Summer time is kids’ cherished time for play and fun, off from school and uninhibited by regimented schedules.
But don’t let this time pass without taking advantage of it to bond with your child. And, according to psychologist Lorenzo Abacan, not taking advantage of this period with educational activities can lead to a “summer slide” in which kids lose critical thinking and learning skills, making for a rough start to education when school resumes in the fall.
And activities don’t have to cost a lot or involve electronics.
The GMANetwork has a few suggested ideas for kids 7 and under:
Got a spare table? Sprinkle colored sand to create a golf course and add toys as obstacles. Making a small ball out of clay is better than using a plastic one because it won’t fall off the table easily. (Materials: colored sand, clay, popsicle stick, small figurines or toys from the house).
And you’ll probably have multiple box fans set up throughout your residence — well those can be a source of fun too! (materials: electric fan, acrylic paint). “Even our favorite summer appliance, the electric fan, can become a bonding activity! To prep your fan, take off the plastic blades (make sure the fan’s unplugged) and coat them with white base paint. Once this dries, you can paint each blade with a different color of acrylic paint. We suggest painting them with the primary colors: red, blue and yellow. The next time you turn on the fan, you’ll see a rainbow!”
Fun can be had even with a simple bed sheet with a DIY play mat (materials: old bedsheet or manila paper, markers, toy cars and dolls):
“On an old bedsheet or manila paper, draw a map of a town with roads and buildings. You can model the area after your village, barangay or favorite park. Parents can make the straight lines of the roads, while the kids can color in the figures.”
