5 Ways to Ensure Your Kids Don’t Forget Everything They Learned in School While On Winter Break
Give your kids some fun and easy exercises to keep their brains working
Our kids are coming up on winter break, which means weeks (three for my son) away from school. Weeks when they won’t be practicing the skills and concepts they studied and learned during the first part of the school year. Add to that the excitement of winter holidays and, let’s face it, the abiding challenge to get kids to sit down and spend some time completing worksheets (in my day) or practice online (in my son’s generation).
But after twelve years as an elementary school teacher (I taught kindergarten, fourth, and fifth grades), I’ve found some fun, analog ways to get kids using their brains without it feeling like homework. Some of these I used during the school year, some I’ve used at home with my son, all can be used by your family.
Cooking
Cooking is the ultimate way to teach and practice fractions. And luckily, this time of year is a perfect time for baking. So get the kids in the kitchen and have them start helping you measure out ingredients. What’s more 1/3 or 1/4? And what happens if the recipe says it makes twelve brownies but you want to double it? Now, how many cups of sugar are needed?
Mad-Libs
I used these in my fourth-grade classroom on a regular basis. They’re fun, inexpensive, and don’t take a long time. While they’re silly and make for a good laugh, kids are simultaneously practicing their grammar and identifying parts of speech. You can find themed Mad-Lib books (the holidays, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Angry Birds to name a few). There’s even an app, just in case you forget the book at home, you can have Mad-Libs with you on the go.
Multiplication Volleyball
We know that practicing times tables can get repetitive. Yet, kids need to learn them to the point of mastery and quick recall. Thus, I had to get creative. I used an inflatable beach ball and wrote different multiplication statements on different sections of the ball (9x7, 5x8, 3x6, etc.). Then our class went outside and we played “multiplication volleyball.” You don’t need a real volleyball net — just get creative on spacing.
When the ball is hit, the person on the other side tries to catch it. Wherever your right thumb lands would be the question the student would need to answer before serving the ball back. We didn’t keep score; it was all for fun. (You can also use this method for reviewing states and capitals.)
Shopping
The season of holiday wish lists is upon us. Give them a hypothetical budget of $100 and tell them to pick out gifts. Have them write down what they want, how many of each item, the subtotal of each item, the grand total, and calculate any change they would receive from the $100. Get creative — have them “shop” from catalogs that arrive in the mail or select items to purchase as gifts for family members. The only rule is no calculators.
Letter Writing
This is when your child must remember how to indent, begin with a capital letter, and end with punctuation. And don’t forget to use the friendly letter format. Kids can start off by handwriting their first draft and then print their final draft. Encourage your kids to write to someone they admire. If your children have expressed an opinion about a company’s business practice, they should put their feelings into a letter.
(Remember the young girl who wrote to Stephen Curry regarding the unavailability of his Under Armour shoes in girls’ sizes? She received a memorable response.) My son had written to President Obama and now the letter and photos he received in response are proudly framed and displayed in his bedroom.
Wendy Kennar is a freelance writer who has lived her entire life within the same zip code. She was a public school teacher for twelve years until a chronic medical condition made it necessary to leave her teaching career. She is constantly amazed and inspired by her young son. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications and anthologies including the Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, United Teacher, L.A. Parent, Mamalode.com, RoleReboot.org, Breath and Shadow, and XOJane.com to name a few. In addition, she is a regular contributor at MomsLA.com. She writes at wendykennar.com.
