Educational Chores to Get Back in the School Spirit

What’s not to love about summertime? Long days, warm nights, and ample quality time with our loved ones make the dog days of summer some of the best days of the year. Nevertheless, all good things must come to an end, and for your children, that might be hard to swallow. So why not make the transition easier on everybody?

Get the kids back on track for the school year by incorporating some educational structure and summertime learning activities into their everyday lives. Liven up their family chores to help them keep learning as summer transitions into school season once more.

Little Kids

The back-to-school season can be especially tough for younger kids, so get ahead of the madness.  What will they be learning in school this year? Counting? Reading? Basic science? Try to provide educational chores for kids that make use of skills they’ll need in school, like listening, sharing, and helping.

When it comes to their lessons, creativity is key. Try to make every activity a learning experience. If you’re emptying the dishwasher, let them sort the dishes by type or count how many pieces you have of everything. If you’re going shopping, let them help you make a grocery list. The goal is to make the chore more exciting and less like work.

Tweens and Teens

Your tweens and teenagers know the back-to-school drill, so your focus should be on maintaining and building on what they’ve already learned. On average, kids can lose around two months’ worth of math skills during summer vacation; the same goes for reading and spelling comprehension.

As school approaches, focus on helping your older kids retain all they’ve learned by incorporating these skills not only into their routine but also into their everyday lives. Think of some educational chores that will help their minds stay sharp. Let your kid help make the grocery budget this week or calculate discounts on sales. If you look around, you can find lessons everywhere. Take your gardening time, for example, to help your kids learn about the water cycle and photosynthesis.

While hands-on learning is effective, also make sure they get used to the routine aspect of school again. Carve out time for reading or math practice. If there’s a chore they really don’t like, try trading that chore for educational work, like a math worksheet or reading time. Just remember that the goal isn’t to make educational activities feel like a chore. Let them have their fun, too.

The end of summer doesn’t have to be all play and no work or vice versa. Help the students in your household keep up and get ahead by incorporating educational activities into their routine. You’ll get needed work done while keeping their minds alert. It’s a win-win scenario.