It seems like long weekends and summer holidays are bordering on back-to-back schedules these couple of months. It’s especially common to see your child being more fidgety and restless when their routines are disrupted.
Perhaps it’s the distraction of exciting holiday plans or a reaction to disrupted schedules. What can you do to help them stay on track and make the most out of the holidays? Here are some tips to work that magic during the holidays.
Participate in Holiday Camps
Not just an excuse to chuck your children off somewhere for a few days, holiday activities work wonders in bringing in a measure of calmness and structure in their life. It helps to keep their mind focused and active during the holidays.
In March this year, The Grange conducted a ‘Fun With Flying’ camp, taught by professional aviators who designed the lessons fulfilling the STEM Methodology. Students learned about the principles of flight, operated a drone, and even got a chance to test out a flight simulator. Keep a lookout on our upcoming camps and check out some of the holiday activities conducted in the past here.
Hands-on experience on a flight simulator during the ‘Fun with Flying’ Holiday Camp
Make Reading a Daily Routine
Sticking to some routines established in school can help children set the pace for the day ahead. For example, setting time aside for a 10-minute quiet reading every morning can help to reinforce behavioral expectations and enthusiasm for the rest of the day. Reading also helps one to grow expressively, with every turn of the page bring an element of joy, surprise, sadness, amusement and so on. However, it is also wise to keep it short and still allow children to enjoy their holidays. Reading should not become a chore!
Our parent community helped to advocate a love for reading by appearing as mystery readers during our Book Week in April
The Kitchen as a Learning Space
Now that most of our students had a go at baking this school year, the kitchen offers a wonderful place for learning. From researching and creating recipes, measuring ingredients and controlling temperature, get your child to help create a delicious holiday treat or Sunday brunch for the family! Parents, be prepared for some kitchen mess, but you may just find yourself a new sous chef at home.
Note: Do watch out for safety and do this activity together as a family.
Our year 4 students spent time learning the science behind making bread, researched and created their own unique bread recipes for their IPC Unit – Bake it!
Do you have more ideas that can keep children engaged and learning over the holidays? Share them with us on our Facebook and Twitter pages.