Let’s Celebrate Summer!
In Georgia, the last week of May often marks the end of another school year with the Memorial Day holiday weekend recognized as the first weekend of summer. For many families, this means longer, lazier days and later bedtimes or perhaps readying your child for a new summer camp or program.
Regardless of what you have planned for the next two months, we hope that you find some time for family fun and relaxation. We’ve put together some ideas to keep your children busy learning, exploring and being creative this summer.
Field Trips:
Plan a weekly (or biweekly) trip to the library.
Park meet-ups with other families and classmates in the mornings or afternoons when it is cooler.
Free family museum days!
Visit your local fire station. Bake some cookies to take with you.
Take advantage of your local attractions: zoos, botanical gardens, puppet shows and theatrical productions for children, and movies.
Cuddle and play with some cats and dogs in animal shelters.
Virtual field trips such as the Underground Railroad and the White House.
Plan trips to our beautiful state parks, landmarks and attractions, which you can find out more about in our “Explore Georgia This Summer” blog from last year.
Organize visits to public pools and splash pads.
Summer Learning:
Stock an area with plenty of writing and art materials.
Create sticker stories.
Go on a word and/or shape hunt: Create a list of sight words and/or shapes. See how many you can find during a neighborhood walk.
Use chalk in the driveway or on sidewalks to help teach shapes, colors and numbers.
Make a “feelings” book to teach your child about emotions.
Make screen time count by watching a learning show like “Magic School Bus Rides Again” or playing new games from learning apps WITH your child.
Designate one day each week for your child to help you cook a meal. Use recipes, measurements and safe kitchen tools.
For some extra inspiration, check out these two webpages for more ideas:
Stay Safe This Summer:
Help keep your children safe from heat stroke this summer by never letting them play in or around your vehicles and never leaving them alone in a vehicle for even one minute. The temperatures inside closed vehivles, especially in Georgia during the summer, can rise quickly causing hot-car related deaths.
Also, even with the spread of COVID decreasing, we encourage you and your family to stay safe as you adventure out by having face masks and sanitizer handy, washing hands frequently and observing social distancing guidelines.
Need Summer Child Care?
It’s not too late to find a child care program or summer camp. Quality Care for Children can help you find a program that fits your needs. Call 1-877-ALL-GA-KIDS (877-255-4254) to speak to one of our referral specialists or conduct your own search at QualityRated.org.
