How To Avoid the "Summer Slide"

 

The only summer slide we want students to enjoy each summer is the one found at the playground! Help your child avoid the dreaded "summer slide" by intentionally planning activities to keep their brains engaged. They worked hard all school year, and you don't want them to lose their newly gained knowledge and skills. 

Simple & Fun Ways to Keep Learning Alive This Summer!

Looking for easy ways to keep your child’s mind active over the break? Try a few of these fun and family-friendly ideas:

• ✏️ Start a Summer Journal – Set aside time to write together twice a week. It’s a great way to reflect and build writing skills.

• 🎨 Get Creative – Use recycled materials around the house to build, invent, or craft something unique.

• 🎲 Host a Family Game Night – Try a new board or card game that gets everyone thinking and laughing.

• 🥕 Explore Local Flavor – Visit a farmers' market or Summer Food Service site and talk about where food comes from. (Check out markets in Mount Airy, Dobson, or Elkin!)

• 📚 Read Together – Pick a book for a family read-aloud or book study and discuss it over dinner.

• 💌 Write to a Pen Pal – Encourage your child to write and mail letters to a friend or relative—they’ll build writing skills and brighten someone’s day.

• 🌳 Take Learning Outside – Go on a nature walk and talk about what you see, hear, and smell. Collect leaves, rocks, or flowers and research them at home. 

• 🍳 Cook Together – Choose a simple recipe, read it together, and let your child help with measuring and mixing—it’s math and reading in action!

• 🧩 Create a Puzzle Challenge – Work on a jigsaw puzzle or create your own with cardboard and crayons.

• 🗺️ Be a Local Tourist – Visit our Mount Airy Museum of Regional History, local libraries, historical sites, or hiking trails, and learn something new together.

• 🏙️ Explore Downtown Mount Airy – Go on a downtown scavenger hunt! Look for murals, landmarks, and Mayberry-themed surprises. (Download our printable scavenger hunt below.) 
• 🚴‍♀️ Bike & Scavenger Hunt Adventure 🌿 (Download our printable scavenger hunt below.) 
  Grab your bikes and head to the local greenway for a day of fun and fitness! Along the way, turn your ride into a scavenger hunt, look for things like a red flower, a butterfly, a bench, a bird's nest, or a squirrel. Bring a notebook to jot down your findings or take pictures along the route. It’s a great way to stay active, explore nature, and make lasting summer memories together.