Can you believe winter break is almost here?! While we certainly hope it will be a peaceful and restful one for your family, we also want to make sure students come back to school in January eager and ready to learn. Winter break is a total of 10(!) days this year (including weekends), which may leave a lot of down time for students. Here are six tips for keeping your child mentally and physically engaged during those ten days.

1. Build a winter break routine. Create a calendar or daily schedule for each day of winter break. Give each day a learning activity or even a small daily “homework” assignment that you might give your child. You can build in games or rewards around finishing those assignments. Kids operate well around schedules, and a routine schedule can help a child stay focused and centered on the regularity of a daily routine. This will help balance both small pockets of working time with playing time.
2. Engage your child with indoor crafts. Time flies when you’re having fun, and crafting can be lots of fun for your child (and for you!). You can make candles, jewelry, holiday baskets, costumes, drawings, and lots more! Ask your child what she would be interested in creating, and take a trip to your local art store to pick up materials for indoor crafting fun.
3. Build in lots of time for reading! Just because it is winter break does not mean that the books go away! Winter break is the best time to read books for fun. So whether it’s your child’s favorite comic, story, or holiday tale, be sure to visit your local library or bookstore to gather the books that your child is interested in. Encourage relatives to also give books as holiday gifts, which can be a great way to build your child’s at-home library.
4. Have fun cooking and baking together! Whether it’s a holiday cookie recipe or side dishes for a holiday dinner, cooking together can be an engaging way not only to bond but also to learn! Reading recipes is a great way to practice real-life math skills by measuring cups and spoonfuls of different ingredients. Cooking also involves following directions, which is a good skill for students to continue to learn!
5. Write holiday cards or thank-you notes. The holidays are a great time for a child to show love and thanks to the people in his life. Teach your child how to show appreciate and gratitude to others by writing holiday or thank-you cards. You can use this opportunity to also reinforce your child’s writing and drawing skills.
6. Have a game night! Invite your family and friends over for a game night! This can be a fun way to bond with loved ones while playing interactive games that will continue to teach your child things such as cooperating, working in a team, strategizing, and having fun!

What are some of your favorite family activities during winter break? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter @sdpFACE!

Sources:

Winter Break: Should Kids Keep Their Brains Active?

Keep Skills Sharp During Winter Break