Keeping Kids Engaged
throughout the summer

Special NBC Segment with Fosca White
Click here to see video on NBCchicago.com

The Montessori Academy of Chicago is a year-round school and we are faced with the challenges of keeping children engaged in educational activities, while also making certain that they don’t burn out.

There is a difference between keeping kids occupied and keeping kid’s engaged.

Here are some tips:

Keep up a daily routine throughout the summer

• Educational activity in the morning
  • Exploring the Zoo by color or visiting the petting zoo
  • Literacy programs at Chicago Public Library
  • Barnes and Noble reading program
• Lunch time
• Quiet time
• Afternoon activity such as arts and crafts – parents make sure you test run the activity first so that your kids will have time to complete the project.
• Family Dinner
• Story time
• Bed

Kids that maintain a routine throughout the summer have an easier time transitioning back to school in the fall.

Involve your children in everyday activities

• Have kids help pack the picnic or bring the bread and peanut butter in the picnic basket so that kids can make their own sandwiches at the beach.
• Give the infant a potato and a scrub brush and ask them to scrub the potato and bring potato chips to the lunch. (Tools: loaf of bread, plate, knife, peanut butter, jelly, potato, scrub brush, bowl of water or apple and Montessori cutting tool)

Tourist for a day/Make one day a week special – A Few Examples of Special Days

• Navy Pier is the number one tourist attraction in the country
  • Tall Ships
  • Speed Dog Boat
  • Children’s Museums
  • Ferris Wheel
• Memberships at Museums
• Brezina Woods for hiking, bike riding and fishing

Additional Resources

Reading programs

• Chicago Public Library Reading Programs and Summer Activities
• Barnes and Noble Reading Program (they get a free book!)

Cooking with kids

• Get a group together to help make lunch
• Decorate cookies/cupcakes, etc.
• Create an ice cream social

Little Entrepreneurs

• Start a lemonade stand with the kids
• Start a car wash with the kids

Make home videos

Bring out their green thumbs!

• If you have a garden, teach kids how to plant something and watch it grow
• If you do not have a garden, do container gardening inside with small plants or flowers such as marigolds

Create an obstacle course in a yard or nearby park

Set up a scavenger hunt in your neighborhood, a park, or in the city

Festivals

• Chicago Blues Festival (6/11-6/13)
• Taste of Chicago (6/25-/7-4)
• Chicago Air and Water Show (8/14-8/15)
• Pepsi Tall Ships Chicago 2010 (8/24-8/29)

Free movie days

• In Chicago parks
• Some movie theaters have family film festivals

Beach days or Neighborhood pool days

• North Avenue Beach
• Oak Street Beach, etc.

Museum Visits

• Field Museum has a 3D film on Sue the T-Rex
• Museum of Science and Industry
• Adler Planetarium
• Shedd Aquarium
• Art Institute of Chicago

Baseball games-- Cubs/White Sox

Millennium Park

• Enjoy the water areas
• Family Fun Festival presented by Target

Musicals and Theater shows

• Shrek the Musical at the Cadillac Theater (July 13 – September 5)
• Billy Elliot at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theater (March 18 – July 11)
• More kids shows info

Additional summer activity info: http://www.chicagokids.com/free/ChicagoKids-com-Free-Chicago-Fun-Summer2010.pdf