How Will Your Children Spend 1,208 Hours?

School lets out for summer break in a few months.How will your kids fill their days? Summer vacation equates to about 1,208 hours of free time - not including sleep!

Don’t Waste This Fantastic Opportunity!

Here are some tips on ways to fill those hours that will foster your child’s brain development.

Play - Kids learn valuable skills from playing. Pretend-type play helps kids develop skills such as divergent problem solving, language, and emotional self-regulation. Construction-type play, like using blocks, helps develop math skills. There are fantastic building sets and instructional books about how to build things aimed at boys and girls ages 0-100. Remember play is important for all ages! https://www.parentingscience.com/benefits-of-play.html

Social time - Kids need to learn the intricacies of getting along with others to thrive. Make sure your children spend time interacting with peers and family members. Put cell phones away and have fun laughing and talking without interruption. Commit to eating dinners together as a family several times per week. Eating dinner as a family does more than help with brain development. It also helps kids navigate relationships and stay healthier.  https://brainfodder.org/eating-together/  Look at the resources on this site https://thefamilydinnerproject.org/ for inspiration and tips about starting and continuing the family dinner habit. After dinner, play a game to keep the fun going! 

Physical activity - Exercise is good for the body and the brain. It doesn’t need to be an organized sport to reap rewards. Invite your child a go for a walk, bike ride, or play ball. It does wonders for stimulating thought, improving the mood, and just having fun. https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/08/how-exercise-can-boost-the-childs-brain/

Academic Development - Everyone loses skills they don’t use. Kids who continue to read, write, and do math throughout the summer fare better in school than those who don’t. Summer is actually our busiest time at Mathnasium because parents recognize the opportunity for kids who are below grade level to catch-up, and kids who are at, or above grade, level to get to the next level.

What about Screen Time?

Not all screen time will rot your child’s brain. Media can be a powerful learning tool. Ensure that your child does not spend so much time in front of a screen that they aren’t getting adequate time playing, learning, exercising, and interacting with others. Deciding on a plan ahead of time helps keep media use in check. We love this tool for creating a plan published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/media/Pages/default.aspx#home

We think about kids’ developing brains a lot at Mathnasium of Littleton. Include math into your child’s daily summer routine to promote healthy cognitive development. We are already setting our summer schedule. Call or text us today for more information (303)979-9077