So far, I have given educational and fun summer activities for the letters A through N. More fun learning activities are detailed in this article for letters O through T. Check back tomorrow for the conclusion of the alphabet!
O = Outdoors! Make sure that your children get outdoor time each day that weather permits. Have them increase fine and gross motor skills by setting up various activities. Manipulating sand and small pebbles can increase fine motor skills. Set-up obstacle courses or have your child jump, run, and skip to increase gross motor skills. Both skills are important to academic growth.
P = Pretend Play! Sparking the imagination is very healthy for children. While in the car on a trip, pretend that you are in a space shuttle traveling to outer space. Point out stars, moons, and planets that you see. Hide a treasure in your backyard and pretend to be pirates.
Q = Quiet Time! While most children had rather run, yell, and go wild, quiet time is also important. Sometimes with summer events, ball games, and cookouts, we forget that children also need rest. Even if your child does not take a nap, set aside a few minutes of time for a quiet activity. Children need to process information from the day and rejuvenate.
R = Rhyme! While in the car, see how many rhyming words or rhyming lyrics you can come up with. The sillier the better! Rhyming is very important to phonemic awareness.
S = Stories! Write a story with your entire family. Take turns adding details. You may be surprised at well (or silly) it is written at the end.
T = Together! Make sure that your entire family is together for some period of time during the week. If your schedules are hectic, wake everyone up early one morning for breakfast. If mom or dad is working, take sandwiches and the family for lunch break.
More Fun Activities
A Garden of their own
Summer Activity Bags