My kids have anxiously been counting down the days until the end of school.
My youngest, a third grader, keeps talking about how he can’t wait to have a “break” and “relax.” My older two children know better.
In our house summer is one of the busiest times of the year. In fact, one look at my calendar tells me that lazy days of relaxation will be few and far between.
From 4-H activities to camps, to fun (but educational) day trips, I think there is even more opportunity for kids to grow, learn and experience valuable lessons in the summer than during the school year.
And one of the best parts of summer learning is that as a parent, I get the opportunity to make sure those summer learning experiences focus on subjects that are important to me and our family values.
4-H and FFA
For my family, that means my kids are going to spend a lot of time outside, learning about agriculture, the outdoors, and independence.
Summer is the perfect time to engage kids in the kinds of hands-on educational experiences that are not always readily available in the classroom.
In my mind, few learning experiences are more impactful than raising and showing livestock through FFA and 4-H and exhibiting and/or selling those animals at the county fair.
From the character-building responsibility of caring for livestock on a daily basis to the basic biology of nutrition, growth and reproduction, the potential for education is limitless.
That potential stretches even more when you look at the math and economic skills of tracking expenses and income.
Take that even farther by having kids calculate their income based on market prices instead of elevated fair sale prices, and they get an even bigger appreciation for agriculture and the amount of work invested by farmers compared to their income.
And it’s important to remember, youth organizations like FFA and 4-H offer a vast array of learning opportunities beyond livestock production.
Life skills
Don’t be afraid to explore new structured learning experiences as a family, whether it be a 4-H life skill project focusing on Ohio birds, fishing, shooting sports or trapping, or a scout merit badge on archery, animal science, or canoeing.
Day camps and resident camps are another amazing learning opportunity. Day camps with themes ranging from science to archery and from fishing to LEGOs.
Each of those offers unique opportunities for kids to boost their knowledge in areas they have a specific interest in, and most of the time that learning takes place without kids even realizing it.
Almost any resident camp is going to not only foster self-reliance and independence, but also an appreciation for nature and the great outdoors.
There’s something about camping that is good for the soul, whether it be a week spent at 4-H or FFA camp in cabins, roughing it in tents at scout camp, or even a weekend family get away to one of the fabulous camping locations in our area.
Community events
None of those ideas trip your trigger?
Check out area events at local state parks, businesses, or with community groups.
A little research can go a long way in finding plenty of fun, local activities kids are sure to enjoy so much they won’t even realize they’re actually learning.
From Birds of Prey programming at Mohican State Park Lodge to Family Farm Field Day in Holmes County, our area is home to innumerable exceptional learning experiences for the summer.
That’s the good news. The bad news is, you have no excuse for letting your kids experience a summer slump when it comes to learning.
