School's out for a few more weeks and rainy season has finally ended. We're sure you are keeping the kids you watch busy with trips to the park and pool, but we also have some fun and educational activities to suggest.

 

When kids aren't in school, they often lose some of the skills they've built up over the year. These projects will not only help keep kids occupied, they'll also keep their brains engaged!

 

 

Paper folding is nothing new in Japan, but hosting a paper airplane competition takes origami to another level. Whether they follow the instructions for the "Best Paper Airplane in the World" or their own blueprint, you can test each design out by competing on longest distance flown in the neighborhood park

 

What better time for children to make their own instruments than when they can play them loudly... outside? Using materials easily found around the house, you can help young children create banjos, maracas, rattles and more.

 

Teach children about "persistence of vision" by helping them to draw their very own flip book cartoons about their summer vacation. Because the images in a flip book move faster than the eye can process, our brain tells us its moving. Science!

 

Many kids will have summer reading assignments to get through before heading back to school. Help make the task more engaging by creating summer trading cards of the book's characters.

 

 

Math, science and some toilet paper make this a fun, easy indoor activity for those hot, humid summer days. Kids can learn about individual planets as well as where they all are in relation to us and each other.

 

Whether they have photos they can use (with parents' permission!) or would prefer to draw portraits, this project is a fun way for kids to learn more about where they've come from.

 

Seven different shapes can be used to create an endless amount of puzzles, helping to teach kids about geometry in the meantime. They can build their own combinations, or you can use prompts to test their abilities.

 

 

Hide small treasures or (non-melting!) treats around the neighborhood and start a scavenger hunt with clues they'll need to figure out each step of the way. You can use the clues as opportunities to solve math problems, riddles, or trivia about local geography.

 

There are tons of opportunities to try new things with the children you're watching (Reminder: always make sure the activities are OK with parents first!). As the days get hotter and school gets closer, kids get ornery. These are great ways to keep boredom at bay and learn a thing or two!