What are Fun Ways to Combine Learning and Physical Activity This Summer?

by Julie Diamond, OCT

This blog will take about 5 minutes to read.

Parents often worry about the “summer slide” — the loss of academic skills during the break. However, combining physical activity with learning can keep children engaged and help them retain knowledge in a fun and exciting way. 

Here are some creative tips and activities to help you make the most of your summer!

1. Nature Scavenger Hunt: Exploring Science and Physical Fitness

Take learning outside with a nature scavenger hunt. Create a list of items for your child to find in a park or nature reserve, like different types of leaves, insects, rocks, or flowers. As they search, they’ll be running, climbing, and exploring, which keeps them physically active. You can add an educational twist by discussing the different plant species, habitats, or ecosystems they encounter.

Example:

- Challenge: Create a printable scavenger hunt sheet like one of these listed here. 

2. Math in Motion: Learning Through Sports

Incorporate math into physical activities like basketball, soccer, or even jumping rope. In the warm-up, challenge them to do high knees or jumping jacks counting by 5s to 50 or 100 before moving onto the next exercise. Or have them time each other when doing planks or wall sits. These approaches not only make math fun but also enhance problem-solving, telling time and physical coordination skills. 

Example:

- Challenge: For every basket made in basketball, have them add the score to keep a running total. For older kids, calculate shooting percentages by dividing the number of successful shots by the total attempts. 

3. Storytelling Walks: Creative Writing and Walking

Encourage your child’s creativity and physical fitness by going on a storytelling walk. As you walk around your neighbourhood or a park, take turns creating a story. Each person adds a sentence or a paragraph. This activity stimulates imagination and narrative skills while ensuring everyone gets some exercise.

Example:

- Challenge: Introduce your child to the idea of creating a journey stick together. These sticks are used by many Indigenous groups as a storytelling and navigational tool for journeys. It’s a great way to incorporate culture, art and physical fitness into your day! Check out this blog for more information about journey sticks and how to create one. 

4. Geocaching Adventures: Geography and Navigation Skills

Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game that uses GPS-enabled devices. Participants need to find their way to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location. This activity not only involves a lot of walking and exploring but also teaches kids about geography, coordinates, and navigation.

Example:

- Challenge: Find a geocache in your local area. Discuss how GPS works and the importance of maps in navigation.

5. Garden Science: Biology and Physical Labour

Gardening is an excellent way to teach children about biology and ecosystems while engaging them in physical activity. Plant a small garden together and assign different tasks, such as digging, planting seeds, and watering. You can discuss plant life cycles, photosynthesis, and the importance of ecosystems.

Example:

- Challenge: Grow a small vegetable garden. Track the growth of the plants and discuss what they need to thrive (sunlight, water, nutrients). Check out this website for gardening ideas to do at home with your child. This is an interactive activity to do and can be adjusted for kids of all ages from kindergarten to high school. 

6. DIY Obstacle Course: Engineering and Fitness

Give your child the task of setting up a DIY obstacle course in your backyard or a local park. Use items like cones, ropes, and hoops to create challenges. To extend the learning for older students, incorporate physics and engineering by discussing concepts like gravity, force, and motion. This activity is great for improving physical strength, coordination, and problem-solving skills.

Example:

- Challenge: Create an obstacle course and time how long it takes to complete. Discuss the forces at play when climbing, jumping, hopping or running.

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By incorporating physical activity with learning, you can create a fun and engaging summer experience for their children. These activities not only help prevent the ‘summer slide’ but also encourage a love for learning and a healthy lifestyle. So, get outside, be creative, and enjoy the summer with your kids!