It’s Officially Summer…Let The Thinking Begin!

No more pencils, no more books! Bring on the ice cream trucks and splash pads! Break out the flip flops and the sunscreen!

Whether your child has already finished the school year, or is just about there, you’re probably feeling two things:

1.      Hooray! We made it through this school year, and wow, was it a doozy! Ready to party!

2.      Okay, now what? How do I keep my kid busy for the next couple of months?

The latter probably has you sweating a little bit, but it needn’t. There are ways to keep a little thinker busy over the summer, and many of them also present opportunities to fill in any lingering learning gaps, and even get ahead of the game for September.

Here are some suggestions, and a handful of ways we can help:

·        Whether you’re going back and forth to soccer practice, on long road trips together, hanging out on the beach, or roughing it in a tent, take advantage of time spent together to chat. Critical thinking can happen around the campfire, on trips, or while waiting for the BBQ to finish. If your kids are going to be around more often, talk to them! Really talk to them, and don’t put a lid on the big questions they’ve been meaning to ask.

·        Build a summer reading list that challenges your child to think, create, discuss and reflect. Read together, and wherever possible, have your child take the lead.

·        Work big questions into art projects and games! Even small snippets of critical thinking can have long-lasting impact on a child’s learning, and chances are, if they come up during fun times, they won’t even know they’re doing it. There are lots and lots of resources available to get things started.

·        If (more likely when) you reach the point in the summer where you bring out the devices and screens, be picky about what your child plays. Seek out games and eBooks that encourage inquiry and dialogue. More importantly, chat about the media they’ve been consuming, and ask them what they’ve learned.

However the summer goes for you and your child, we hope you both keep learning going, and that you get many opportunities to connect as thinkers. Critical thinking can and should be a year-round habit, and one that brings all ages of thinkers together.