Question: How can I help my preteen children avoid being bored this summer and at the same time grow intellectually? -- No More Boredom
Answer: Ideally, you want your children to exercise both their bodies and their minds. If they are into sports, getting enough physical exercise is easy. They can play on teams or go to sports camps. And the sports camps do not have to be expensive, as many are sponsored locally by schools, parks and YMCA's.
If your children do not like organized sports activities, other possibilities include family hikes, time at the pool and long bike rides. Also, consider participating in races, from mini-marathons to 5-K walks.
Summer is a great time to expose your children to new experiences in order to help them grow intellectually. Choose a specific day each week to visit something new, from museums to industries that offer visits. The best visits will offer guided tours. Also encourage the development of hobbies. This will pay learning dividends now and in the future.
Part of the need for students to grow intellectually should be satisfied with rather formalized work in reading and math. This way your children's school skills will not diminish over the summer. Have your children alternate between doing a half-hour of reading and math work daily, except on weekends. Because children are most likely to lose ground in math, it is very important that they work on keeping their basic skills sharp. The easiest way to do this is by finding online drills, problems and math games aligned with what they have just finished studying in school. Do look at our math learning activities, especially the puzzles, at dearteacher.com, as they are fun to do.
To make sure that your children are not bored, a calendar listing their daily activities needs to be made. The children should have a big say in the development of this calendar. Make sure there is plenty of time for just fun and no organized activities. Children need to learn how to find things to do when they do not have organized activities.