{"id":6047,"date":"2019-04-18T13:24:24","date_gmt":"2019-04-18T20:24:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lpatucson.org\/south\/?p=6047"},"modified":"2019-04-18T13:24:24","modified_gmt":"2019-04-18T20:24:24","slug":"summer-break-how-to-prevent-brain-drain-in-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lpatucson.org\/south\/summer-break-how-to-prevent-brain-drain-in-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Break: How to Prevent Brain Drain in Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the end of each school year, there\u2019s always concern on the part of parents and teachers that students will be victimized by brain drain over summer break. It\u2019s no myth. Over the two to three months students are on summer break, they experience an overall learning loss of one month and it takes the first six weeks of school for kids to relearn old material. <\/p>\n

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As adults, we must remember what it was like to be a child: time passes more slowly for children, so what adults may see as a relatively short couple of months, young students may experience as a much longer time away from class. Over summer break<\/a>, it takes a bit of work to avoid brain drain. <\/p>\n

Because young brains are pliable,<\/a> it doesn\u2019t take much to keep a child\u2019s gray matter busy and ready to start the new school year with the same number of brain cells they had on the last day of class. <\/p>\n

Summer can be a busy time, but parents can keep kids thinking by including them in household activities such as shopping, cooking, and even desert gardening. If that doesn\u2019t seem too stimulating, challenge kids with these fun math<\/a> and science<\/a> riddles while driving, baking, or cleaning.<\/p>\n

For those days when there doesn\u2019t seem much to do, set aside an hour per day for some projects that will get kids thinking. <\/p>\n

Arts and Crafts<\/h2>\n

Summer vacation is only about 60 days long, but here are 100 summer crafts and activities<\/a> for kids that adults will love, too. The best part is that the supplies for almost all of these projects are items you probably already have in your home. <\/p>\n

Fun, Educational Projects<\/h2>\n

S.T.E.M.<\/a> (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) projects are fun and educational. With just a few inexpensive supplies, kids can build a geodesic dome from gumdrops, make things with electric play dough, or grow crystals. <\/p>\n

Photo Scrapbook <\/h2>\n

Like most parents, you\u2019ve probably taken thousands of photos over the summer. Rather than keep them on your phone or in the cloud, go through them with your child and have them pick photos they feel tell the story of their summer<\/a>. Then, print the photos and have kids make a scrapbook. Very few supplies are necessary, and kids \u2026 who love seeing photos of themselves \u2026 will have something they can keep for years. <\/p>\n

Visit Museums<\/h2>\n

Between Phoenix and Tucson, there are plenty of top-notch museums that are fun and educational for kids and parents. <\/p>\n