I just set up charts for the four kids (3 with ADHD/executive functioning issues) to help them remember what they need to do each day as far as typical personal and household tasks. We're learning to be responsible.

Each lists their morning routine, a time for reading/typing/handwriting/music practice/math as needed, two or three simple chores each day so our house stays in order and they stay busy doing their fair share, and their evening routine. All so nothing gets forgotten and I don't have to remind them.

This also frees me up some so we all can work quickly to do our must-dos and have lots of fun free time for parks and pool and library and museums and area outdoor theaters and the planetarium and going downtown like tourists and doing projects.

If we don't plan our days, they don't get anything done while I'm busy and the whole day goes by with nothing accomplished and no time for fun. It is a struggle to keep the tv off and the mindless computer games off if I'm not monitoring. Now we have a plan that will help the rest of the summer be awesome!

All my kids do math, as well as reading, over the summer. For kids in elementary grades I pre-teach some concepts from next year's math - 18 lessons scattered throughout the summer. Each lesson takes about 5 minutes to teach and 10 minutes for them to do 15 problems. Hardly burdensome, yet extremely effective.
Kids in upper grades also do math, but only twelve lessons - and just review problems.

I think it's great that you are visiting the "Lost Colony", but I agree with Sofia that the LAST thing you want to do is more of the stuff she hates. Obviously, the boring textbook didn't excite her much in the fourth grade and by making her read and answer the questions in the fifth grade book boring book won't turn her on to history.
I don't know your finances or work schedule, but if you are unable to take her to other places, I would encourage her to watch the History channel. I had a third grade student who was super knowledgeable about all sorts of things yet couldn't read well. I actually thought that he was a world traveler at first, but he told me he learned all that "stuff" from the History channel!
We had leveled reading groups in our school and he was reading at a second grade level so, of course, he wasn't doing well in anything in his regular classroom.

I had several Usborne books in my classroom and he LOVED them because the information was in bite sized pieces with lavish illustrations.

Reading historical novels are another way for her to really grasp the history and social settings of the era without boring facts and timelines. Learning is and should be FUN!!! :)

Go to www.ubah.com/s1419 to find some of the fantastic books that will make her LOVE social studies next year! And good luck with whatever you do. I know that with a concerned parent like you she'll do fine. :)

I bought next grades social text book for my up coming 5th grader. She got very poor grades last year in social studies. I want to help her get a head up on next year. With some struggle to get her motivation going, she's been doing the questions and the lesson reviews. She has 13 chapters to do this summer. She's on Chapter 4, early America explorers. I'm thinking a trip to Mateo, NC to visit the "lost Colony". Help her get things in perspective.

I'm a retired teacher and am tutoring our neighbor's grandson Kaiden this summer. He didn't pass the first grade and doesn't like reading, so I'm trying to help him have fun while improving his skills. I have an advantage because I'm a consultant for Usborne Books and get them at a discount. The books are great and many of them have safe websites that accompany them. Today we read "Cowboys" and then went to the website where Kaiden enjoyed listening to cowboy songs, dressing cowboys, and playing a wordsearch game on the computer. He also loves "playing" with the Learning Palette as does his mom as it is self-correcting and doesn't take batteries. :) If you'd like to learn more, check out my website at www.ubah.com/s1419.

Enroll your child into summer camp programs where they have diffrent activies everyday and field trips

To increase learning and "brain power", the LAST absolutely LAST thing you want to do is to enroll them in another hightly academic program for the summer. Do NOT have them sitting at their desks for the summer!!! Get out and explore. Set up entirely NEW experiences. There is a big wide world out there. And READ, READ, READ. Read to them and help them choose books at the library.
Switch off the TV. Be active!!!
A GREAT parenting book that relates to what to do during NON-school time:
"Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv.

STAYING ACTIVE FOR ONE, SWIMMING,RUNNING THEY ALSO JOINED THE READING CLUB AT OUR LOCAL LIBRARY, ITS GREAT.

I'm a big fan of children using their brains... I found this site with videos on how children can use their creativity to have fun.

www.charismatickids.tv

Good stuff here... take time to read the articles too!

We go to the library reading events (they have guest entertainers like music, science, magic, etc.) that 's great for kids!

We also do a lot of water play and outdoors play, it's great for them to be physically active. We have games we play outside to also hepl them with certain skills they are working on (my way of "teaching" them still and they enjoy it).

And we go on one to two outings during the week...picnic in the park, zoo, museums, roller skating, mini-golf, bowling, and play centers.

I'm an educator, so i feel the need to keep my kids minds engaged, but i also think summer needs to be a lot of fun for everyone, after all, we all work very hard during the school year.

The past few summers I have used the Summer Bridge workbooks and like them. But I think we are ready for a change. I plan on looking into a few of the suggestions (website and programs) mentioned by others. Our public high school has a summer reading project for the students to complete by the first day of school and now our middle school has also incorporated a summer reading list and project. So this helps keep them reading. We also use summer to take music lessons that might not fit in with school schedules - my son takes piano lessons all year long but he also plays trumpet in school band and we have a college student give him lessons on trumpet during the summer. And we often use summer to try something new or teach a new skill. Last summer we learned cooking skills. This summer we are going to learn laundry skills. But most of the summer is spent in an unstructured way and trying to get together with friends and family we don't get to see often.

Kaplan Tutoring (Score on-line) progam for my son. The program is designed to fit your kid's level. After an accessment test, the program will adjust accordingly to your kid's progress. Love it, love it.

I brought the summer bridge program for my daughter. I also enrolled her in a book club designesd for first graders and we participated at the summer reading program in our library.

This summer I will be keeping my son busy by having him sign an agreement with me to read to me for 30 minutes a day for the library reading program. I have enrolled Isaiah in, First in Math online game. This is designed for 3rd – 8th graders and if you’re interested here is the web sit (www.firstinmath.com). I’m also working on a daily activity play list for us. Last we will be taking trips that are educational on Mondays to historical sites in our city and other surrounding cites. Our weekends will be filled with camping. You ask why I plan to stay so busy, its because I’m becoming a Massage Practitioner and plan on taking this summer of before I become to busy and he is to old to hang with mom and he would rather be with his buddies.

I've signed my son up for the reading program at the library but does anyone know of good reading and math websites? My kids get to see the family but we are staying close to home.

May you please tell me wich is that web page for math? Thanks in advance.

We bought a huge Children's Map of the World and put it up on the wall. The kids take turns picking a different country each week of the summer. We learn about that country, do art projects, eat food from that country, etc.

The kids also have journals that they can write and draw in, and I got a workbook for my soon-to-be first-grader. I'm not pushy about any of this, but I try to make it fun, and they seem to enjoy it.

They still have plenty of down time, and they've even come up with a business they are doing on their own. They are making works of art and selling them to raise money for a missions program. I'm so proud of them!

I like to relax in the summer time. Because when school is in session. We are so busy. I have 2 kids are playing summer ball. We do the summer reading program at our local library. I just found a website for Math. I will have my kids do little of that. I don't want them behind when they go back to school. I hope we can go camping soon. I just want my kids enjoy their summers and childhood. Their only little for a short while.

In a city like Chicago there is no shortage of things to do ..Some favorites NorthPark Nature Center ,almost free activities at Millenium park,Evanston Beach ,Borders Reading program,The Mexican fine Arts Museum,The Apple Store is doing free workshops in July ,street festivals like oldtown school of Folk Music...

I have alot of things that I want to acomplish with my kids this summer. We have our Routine Monday Fun Day were all of us old T.ball moms meet at the local pool.

I signed both of my boys up for the Summer Reading Program at our Local Library which meets every Wednesday.

Every Friday we go to the local River and play in the dirt and in the water.

And in between we will be doing stuff in my oldest sons Bear Scout Book.

No sun or sand for us this summer.
We're sticking with the good old standby's like reading and writing. My kids are actually learning how to be self sufficient and learning how to live off the land by helping us maintain our garden with a lot of our own fruits and veggies. A good skill to have in this economy.
My oldest works but he is looking for an organization where he can volunteer and my younger children have joined sports for the summer. A camping trip will be the only vacation we can fit in this summer, which is fine by me. Less money and more family time shared, plus the campground is close to our state capitol where there are many historical sites and tours.

I plan to have my four children use interactive CDs based on the standards addressing all the subject areas. Hey! Kids already love playing video games, and the CDs have some games for them to play. I already have them working on them. They compete to get on for their program.

What we've done in the past with our son is put him in a summer program that preps him for the next grade level. We also do a lot of learning activities for children at our Church that encourage reading, solving elaborate puzzles to enable them to read Scripture that sort of thing. I agree with the idea of some of the other posters that summer is also a break from school. After the preparatory program is over we focus on fun!

Mine will be prepping for math and working in our botanical garden. Her job is to help with the classification/inventory of saguaro cactus and helping out in eco-camp.

She is really looking forward to it, but have to have a bit of school in there as well, high school next school session, it's a big deal and need to be prepared.

No vacations this year. We will be home schooling in the morning, I bought Kumon work books for my 4 year old and my 6 year old's school rec commended a workbook. So we will do a few pages a day. Go to the pool. Go to the beach. Go to the museums. Go to the library. Hang out in the back yard to look at bugs, stars, trees. Let them be kids and be a little bored. They need it.

We will be taking a few short trips to visit family. For the most part, we will be doing the "Camp Mom" thing. I feel that the summer is the one and only chance for the children to be children and kick back a little. We are so rushed and pressed for time throughout the school year so a well deserved respite is in order here.

I will go over things here and there to reinforce what they have learned but not push. They get enough of that:) Hopefully we will just enjoy the summer as a family.

Here in Laconia her daycare, she was only in Kindergarden this year, has an all day program that she can attend while I work. I am a single parent so she has to go to a program that allows me time to work to pay the bills. The program she will be attending will be teaching swimming, taking them to gymnastics, going to a Fisher Cats baseball game, on some other field trips plus arts and crafts on rainy days. She should have fun. Plus she will be taking dance classes in the afternoon one a week. And we hike on the weekends attend church and go to the park. We are busy people.

Ra,

I always heard those Arizonans called San Diego their second home, but you're the first I've actually "known" who made the commute. Do you ever visit Old Towne or anything else non-orcan? :) I haven't been to San Diego in three years, but it's always beautiful there.

I will be taking my daughter camping for several days at a time two to three times this summer up North. I'll also be homeschooling her with the 6th grade text books so that she'll be familiar with what they'll be doing come Fall. It's possible, but not probable, that she'll be going to Girl Scout camp for 2 weeks this summer. And for the last 2 weeks in Summer, we'll be going to California to both visit family and then take a trip down to San Diego and hang out there for a bit - mostly at the beach but will definitely go see Shamu again this year. Then we'll get back 2 days before school starts up again!

My son has school all year round. So that's great! He'll be 4 in August and he's more than we can handle when he's home more than just a weekend. So it's good that he'll have plenty of art, splash park, swimming, playground and learning time this summer! The only time he'll have off is when we're in California, and we'll be so busy he won't have the energy to get into trouble!!

I also believe summer should be a break. My children do like to go to the local library on Tuesdays when they have events going on for them - these events are usually related to the theme of the library's summer reading program. My daughter will be active in her jazz band through June so she really only gets about 6 weeks break - although I wish we all got 6 weeks! As long as they get plenty of exercise and have plenty of fun, we don't plan anything beyond what they request outside of vacation.

I actually try hard not to overdo summer. I see too many folks trying to cram so much into summer that it feels busier than the school year.

That said, we have membership to the Natural History Museum, which includes the La Brea Tar Pits, and we'll probably head over to both of those a few times. The LA County Museum of Art has a free kids' membership that allows them to bring one adult, so I'll take her there too.

In addition, the National Gallery of Art has a spectacular website (as do many educational places) that's free.

I'd like to finish her learning her multiplication tables and might even slip the states and their capitals in, but again, this is during down time and not a heavy-handed lesson.

Mainly, she'll get to invite her friends over that she doesn't usually get to, and enjoy being a kid.