Summer is here, and many parents are beginning to plan their children’s days without a school schedule. However, a summer without any academics can result in children losing two to three months of learning from the previous school year, a phenomenon called “the summer slide.”

Incorporating learning to your daily routine doesn’t have to mean worksheets and practice tests. There are many ways to make summer learning fun!

Here are five ways to encourage your children’s learning this summer:

1. Make time for learning: Set aside 15-30 minutes per day for your child to read. During the summer, children have more time to read for pleasure, which provides a great opportunity to increase reading skills. Plan a trip to the library to let your child explore his or her interests.

2. Start a garden: Planting your own garden is a great way to learn the basics of science and how things grow. Vegetables are especially fun and educational to plant because your child will learn where food comes from and will get to eat the end product!

3. Help others: Summer is the perfect time to teach your child valuable life skills while helping others. Even young children can learn to be responsible by helping to set the table, taking care of a pet or washing the car. Outside summer work or volunteer community service helps children learn to be punctual, follow directions and serve others.

4. Plan adventures: Family field trips to places like botanical gardens, planetariums and animal sanctuaries are wonderful learning opportunities! Help children enjoy these experiences and engage in family conversations. Children learn from hands-on activities and benefit when parents ask them to interpret what they see.

5. Write about your family adventures: Create a scrapbook that will be a lasting souvenir of your family activities. Collect postcards, brochures and menus from restaurants and tourist attractions. Encourage your child to write descriptions of the places you visited and tell stories about your family’s adventures.

Hello! I am Amanda Robertson, and I am the Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist for Oakland Family Services’ Children’s Learning Centers. I have been working with children for almost 20 years and have one baby girl of my own. I have a master’s degree in counseling from Oakland University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in child development. My career began with teaching day care and expanded to various positions including ABA therapy, child welfare and residential treatment. I absolutely love what I do and love being a part of Oakland Family Services!