground over the summer. With television, video games and other activities that may keep kids inside, it can be a challenge finding ways to keep them motivated, healthy and active over the summer. Here are six great ideas for helping your students avoid the summer slide:

1. Exercise Log: Staying indoors, watching movies and eating junk food are common summer activities. This, of course, is detrimental to students' health. One way to get kids outside is requiring them to keep an exercise log. Suggest a minimum of 30 minutes outdoors doing a specific activity per day, whether it is swimming, bike riding, going for a walk, or playing catch with some friends. Teachers could also provide activities, such as yoga routines, for students. 
   
   At the end of their exercise, the student can write the activity down with their initials, as well as their parent's initials. If you want to go the extra mile and ensure that they are really exercising, ask them to take a picture with their smartphones or camera and create a photo gallery on a poster board. This appealing visual will help promote an active lifestyle. 
    
2. Museums, Camps and Zoos:  Find a museum with a special offer or a reasonably-priced camp that appeals to students' interests. Encourage students to attend at least three special locations or events during the summer and keep a journal explaining what they learned.
    
3. Library Visit:  Give students the local library's schedule of events, reading incentives, trips and more. Local libraries have great events and reading groups for children of all ages and loads of free, intellectually stimulating activities. Even if it brings them to the library and they read for 20 minutes a day, it will make a difference. 
    
4. Group Discussion Board:  Using sites such as Padlet or Wordpress, urge your students to be creative and write. Make the topic "how we stay 'green' in summer" and have kids write about planting a garden or beautifying their neighborhoods. Ask students to upload photos and have conversations with other students about what they are doing over the summer break. 
    
5. Nature Walk:  Teach students about the beauty of nature and how to use the five senses outside. Ask them to go on nature walks frequently and make journal entries about what they see, hear, smell, feel and taste outdoors. Have the students visit the spots frequently and note the changes they see in the environment, whether it's seasons changing, litter or other developments. 
    
6. Create a Cookbook:  Encourage students to create their own cookbooks over the summer. By cooking with their loved ones, they can discover new recipes, perfect old recipes and write them down to share with their class in the fall. Cooking with their family can give them a sense of accomplishment as well a chance to use creativity. 

Article by Kassondra Granata, EducationWorld Contributor
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