Spending Time Together

Plan fun activities, spend quality time with your child this summer

This summer, plan to spend some quality time with your child and keep her brain at work, too. Sit down with your child and make a list of all the fun possibilities that are before you this summer. Ask yourself:

• Are there places in our town we’ve never visited but would like to?
• Are there free concerts or plays nearby? When are they scheduled?
• What summer activities would we like to try? Are there things I could do with my child, such as riding a bike or learning a new sport?
• What are my child’s interests? What could my child do to explore those interests?
• Is a class available that interests my child? Whether she wants to learn how to make a video or learn to knit, there may be a class on that subject.

Once you have your list, narrow it down with your child. Choose three things you both want to do this summer. Then make a plan so you can get them done before school starts next fall.

Reprinted with permission from the May 2008 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2008 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Ron Fairchild and others, How Did You Spend Your Summer Vacation? What Public Policies Do (And Don’t) To Support Summer Learning Opportunities for All Youth, Spring 2007 (Robert Bowne Foundation, 212-658-5878, www.summerlearning.org).