Learn as You Do~ Summer Fun + Learning

Summer is the season for trips, late nights, outdoor activities, and fun. Our family keeps busy in the summer with swim lessons, swim parties, VBS, sleepovers at grandma’s, and lots of playing outdoors and eating popsicles. One of our favorite family activities is to go to summer outdoor concerts and get ice cream in Old Town. Fun may be in session and school may be out, but learning doesn't have to stop.

Learning doesn’t have to be thrown out when summer comes. And learning doesn’t have to be reading logs, workbooks, flashcards, and curriculum either. It doesn’t require assignments. Whether my kids realize it or not we learn all summer long. We incorporate learning into what we do. Learning can happen when we talk, walk, lie down, or sit up. That is how God’s law was to be learned, not in seats through assignments but through daily life, “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6:7 Behind the plan for passing on God’s Law is the principle of a learning methodology:

LEARN AS YOU DO

Learn as you do.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Dr. Seuss

Read about what you do and the places you go.  Last summer was the summer of trips for us. We went to several reunions. We went on a family vacation. Between all our trips we went to four different states. So, we got books on each state and found one famous thing from each state to read about. It built anticipation for each trip.

One of the places we visited was the Grand Canyon.  We had seen pictures and read about it beforehand so it made it more interesting and meaningful when we saw it in person. We also drove by the Hoover Dam in Nevada on our way to Las Vegas for our family vacation. We read about how it was built. We learned that one of the towns we drive through every year was built for all the people working on the dam.

This year we haven’t gone on any big trips but we still read about the things we do. We went to the aquarium a few weeks ago so we read about the deepest part of the ocean in one of our science books. We always read about the Revolutionary War and our country's independence around the 4th of July. It just makes more sense to learn about it when we celebrate it. Our church sent a team to Malawi for a mission trip so we looked up where Malawi was and read about it as we prayed for the team.

If you are going to Disney Land read about Walt Disney. Read the history. Read about physics and the science of rides and roller coasters. If you are going camping read about the forest habitat. Get books on camping and hunting and wildlife. If you are visiting a historic site read about the history and famous people related to it. If you are going swimming read about lifeguards and safety at the pool. If your kid is older have them read about current events or the ideas behind them. Reading about what you do not only makes it more meaningful, but it can build excitement for trips or events.

Individualize Learning. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” God gives us individualized works that He prepared us for. God made us individuals with different strengths and weaknesses and preferences. The best learning takes place when it is individualized to the child and when it is meaningful to them.

Choice in learning inspires life-long learning. If learning is always dictated to us it will not inspire life-long learning. When we always tell kids what to learn about and don’t let them ever chose they will lose heart and give up. Let your kids research things they like in the summer. 

Ask your kids what they want to learn about. One of my boys is so into the military. We went to the library and checked out every book about the military that they had. We have gone back several times. I finally told him, “I think that you have checked out every book they have on the military. There are no more.” I found images of all the emblems for all the branches of the military and printed them out for him. He then made a book of all the branches of the military with their emblem and information about each that he had learned.

Here is the link to my Pinterest Military Study Board.

Another of the boys was into sharks a few years ago so we were constantly getting shark books from the library. He again made a book of different kinds of sharks, not all of them, there are more than 300 species, as he taught me. Then towards the end of our summer we were able to go to the Mandalay Bay Aquarium in Las Vegas to see sharks. He was so excited and it was so meaningful to him because he was interested in it and he knew about it.

One of my other boys loves art so he is always checking out books on arts and crafts or drawing and painting. Then we find the supplies he needs to make some of the things he reads about. It is a great way to keep him entertained and occupied.  Having your children spend time doing what they like keeps them from getting in trouble also.

Learning should be purposeful. It is important to tell children what learning is for, in this case, writing. When kids see that there is no reason to do something besides that it is busy-work they are less likely to do well or do it at all. Give your kids a real reason to write. Here are some purposes for writing:

• Record something as in a diary or journal for personal information or reflection.

           Real life: Bible journal

• Record information for others in a specific line of work.

           Real life: Scientist record data on experiments. Doctors record notes on a patient.

• Lists to remember or organize information.

           Real life: Grocery list, inventory, to do list

• Communicate ideas to others whether to inform, help, or persuade.

           Real life: Newspaper, Blog, Non-fiction Book, Song

• Entertain an audience.

           Real life: Fiction book, play or script, song

• To express self or give worship to entity, person, or idea.  

           Real life:  song, poetry

Give your kids a real life purpose for what they are practicing. Let them use their strengths and likes. Writing ideas:

• Journal their Bible reading. If they are young have them draw pictures of a Bible story they hear. (Drawing is a precursor to writing).

• One of my boys likes to argue. He was driving me crazy one day, so I told him to write me a “How to Argue” How To. I asked him to write out how you convince someone to be on your side and do what you want.

• After VBS the boys were telling me about all that they did. One of my boys doesn’t like arts and crafts. It was his least favorite thing. So I told him to write me “10 Things I’d rather do than arts and crafts.”

Write a song based on something that inspires them. My boys love the song, “No Longer Slaves” by Bethel Music. They wrote versions of it based on things they are no longer slaves to.

Write a funny diary like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid. If you really need help finding ideas they have a great blank journal. The book has all kinds of topics and fun ideas to have kids work on such as design your own sandwich or plan your ultimate road trip. 

Write a diary of summer events and adventures they can keep and read in future years.

Learning works best in an apprentice style, a more experienced person teaching the less experienced. Summer is full of fun activities but they cost money. When kids are home all the time it is a great time to work on the discipline of stewardship. Have them earn extra money to spend by doing more chores. Teach them how to do more things around the house. Add a few new chores each summer to add to their responsibility as they get older. Show them something new such as how to make a new recipe, be more attentive to detail in their work, a skill they will need when they are on their own such as laundry or making a budget.

It is also a great time to help them learn skills. Let them be a part of a project or yard work where they learn how to use tools or fix something.  Tim is great at letting the boys help him do house projects. He could get done so much quicker if he didn't let them be a part of it. But he considers it valuable to teach them those skills and at the same time spend time with them.

This summer we are really working on how to handle money. Every Saturday we give the boys money for the extra chores they do. They have regular chores that they do not get paid for. We consider it part of being a responsible family member. But, we have plenty of extra work for them especially this year because we are trying to sell our house. When we give the boys their money we calculate 10% for tithing, 10% for savings and the rest for spending. There you go! They are doing every day real math.

Learning should be fun

Don’t underestimate the importance of play for kids. Play teaches them to be creative, solve problems, use their imagination and work with others. As a parent, play helps me see who leads, who follows, who compromises, who bosses. It helps me see what their social strength and weaknesses are so I can better help them.

Currently, Noah is building a hammock in the backyard with tree branches and string. My boys went through a cardboard phase. They would make everything out of cardboard, shields, swords, armor, toys. They actually found a book at the library about making things out of cardboard.

Organize Learning Tools

I learned a long time ago that to keep toys organized and less messy it was best to organize them into boxes and rotate them. Not only does it keep toys more organized especially the ones with small pieces but because we rotate through them it is more exciting when we get something out they haven’t done for a while. I love using uniform bins so that it looks neat. These are the 16 quart bins from Target. It is easy to see through them and see what’s in them. Some of them just have the toys. Others like the scooping, fine motor, and science ones I had to put together. The purpose of the boxes is not just for organization but also to build different skills. It’s play with a purpose. (Future post coming with all the purpose, materials,and printouts). The boys use these on summer afternoons to play with. They can use one at a time. They think they are just playing but these are all learning tools.

We have boxes for:

Legos

Playdough

Puzzles

Different building materials- blocks, connexs

Painting

Stickers and cards

Science experiments- baking soda, vinegar, food dye,

Science Kit- Magnets with sorting sheet, Physics- roll/slide objects sorting sheet

Fine motor for little ones- beading, lacing, pinching

Scooping- beans and pasta

Animals

Action Figures

Learning should be individualized, meaningful, choice-driven, purposeful, apprentice styled, and fun!

I have found when I approach learning in this way my students, and now my kids, are inspired and motivated to learn. They don’t even realize they are learning because it is fun. When we teach our kids to learn as we do they are more likely to become life-long learners.

Enjoy your summers with your kids and learn along the way! May you live Abundant Days for His glory and your good!

Kristin Overman