Suggestions for summer activities to maintain what has been learned

The holidays are coming… What to do to occupy the children during the summer? Here are a host of suggestions from preschool and elementary school teachers collected on social media in recent weeks.

With the arrival of the school holidays often come questions from parents wishing to do summer activities that will allow their child to maintain the achievements of the year which is coming to an end. To do this, there are a multitude of ideas that will interest young and old by their playful and creative side.

Here is a host of suggestions from preschool and elementary school teachers collected on social networks in recent weeks:

Activities on tablets and mobile devices

• Learn how to take beautiful vacation photos, annotate them in applications such as Pic collage or Scrap Pad and publish them with a parent, or print them.

• Create a comic about Android or iPad.

• Read free app-books: Pango, The little Princess, Who is it?, The monster chest,  Leon comic.

• Review and learn new concepts while having fun, for 5 to 12 year olds, with MyBlee Bonus on iOs.

• Discover the world with Google Earth (free on all platforms), or theAtlas Barefoot for the youngest (iOs at 4.99 $).

• Practice mental arithmetic with Tap Math.

• Create digital books with BookCreator including photos, drawings and videos.

• Learn to play a piano or guitar tune in real life or with an application for tablets.

• Practice reading a book, recording, and emailing the track to family members to report on progress.

• Consolidate your learning in English or learn a new language with DuoLingo (free online or on tablets).

Web sites

Science
http://www.lesdebrouillards.com/
For information, to have family experiences, to write to receive answers to his questions ...

Tales from the Francophonie
http://www.conte-moi.net/
A tale a day to listen to

Read and sing online
http://www.lirecreer.org/index.html
Stories, songs, nursery rhymes and games.

Suggested reading: http://www.communication-jeunesse.qc.ca/palmares/courant/index.php
List of the most popular books among young people in Quebec.

Create your own virtual library and connect with other readers with Babelio.

Writing
http://www.bernardfriot-fabriqueahistoires.com/
The story factory to free the imagination!

Primary revision repertory (Allô Prof)
French: http://bv.alloprof.qc.ca/f1587.aspx
Mathematical : http://bv.alloprof.qc.ca/mathematique/repertoires-de-revision-en-mathematique-au-primaire.aspx
Several exercises to revise on rainy days.

Educational sites
http://www.lasouris-web.org/index.html
Directory of educational sites for preschool and elementary school students.

Mathematical
http://mathauprimaire.blogspot.ca/?m=1
A multitude of online games for young and old.

Zone des petits (Radio-Canada)
http://ici.radio-canada.ca/jeunesse/petits/
A portal containing educational shows, games and various activities.

Youth Zone (Radio-Canada)
http://ici.radio-canada.ca/jeunesse/
A portal for older children with a multitude of activities and reports.

Cooking with the family
http://www.ricardocuisine.com/themes/pour-enfants/
Something for all tastes!

Family activities

• Involve the child in developing written lists of all kinds (groceries, travel or camping items, etc.).
• Have them read signs, posters, placards and maps when traveling during the summer.
• Make collections of various objects in order to count them.
• Register for the municipal library's summer reading club.
• Write a postcard, letter or email to family members.
• Make flower necklaces or crafts with objects from nature.
• Read songs in a notebook, invent collective stories or riddles by the fireside or during long trips.
• Keep travel memories or a diary and write down adventures accompanied by photos.
• Read in a park, in a hammock, read to a young child, read to an elderly person, to his grandparents, to his pet ...
• Prepare a picnic including the four food groups.
• Calculate lengths of time with a clock or calendar.
• Cooking by letting the children read the recipe, measure the ingredients and take care of the cooking time. For older children, double or triple a recipe to add fractions.
• Graph the temperature over the days and regularly ask the child the time on a watch or clock with hands.
• Jump rope counting in steps of 2, 5, 10, etc.
• Have fun identifying the star constellations.
• Prepare a garage sale after cleaning your toys or clothes and calculate the amounts collected.
• Build a herbarium and identify trees, leaves and flowers using a book or website.
• Plant a bean or sunflower and keep a log of its growth (measurement, color, etc.).

Table games (several are available in tablet version)

• Boggle
• Scrabble
• Chess
• Blokus
• Clue
• Mystery words and crosswords
• Mastermind
• Card games
• Sudoku, etc.

You will understand, the goal of these activities is to link learning and revision to the notion of fun because, after all, children greatly deserve to enjoy their vacation after long months of hard work!

We would like to thank the teachers who shared their ideas and take the opportunity to wish them a wonderful summer of healing, relaxation and fun!