7 Ways to Keep Kids’ Brains Sharp This Summer

7 Ways to Keep Kids’ Brains Sharp This Summer

While play is certainly an important part of any child’s (or teen’s) summer, too much freedom or lack of any routine can sometimes be detrimental. For parents who are also trying to keep their kids’ brains engaged to reduce the impact of the “Summer Slide”—the significant learning loss that occurs over the summer break, we’ve got some recommendations.

Consider these tips to help your children retain what they learned, keep their brains engaged and avoid any “brain drain” that can set them back and reduce their chances for academic success.

1. Maintain a sleep routine.

Giving kids a later sleep routine during the summer months is understandable, especially when families may be traveling or enjoying constellations and campfires after dark. In addition, some parents find that letting their kids sleep in provides a few hours of quiet to work or simply enjoy time without any parenting responsibilities.

But tossing structure completely out the window can wreak havoc on developing brains. It will also make it more difficult to adjust bedtimes and waking schedules once the return-to-school is on your radar. Aim for slight modifications to sleep routines rather than completely relinquishing rules. In early to mid-summer, bedtimes are less important than the number of hours of sleep. Just be sure to readjust in the weeks approaching the start of school.

2. Designate tech-free reading time.

One of the best things you can do to prevent learning loss over the long break is to keep kids and teens reading throughout the summer. Model good behavior by designating certain times of day as tech-free reading hours. This means no TV, smartphones, or computers for kids, teens or adults. In addition, you can schedule weekly trips to the local library in a way that reflects a “learning is fun” approach.

3. Find ways to incorporate math into daily activities.

Multiple studies have found that students lose significant knowledge in reading and math over the summer vacation, which can snowball into greater skill loss when they return to school.  Depending on your child’s age, look for simple ways to include basic addition, multiplication, fractions or telling time into each day. This could include counting change, measuring for recipes or just recounting the “times table” on a trip to the store.

4. Teach them a new skill—or learn together!

Learning something new is great for brains of all ages. Build new connections in the brain by encouraging members of the family to take up a musical instrument, learn a second language or explore a new hobby. Even basic life skills—like learning to tie a shoelace or write in cursive—can boost brain skills.

5. Boost brain skills with puzzles, games and toys.

Boosting cognitive skills—including auditory and visual processing, memory, logic & reasoning, processing speed and attention—doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, there are plenty of ways for kids to have fun while improving their foundational brain skills without even knowing it! Pick up age-appropriate word searches, crosswords, Sodoku and math games before a road trip or purchase a few brain-boosting games for family game night. Look for toys that require some brain power (think building toys or STEM-focused kits) or pick up some puzzles–to help pass the time on rainy days.

6. Play school.

Create a mini schedule with 15-minute classes (e.g., art, math, reading, writing, science, history, PE, music) to reduce the risk of boredom. Even older siblings can refresh their memory and brush up on facts, figures and formulas by playing teacher. Give little ones the chance to play teacher too!

7. Enroll them in a brain bootcamp.

Want to take the next step in boosting foundation brain skills? Consider enrolling your child in a brain bootcamp or one-on-one brain training. While tutoring redelivers academic content that was missed the first time (such as math formulas, historical facts or vocabulary words), these programs focus on strengthening foundational cognitive skills. When these core brain skills are maximized, learning is faster and easier, no matter the subject matter.

Don’t let the Summer Slide lead to learning losses. Find out how LearningRx personal brain training may be able to help you student have their best year yet.