10 Ways Toddlers Can Learn All Summer

Its easy to think that your preschooler’s learning opportunities end every time summer rolls around. But believe it or not, there are tons of fun ways to keep your toddler learning throughout the summer months. Many of these ways don’t cost much of your time or money, so no need to worry about.

 Get Outdoors

There are plenty of opportunities for fun learning experiences in the great outdoors. You can take your child on a walk through the woods and teach them about nature, or maybe just stroll around your area and point out landmarks to them.

Being outside doesn’t just help children learn; it helps with their health, too! Moving around outside boosts the immune system and helps your child develop stronger muscles. On top of that, the sunshine provides vitamin D which is important for improving mood.

Active Play

Speaking of getting outdoors, physical activity is vital to your child’s physical development. But did you know research has found that moving around boosts brain function? Make sure your child gets 60 minutes of active play per day.

You could toss a ball around, play tag, go to a playground, or something else entirely. Whatever it is, get your preschooler moving!

The Beach/A Sandbox

You can create several learning opportunities with just a little bit of sand and water. Encourage your child to build a big sandcastle. Draw letters in the sand and quiz them. Pour in some water to increase the fun factor if your child isn’t afraid of getting messy.

Pretend Play

When you’re ready to go back inside, keep your child learning by encouraging them to play pretend. Play dress-up and make-believe. Even better if what they’re pretending is educational, such as someone from history. In addition, playing pretend can help your child learn new vocab words as they get into character.

Games

In a similar vein to #3, games develop a variety of skills. Many board games sharpen problem-solving skills. Some of them, such as Monopoly, could even indirectly teach some basics about money management.

Games also help with the soft skills. Playing with others teaches your child how to follow rules and get along with other players.

Building Things

No better way for your preschooler to learn than to use their hands! Get your child a set of LEGOs, Lincoln Logs, or even pipe cleaners and encourage them to build interesting structures. This’ll improve their hand-eye coordinate and muscle control. Who knows, you may discover your child is a future engineer!

Books

Books will never stop being a wealth of knowledge. Even preschoolers can gain a lot of benefits from books. For one, they’ll learn about the subject matter in nonfiction and they’ll learn important lessons from fiction books. Regularly reading to your child will also better develop their reading and writing abilities.

Music

Music never fails to entertain. It’s also quite educational. Music helps children develop language abilities, learn how to express themselves, and even learn basic math. Buy a few simple instruments like a few drums, or make your own with your preschooler! You could make maracas, a rain stick, or even a simple guitar with some cardboard and arts and crafts supplies.

Drawing

Children can draw before they can write. Drawing can faciliate the fine motor skill development that’s critical to learning to write early on. Dedicate some supplies and space to drawing so your child can express themselves whenever they desire.

Busy Bags

Busy bags fill those gaps of time where your child has nothing to do, such as during road trips. They’re full of activities all centered around a particular theme, such as matching or building. On top of the many skills required to complete busy bag activities, your child will have the opportunity to use their imagination to solve problems.