Bring Summer to Your Students

As the end of the school year nears, most students and, if you're being honest, teachers, begin to fantasize about being outdoors, upcoming summer vacations, and all the things you'll likely be doing during the three-month recess from school. While your first instinct may be to subdue this excess energy, it can actually be helpful to embrace it and use it to your advantage. Many families take vacations to the beach or lake during summer break so it can be fun to incorporate several of these elements into your daily lessons. Design journal writing prompts around favorite vacations, places that will be visited in the coming months, and even favorite summer activities (e.g. baseball, going to the park, etc). Give them a 'taste' of the beach by having them bring in beach towels to spread out around the classroom to use during reading time.

Refine creativity, fine motor skills, and the ability to follow directions by incorporating 'summer' into your craft time. Jennifer, creator of the blog Ramblings of a Crazy Woman, provides ideas for two art projects featuring crabs that are sure to excite your students and give them an outlet for their enthusiasm.

Ramblings of a Crazy Woman: Crab Crafts

If you have a summer program at your school you should check out our collection of Summer Bridge Activity Books!