Summer vacations 2023: Home-based creative ways for preschoolers to learn and grow this summer

Parenting starts even before the child comes into the world and then, it never ends. Once a parent, always a parent. Probably because the parent-child bond is fluid in nature. It changes with time and takes different forms as children grow. It is actually a kaleidoscope of emotions that both parents and children experience throughout their lives.

Every child is unique, every family is unique and, therefore, every parent-child bond is unique as well. But there are certain facts about this bond that are applicable throughout the world. And one such fact lies in summer break! It is that ideal time of the year when parents can utilise the opportunity to not only invest in the bond but also bring a whole world of stimulation for children at home. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

The World Economic Forum produced a report last year about the skills needed for the period from 2030 to 2050. The report clearly highlights that communication skills will be of paramount importance during those years for the human workforce to gain success. Parents can use this summer to prepare children for the future by taking them to this memory lane.

Here is a quick eight-point guide shared by Meghna Yadav, Consultant Head at KLAY Daycare that can help parents in ensuring that summer vacations can bring a lot of learning opportunities for preschool goers at home without taking away the fun of summers.

BOND OVER FITNESS

The importance of fitness in child development is immense. Allocating at least half an hour per day to physical activity during the holidays can make a world of difference in your child’s fun and learning. So, add a morning walk to your routine with your pre-schooler or have yoga or Zumba with your child in the morning. When children use gross motor skills like jumping, walking, and dancing- the body starts working on the bottom-up stress regulating system and hence, stress hormone levels reduce among children.

FOCUS ON DAILY CHORES

In summer vacation, involve your children in routine activities as much as possible. Boring mundane daily chores will be so much fun when done together. So, take a change this summer season: Go fold laundry with your child and you will be amazed to note how quickly she understood the concept of segregation and classification! Clean the dirty dishes together and see how the pre-schooler explores the solution and solvent concept while doing this activity!

FAMILY MEAL TIME

As per recent social studies on child development, the most important and impactful family habit which is guaranteed to play a role in your child’s core personality is eating at least one meal together as a family. Not only eating together but also preparing meals together is a great fun family activity! Baking and cooking provide umpteen opportunities for parents to teach concepts like measurements, mixtures, temperature, etc. to children.

GO DOWN MEMORY LANE

Let your child know that you are a team and keep them highly involved in your life as much as possible. Take your children in the past by sharing your own childhood summer break stories, and connect your children with your school friends through calls. This will not only keep the tunnel of communication wide open when your pre-schoolers are grown-ups but will also allow them to share their own stories with you.

GRANDPARENTS ARE BLESSINGS

The beauty of grandparents is that they love doing what they do when it comes to grandchildren. Plan something where your children get some time to spend with grandparents. Allowing children to be with grandparents is the best gift of summer that parents can offer. Try not to intervene when they are interacting or playing with each other. Positive emotions like empathy, respect, care, and joy are seen at their peak when children are elderly.

CHILD NEEDS CHILDREN

No matter how much you try to be a friend to your child, it is highly advised to have more children around your child. Select a few families to create a social network of peers for your child and give this fantastic opportunity for socialisation to your child. Fights with peers while playing are great breeding grounds for human brains on how to handle disagreements amicably.

SAND AND WATER

You need not get too many toys to keep your child’s spirit high this summer break. The two favourite toys of children are sand and water. Allow your children to have some kind of play in the sand pit and let them make bubbles while taking a bath. These little fun elements are wonderful ways to reduce stress hormones in children. Sand tracing of alphabets, building sand castles, pouring water into different containers, and splashes of water on each other in scorching summer are rated as highly desirable activities for pre-schoolers.

KEEP YOUR OWN ENERGY LEVELS INTACT

Laughter is contagious, so you get involved in dancing and playing if you want this to pass on to your children. To raise a happy child, you need to be energetic and healthy yourself. Focus on your own energies and find ways to keep yourself cheerful. Planning vacations, selecting hobby classes, and going on adventure rides are a few of the most common activities that parents plan during the summer break for children.

This article was originally published in India Today