ニュースレター
Welcome to Summer LearnIN! We're so excited that you're here, and that we have this opportunity to learn alongside you and your families. We hope this seven week program serves as a space of joy and fun for your summer, and helps your child develop as a student, author, explorer, artist, and more.
This week, we're kicking off the newsletter with a welcome message from Mission Society's SVP of Program Operations, Nanda Prabhakar. CLICK HERE or on the video above to begin your journey.
Alphabet Scavenger Hunt is one of our favorite games for practicing letters and spelling. It's fun for the whole family and easy to make your own!
Directions
1. Have your kids write down the the alphabet on a piece of paper.
2. Search together around the house for different things that start with each letter - "book" for the letter "b", "plant" for the letter "p".
3. Each time they find an item, have them spell the full word on the piece of paper next to each letter.
You can find more ideas to make the game your own, as well as suggestions specific to each age group, on our blog by CLICKING HERE.
Jump Rope Burst
5-10 Minutes
Directions
-
Have kids pretend to jump rope.
-
Ask the kids questions such as: “Do you have a sister?” “Are you wearing black socks?” “Did you have breakfast this morning?” “Do you have a pet?” “Is your hair brown?”
-
If the answer is YES, they stop pretending to jump rope and do 10 jumping jacks.
-
If the answer is NO, they continue to jump rope.
-
Repeat for allotted time.
Variations/Challenges
If there is more than one participant, rotate and have the kids ask questions.
Download additional free resources from BOKS to help your kids stay active and have fun this summer. From activities, crafts, and recipes, to yoga and mindfulness, BOKS will have your kids moving & learning each day.
Many incredible zoos and aquariums have made it possible for young people to experience the world of nature and wildlife from home. On offer, free of charge, are online safaris, webcam videos where students can observe animals up close, and professionals sharing their knowledge about featured critters.
Dive into the Monterey Bay Aquarium catalog by CLICKING HERE, and enjoy explorations of the depths of the ocean! For more offerings, take a look at this list we compiled.
Photo: The Spruce / Margot Cavin
Mancala is the perfect activity for the whole family, and for strengthening math and strategic thinking skills. Not only is it incredibly accessible and fun for all ages, you can also create the board using items from around the house.
Find instructions on how to build your own Mancala board HERE. For more details on how to play, and how to use Mancala as a tool for developing important skills, CLICK HERE.
Now that school is out for the summer, it is a good time take a moment and reflect on the past year with your families. Especially after experiencing the last four months of change, it is important to celebrate your accomplishments, acknowledge your road blocks, and appreciate your resilience in the face of uncertainty.
Here are some of our favorite questions that we use when we reflect with our students:
-
What is something you did this year that made you feel proud?
-
What is the nicest thing your classmates or your community did for you this year?
-
What are three things you did this year to help your classmates or community?
-
What is something that was hard for you at the beginning of the year, but you can do now?
-
If you could write a letter to yourself at the beginning of the school year, knowing what you know now, what would it say?
-
What advice and lessons learned do you want to take with you into the future?
We look forward to connecting with you next week to share our first, exciting read-aloud, a trip to the museum, recyclable arts and crafts, and more.
See you then!