Summer Family Fun - Field trips

The kids are out of school and for most families, that means lots of free time. While that might seem overwhelming, I urge parents to use that time wisely and appreciate the opportunities that this free time offers.

There are so many places right in your own backyard that provide learning experiences that are fun for every age. Whether you visit the library, a local museum, park, or playground, take the time to enjoy your kids in different settings. Encourage conversation about the excursion. For starters, you will be teaching your children important life skills, such as observation, decision making, and how to carry on a conversation. But, you will also have the chance to learn about their areas of interest and what makes them tick, while giving them a stress-free chance to let loose and have fun.
The more kids are used to talking to their parents naturally about many topics of conversation, the more comfortable they will be talking about more difficult subjects as they arise. If you and your child have had many chances to share your thoughts and opinions, it will be much easier for her to come to you when she has a problem.

Also take advantage of good weather to enjoy physical activity with your children. If they see you are active and enjoy it, they will learn that from you. Ride bikes together (please don’t forget the helmets – if you don’t wear one, why should they?) Take walks, play badminton, enjoy a hike. Find something active to do with your kids.

More Family Fun Vacations

Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania
The Pocono Mountains region is home to rolling mountain terrain, breathtakingly beautiful waterfalls, and thriving woodlands. Family fare includes a bustling animal park, waterpark, and a candy and pretzel making factory. www.800poconos.com

*Check out the Camelbeach Waterpark, an outdoor park featuring 22 rides, a wave pool and FlowRider. A new find!! Be sure to try out the recently opened Pharaoh's Phortress Family Play Structure. www.camelbeach.com

*See candy being made daily at Callies Candy Kitchen & Pretzel Factory. You can also learn to make your own pretzels! www.calliescandy.com

*Enjoy the Wildlife Adventures Show at Claws-n-Paws Wild Animal Park, a zoo nestled in the woods with over 120 species of wild animals. www.clawsnpaws.com

* Situated in the pristine Northeast Pocono Mountains lake region, Woodloch Resort is like a cruise on land. All-inclusive packages include endless family-oriented activities, entertainment, and amenities. www.woodlock.com

* Find affordable family fun ($8 per person) at the Wayne County Fair. Enjoy live monster truck show, thrill shows, truck, tractor and horse pulls, fireworks, livestock exhibits and more. August 7-August 15. www.waynecountyfair.com

Enjoy!

The Fun Family Way to Keep Kids’ Minds Sharp this Summer

It may seem like the minute your kids walk out the school doors for summer recess, their brains begin to drain. Not so, say many educators and parents, who believe that summer family experiences can be very educational. It turns out the family experiences you enjoy during the summer are actually great tools to keep your kids’ brains sharp.

Grace Wadell, the mother of four kids aged six to fifteen in the Radnor PA school system, is a firm believer in creating a summer to-do list. “On the first day of summer break we all sit down at the kitchen table and I ask them to give me a list of everything they want to do this summer,” she explains.

That list is varied given the kids’ range in ages and interests, and might include things like making ice cream from scratch, going to the shore, or visiting a museum. Together they choose the ones they want to do, and turn them into enjoyable learning experiences.

Wadell uses each experience as the centerpiece for learning more about a particular subject. For example, one summer the family visited the Franklin Institute, so she enrolled them into a science camp to tie in with the trip. She also took them to the library where they checked out books about science-related subjects.
Field Trips
Unfortunately, school field trips are often the first thing to go when budgets are cut. Summer provides the perfect opportunity for families to visit the zoo, museums, and parks. Even everyday errands to the grocery store and dry cleaner can be educational and fun. There are dozens of fun, affordable, and educational day trip opportunities in Philadelphia. Check out http://daytripplans.com and www.fieldtrip.com for suggestions.

“Think of the common experiences that we have as parents that our children can benefit from,” suggests Valarie Lee, Assistant Professor of Reading at Rowan University. “If you’re going to the hardware store or laundromat, think of all the opportunities there are for measuring, sorting, and counting.”

Take the things you do every day and view them from the perspective of a child. “How can I help my child understand how to make a prediction from this, how to ask questions, how to use math skills and literacy skills,” says Lee. “Use those everyday experiences that we take for granted.”

Lee points out that in school, language is an area where many students suffer, so the more parents can talk to your children about what you’re doing, the better. For example, in the grocery store, have your child read the word milk off the shopping list and then let her find the word on the carton. Once the milk is in the cart, she can scratch it off the list.

Summer is also a great time to encourage your kids to volunteer and give back to the community. According to Carolyn Zogby, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the Red Clay Consolidated School District, “Community service contributes to healthy development.”

For suggestions on things your kids can do to volunteer, visit www.volunterrmatch.org.

Check out the Library

Looking for new, interesting, and cool things to keep your kids learning this summer? You've visited the pool, hit the beach, and have seen every G rated movie possible. You love spending time with your children, but they're getting bored and you're running out of options.

Check out your local library! The library has events for every age group, and toddler story times are always fun for you and the kids. The depressed economy is making the library more popular than ever,as consumers find ways to tighten our belts. Those who might have been regulars at the book store and video stores are choosing to borrow books, CDs and DVDs instead of buying them. Adults who might be searching for new jobs are brushing up on resume and computer skills in classes that the library offers free of charge.

The library staff has accepted the challenge to provide important services for their patrons. After Labor Day,the Burlington County Library System will offer special Friday night activities for the whole family. These include movies, concerts, craft activites, and lots of free family fun.

Burlington County Libraries alone present over 4,000 events each year, including something special for every age group. Starting at birth, there’s Infant Lapsit, which includes story time and socialization activities for kids, as well as a chance for parents to interact with one another. Educational concerts and story times geared toward older kids are also popular events.

So don't forget your local library when looking for an enjoyable activity to do with your kids. And, for more about the Burlington County Library System, check out the Burlington the Beautiful Magazine.

Show Children Charity

I've been lucky to teach many students whose families were extremely charitable and they built that wonderful trait into their daily lives. While writing checks to a charity is certainly admirable and important, it is not as strong an example for your kids as actually doing something to help others.

One family had a tradition on their birthdays. After opening their birthday gifts, the child (or parent, depending on whose birthday it was,) would choose one gift to donate to charity. They would then travel together to physically give that gift away. It was a wonderful demonstration of the importance of helping others who are less fortunate.

Another family worked together one night each week to cook meals for a charity. They had a great time cooking by side by side, along with other families who shared their vision. Sometimes they would volunteer to bring the food to the home or actually serve the guests they had cooked for.

Since my kids were little, we have done many things to help others. Our favorite occurs every Thanksgiving when we create 40 traditional Thanksgiving meals, filled with turkey, cranberry sauce, veggies....all the fixings! A juice box, napkin, plastic ware and brownie complete the meals. We then drive to the boardwalk in Atlantic City and hand the meals out to the homeless.

It is my family's favorite day of the year, and now we've been doing this for so many years that we would all be heartbroken if the tradition ended. Watching my kids help a homeless person stick a straw into a juicebox is truly an overwhelming feeling. What could be a more basic way to help someone? When my older kids applied to college, they wrote about this experience. Their words were personal, and extremely meaningful. They truly understand what it means to give back to others.

Choose something meaningful to your family, and get your kids involved. We started off when the kids were very small by playing bingo with residents of a nursing home. There are plenty of things little kids can do, and the lessons are invaluable.

Prepare for Back to School - Just Have Family Fun

Yesterday I talked about the importance of summer reading, but don't forget that summer is also the time for kids to relax and enjoy family moments.

According to Valarie Lee, Reading Professor at Rowan University College of Education, summer should be a time for family experiences. “You can’t underestimate the value of talking to your kids,” Dr. Lee explains. “It doesn’t have to be expensive vacations, but just opportunities to experience things with your kids. Going to the park, going on a hike, visiting the library - the things that are so enriching for them in the school environment are the conversations you have during those activities.”

Telling stories, playing games, and sharing events are wonderful learning tools for children. Even seemingly mundane activities actually promote learning. For example, Dr. Lee suggests that when visiting the grocery store, talk about products, prices, and print that the kids see around them.

And don’t let those commercials scare you that your kids are going to forget everything they’ve learned in school.

“We create this fear that the kids are going to lose all of this information,” Dr. Lee explains. “Reading is a good example of where they lose a little bit, but if they’re engaged in experiences during the summer that are going to create background experiences, then they bring that schema with them into reading in the Fall when they go back to school.”

This depressed economy has brought many families together, and that's a great thing. Research proves that having family meals together keeps kids out of trouble. It also forges important relationships and there's nothing like dinner table debate to educate every generation! Here I am at 50 years old blogging.....we can all learn from our kids!

So enjoy your summer and don't worry if your kids don't seem to be doing enough on the academic front. Enjoy the experiences life has to offer and they will be learning every day.