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I want my kids to have a carefree summer. We are always learning year-round, of course, but I don’t want to bog them down with a lot of academic expectations in the summer. Especially in Wisconsin where our summer is so short and the weather so wonderful!
If you’ve wrapped up your math curriculum for the year or if your kids are in public school, you don’t need to go out and buy anything just for summer math learning. You don’t need workbooks to keep up your child’s math skills. You don’t need to enroll your kids in summer school. Your kids can do so many different things to keep up their math skills – and learn new ones – without ever opening a workbook.
Is there ever a case for math curriculum in the summer?
Yes! I do think that there’s a time and place for math curriculum in the summer. We sometimes do math through the summer and other summers we don’t. Or sometimes I think we’re going to do math over the summer, but then we don’t. ;)
For example, last summer my oldest was going to be starting high school math in the fall. There was a specific concept that he hadn’t grasped that I knew he would need in his high school Algebra. So I went on Amazon and bought a random middle school workbook just on that skill. He went through the workbook through the summer, less than 30 minutes a day, so that he was ready for Algebra in the fall.
I also think that there can be a benefit to just continuing in your math curriculum through the summer, especially if you’ve taken a slower pace during the school year. I do not think you need to complete your curriculum every year! Kids who thrive on routine might work better keeping up on their math several days a week. Kids who prefer a slower pace might need to keep going in their curriculum so they can meet any state requirements. Or maybe the year-round pace of doing math fits your lifestyle better, so that you don’t need to stress about days you take off from your curriculum.
What are some non-workbook ways to do math over the summer?
There are so many ways to keep up with your kids’ math skills that don’t involve workbooks or curriculum! Think of the ways that you use math in your everyday life.
Math Games
Board games are the BEST way to keep up math skills or even teach math. I have a list of some of our faves in THIS CYH POST.
You can download this math fun and games pack to use with your kiddos this summer – or anytime of the year :)
Rummage/Garage Sales
Rummage and garage sales are a great way for your kids to practice using money in a simple way. Whether they’re buying something for themselves or they’re helping you buy something, they can help you add up the total, count out the money, etc. It’s also a great way to have conversations about stewarding your money well!
Host a Sale
Host your own sale – a rummage/garage sale, a pop-up craft sale, a corner lemonade stand, etc. This is a fabulous chance for them to learn about money, entrepreneurship, making change, etc.
Math Books
There’s a great list of math picture books over IN THIS CYH POST that you can read with your kiddos!
Plan a Trip
If you’re planning a road trip or vacation, get your kids involved! They can help plan out the route – mileage, how many hours, etc. Talk about the budget and have them help plan out meals, outings, lodging, and other expenses.
Get in the Kitchen
Baking, cooking, and preserving are great ways for kids to use their math skills in their everyday life.
Build Something
Are you doing a home project this summer? Building a new chicken coop or a garden bed? Replacing the drywall? Remodeling a bathroom? Let your kids participate and have them help you calculate how many boards you need, measure the length of the boards, etc.
Gardening
Get your kids into the garden with you! There are so many benefits to this, but yes, there’s even math involved! If you’re building a brand new garden, you can have them help you measure out the garden beds. You can determine the germination rate of the seeds. They can count out the seeds as they plant them. Track the produce you grow – graph it, weigh it, count it, etc.
Head to THIS CYH POST to see more gardening with kids tips and some printables.
Coding
Summer might be a great time to try something new like computer coding. My husband has been teaching our kids to code, because he’s in IT and knows coding himself. They have even made their own math games!