Beat the Summer Brain Drain

The Summer Brain Drain is a real thing. It’s the weakening in skills that occurs in children over the summer and, despite the fact that it’s widespread, it’s neither unavoidable nor unalterable. This knowledge loss is more expected to take place with mathematics skills than with any of the other subjects, particularly calculation skills. That’s your child’s ability to understand and assess math problems. Spelling is the next area of brain drain. The loss of math over spelling could because neighborhood and home surroundings give children more opportunities to exercise reading over math. 

Children who refrain from summer learning lose the about two months’ worth of math and reading skills. Being in touch with learning doesn't require solving math problems and memorizing vocabulary.

Here are a few activities to help you plan out your child’s summer:

1. Support and encourage reading habits: Make a visit to the local library or buy books for your child. Encourage bed reading even if it is past bedtime.

2. Go on educational family vacations: Pick a place and be sure to visit any historical sites that are in the area of your vacation.

3. Think about a summer camp: Most summer camps not only supply socialization for children, but also provide the chance for children to keep their brains running as they engage in problem solving.

4. Make a trip to a planetarium, science museum, or zoo: A visit to any of these institutions in addition to fun can be a great learning experience.

5. Build it or bake it: When you assist your children bake a cake or build a bird feeder, they become skilled at measuring and understanding directions. They’ll also have the happiness of accomplishing a wonderful finished product.

6. Build a tree house or a doghouse: Merge fun in the sun with creation by indulging in backyard construction. This can be a great do-it-yourself experience that will be highly educational.

7. Plant a garden: Children who indulge in gardening will be aware about dirt, seeds and seedlings, stem cutting, where food comes from and more. They will learn to care for plants and trees and develop a regard for the environment.

The summer is a great time for children to imbibe knowledge that isn't constrained within the walls of a classroom. So go ahead and make an attempt to keep your child’s brain occupied during the summer holidays by providing educational experiences.

Go DIY this Christmas-Lawrence School

Bored of the same cards, decorations and goodies that throng the stores each year around Christmas? Want to keep the kid productively occupied during the vacations? Read on find out how:

There is no better way to add some personal touch than to be unique. Handmade cards, decorations that are made at home from scratch do need the time and effort but the result can be totally worth it. What's more the kids would love all the gluing and pasting and at the same time get something done constructively.

There are plenty of DIY online tutorials for easy to make Christmas crafts. We are sharing one such craft with you here:

*Source: You can see more such crafts here: http://bit.ly/19GM8gn

*Yarn Candy Cane

 

 

This photo originally appeared in FamilyFun Magazine

Total Time 1 hour Ages all-ages

A neat twist on a classic, these canes are virtually indestructible (and they make excellent gifts).

What you'll need

• 2 skeins of DMC Pearl Cotton, one red and one white
• Scissors
• Red pipe cleaners
• 1/2" to 5/8" ribbon

Helpful Tip: These canes were created with fine DMC Pearl Cotton, but younger kids may have an easier time with chenille yarn or cord.

How to make it

1. Open a skein of cotton and snip the loop at each end so you have two bunches; repeat with the other skein. Then take one red bunch and one white bunch and tie them together into a single knot around the end of a pipe cleaner.
2. To make the stripes, twist the two colors around the pipe cleaner and knot the ends together around the other end. Trim the cotton at both ends and trim the pipe cleaner if need be.
3. Bend into a candy cane shape and adorn with a ribbon bow.
   
   
   
   
   
   Lawrence High School, located at HSR layout, Bangalore, focuses on educating children with traditional values to adapt and excel in the world. To know more about Lawrence school, please visit the website http://lawrenceschool.in/ and join us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lawrence-School/