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Summer Camps for the Brain

Your child’s arms will have fun this summer: fishing, flying kites, holding a baseball bat, and tossing beach balls.

So will his legs: running through grass, walking on sand, kicking a soccer ball, or swimming in the pool.

But what about his brain? How will your child’s brain stay active this summer? And why is this even important?

Keeping brains active over the summer is important because research proves that kids can lose their learning momentum during time-off from school. This means that it takes more time to get back up to speed when school starts. Kids have to spend more time playing the catch-up game then they do actually paying attention to the lesson. In fact, education experts estimate that brains that just “veg-out” over the summer lose an average of 40 per cent of their learning momentum, and it can take up to two months to get back on track.

Without some measure of academic exercise during the summer, brains get lazy. They forget how to learn. That’s why it’s so important to enroll your child’s brain in a summer camp so that it can get the exercise that it so badly needs. Check out the following ideas on keeping minds as active bodies during the summer.

Dock on the lake - perfect for summer time fun
 

Read, already

Reading a minimum of 30 minutes a day not only helps brains stay alert, it helps develops vocabulary. Ask questions about what your child is reading – this helps minds think actively and fosters a greater understanding of what they’ve read.

Scrapbook

Keep a scrapbook of things you did over the summer: places you’ve visited, books you’ve read, and movies you’ve watched. Have your child draw pictures, add photos, collect postcards, or add souvenirs. This is a good way to help your child remember her vacation for her inevitable “What I Did This Summer Essay.”

Take a hike

Visit a local environmentally-protected area and discuss why the environment is important. Help your child discover evidence of wildlife, point out varieties of trees and other plants, discuss the significance of wetlands.

Visit the library together and pick out a book on animal footprints, tree varieties, and local plant life.

Research

Pick a destination and have your child research how to get there. Or have your child research information for a new family purchase. Let him make a presentation of what they have discovered.

Puzzles

Solving the logistics of a puzzle is a great way to keep brains sharp. Alternatively, do timed crosswords. Set the timer, and see who can get the most words in the allotted time. Have your child verbalize her problem-solving techniques – this creates active thinking, and is a great method to keep brains sharp.

Follow these tips this summer to make sure that your child goes back to school with happy arms, legs AND brain.

Oxford Learning Brain Camps:

Many Oxford Learning locations offer Summer Brain Camps that keep kid’s brains active over the summer. The programs are fun AND academic. For a brain that doesn’t go flabby this summer, contact an Oxford Learning near you.

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