According to Oxford Learning, 2 to 3 hours of educational work per week is needed to prevent any learning loss.
Summer is finally here, and with warm weather, bored kids bloom like perennials. They are going to need a little help keeping themselves entertained during those long summer days. Instead of handing over the screens just to get a little peace and quiet, give them toys that will inspire their creativity and maybe even keep them learning. These STEM toys will keep kids learning over summer, and let them have fun without giving away the fact that they are actually learning while they play. They might even be able to help you keep your sanity, too.
My First ABC Clutching Puzzle
Encourage kids to learn their alphabet with this colorful puzzle made from linden plywood. It has easy to grasp knobs and fun pictures to correspond with the letters. It is never too early to start learning letters, and this fun puzzle will help them get a jump on those ABCs.
My First Game Petting Zoo
This Petting Zoo matching game for ages two and up supports tactile learning during playtime. It has six textured animals, a barn, and a spinner with textures that match each animal. Players use the spinner to determine which animal they must find inside the barn using only their sense of touch. It is a great game for little ones. There is no reading involved, and it moves quickly as to keep their attention.
The Seasons Magnetic Box
This cardboard carrying case is perfect for summer road trips. The Seasons Magnetic Box comes with 4 backgrounds each with a different season as well as a seasonally appropriate sheet of decorative magnets for every background. Kids can create a variety of landscapes and take them all in the carry case – no muss, no fuss. I made this carrying case a staple car toy, and it remains in the backseat to keep little hands busy regardless if it is a quick ride to the store or a long vacation trip.
Playfoam Pals
This is my son’s new favorite obsession – Playfoam! It is a wonderfully creative past time to get kids artfully crafting whatever they can imagine. Each pod comes with a hidden play pal inside, and they can be taken apart and swapped with other pals to create of variety of creatures. The Playfoam is a feather light foam that sticks to itself and is easily manipulated to build anything your kid may dream up. Then, they can use their play pals in Playfoam props they have made.
Beaker Creatures
Add a little science to your summer with Beaker Creatures. The Liquid Reactor Super Lab comes with everything you need to dissolve space creatures from their Reactor Pods! Once they are dissolved from their pod, use the tongs to recover these creatures and consult the classification cards to discover the creature’s name and home planet. The 15 piece set comes with 2 Beaker Creatures, but there are 30 to collect! Kids can start working on their chemistry skills with this fantastic set. Kit includes –
- 2 Reactor Pods with mystery Beaker Creatures
- 1 Liquid Reactor Super Lab Base
- 2 Hydroplungers
- 2 Beakers
- 1 Set of Tongs
- 1 Stir Rod
- 2 Classification Cards
- 2 Mini-posters with fascinating science facts
- 1 Experiment Guide
- 1 Full Size Poster
Botley™ The Coding Robot
Ages 5 and up will go crazy for this coding robot! There is no phone, tablet or apps required to get this guy going. It will teach your kids the basics of coding and give them hours of entertainment. Botley can detect and avoid objects, navigate obstacle courses your kids have created, follow hand drawn lines, and even loop around objects! Program up to 120 moves for Botley to perform and even unlock hidden moves! The Activity Set comes with 77 pieces including codes cards, detachable arms, interactive obstacles and coding games to keep kiddos constantly trying new tricks with this awesome robot. Botley can be programmed in five easy minutes, and it will keep kids entertained and learning without them even realizing it. This is a fantastic way to encourage STEM basics in a fun and exciting way.
Sculptapalooza
Here is a perfect game for your next family night! Draw a card and use the Playfoam to create a sculpture of the word on the card. You will have to race against the timer, and do your best to create something your teammates will actually recognize. Sculptapalooza is a fast paced games the whole family will enjoy playing.
Highlights Books
While games are an easier way to get kids to flex their brains over the summer, don’t forget to encourage them to do some real schoolwork. Just a few minutes each day can help them stay ahead in school and pick up right where they left off when they get back to the classroom. Highlights has so many great resources to keep kids learning even over the summer with fun activities and reading material. Here are a few ideas for your little ones.
Big Fun Kindergarten Activity Book – With over 250 pages of activities, introduce your child to the basic kindergarten lessons from letters and colors to patterns and math concepts. It combines educational basics with the fun of puzzles, scavengers hunts, stories, and so much more. There is also a certificate in the back to present to your student once they have finished the bool. Your kid will be ready for school in no time!
Big Fun First Grade Activity Book – Keep building their confidence and school readiness with the next Highlights workbook. Encourage your kids to maintain all they learned at school and challenge them to keep learning. This is the perfect accompaniment to the kindergarten activity book. It is crucial to promote a fun learning environment and encourage students to maintain all of their knowledge. These activity books are a great way to do just that.
Write-On Wipe-Off Let’s Write Letters and Write-On Wipe-Off Let’s Write Words – These dry-erase books are great practice to help kids with handwriting as well as learning to read. The best part is, they can be used over and over for practice.
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