What are you most excited about for Summer break? Lazy days in the backyard! No alarm clock! Time by the fire roasting marshmallows and no school? We want to enjoy the summer break and have time off from school, but as parents, we also want to keep our kid’s brains sharp. Here are a few ways to sneak in summer learning that are pretty much guaranteed to fit any lifestyle. Plus, they are high on the fun level!

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How to keep kids Learning All summer

Learning and staying sharp does not always require sitting at a desk or opening a textbook. There are many ways you can sneak in some basic education skills just by doing what you are already doing this summer.

Order a LEGO Magazine Subscription

Did you know that LEGO has a free magazine subscription for kids ages 5 and 9 you can get them a FREE subscription to LEGO® Life Magazine? All you have to do is sign up for an account, or log in to your child’s existing one. We always had a subscription to the LEGO magazine when the kids were younger. What a fun treat to get a magazine in the mail just for them!

ProTip: If you are a grandparent or have nieces or nephews in this age group, then sign up as a surprise! Then for their birthday, buy them a LEGO set and tell them to start watching their mailbox for their first magazine!

Do Math at the Grocery

Math is a skill that really needs to be practiced all summer long, but to be honest, kids get tired of doing the same computer programs or math sheets that they do during the school year. Teach them some real-life math skills at the grocery store. Have them practice rounding up each item and challenge them to keep a running total in their head while you are buying the groceries. Make it a game to see who gets the closest to the actual total.

Have History Class on a Road Trip

Don’t let your family get stuck in a rut of doing nothing but swimming in the backyard or playing electronic video games. Take a road trip to a local historical site. You can learn about Daniel Boone or Abraham Lincoln by driving less than an hour away. Drive over to the Kentucky Coal Museum in Eastern Kentucky or tour the Kentucky Historical Society Museum in Frankfort. Everyone learns better when they experience history instead of just reading about it in a textbook.

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Writing Checklist for Fun Activities

Do your kids need to work on their handwriting? Don’t make them write out boring facts or do worksheets. Have them make up a checklist for the things they want to do in the next few weeks. Let them create a July Journal. You can buy a cheap notebook or journal from the dollar stores and give them daily prompts. For bonus practice, have them help make the grocery list each week.

Listen to Books in the Car

If you are going to spend any time in the vehicle traveling this next month, stop by the library first and check out an audiobook. You can all enjoy listening to Chronicles of Narnia or a Harry Potter audiobook while passing the miles. Even young children can learn to follow long storylines as long as you take a few minutes periodically to stop and catch them up. It’s amazing how a young child will develop the ability to retain information from a book even though it’s technically above their level.

Learn Hands-On Science

What happens when you mix vinegar and baking soda? What color will the concoction be if you mix ketchup, mustard and lemonade? Let the kids figure these things out. Sometimes they just need to be given permission to experiment. Let them have some safe ingredients and then turn them loose with some measuring spoons, mixing bowls, some random medicine droppers, and a turkey baster. They may make a huge mess, but they will be learning Science while having a ball.

Explore a New Instrument

Kids love to make loud noises. So pull out the musical instruments that are gathering dust in your closet or under your bed and give the kids permission to experiment with a new instrument. They may not be able to get any sound out of the old trumpet or flute from your high school days, but they will be exposed to the instruments and may develop an interest for the next school year.

Go to a Used Bookstore

Clean out your bookshelves and trade your old books for something new. We love McKay Used Bookstore in Nashville, Chattanooga and Knoxville because of the trade credit and great deals we regularly find! When kids get to pick out a stack of books, and they have a fun place to read all summer, then you get a winning combination!

How are you encouraging learning this Summer? I’d love to hear!