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5 Tips for Keeping Kids Engaged this Summer


Parenting a gifted kid is exhausting.  Gifted children, when stimulated, have an insatiable thirst for knowledge.  They don't see learning as "work."  Learning is fun!  But they figure things out faster than we can find new activities to occupy their minds, all while we are having to conjure up explanations for problems we had never even fathomed!

PAGE Five is excited to offer suggested activities and projects which parents might draw inspiration from over the summer (and beyond); links to topical websites and resources; and clips which might make parents re-think how to stimulate these gifted young minds.  An added benefit is that the activities make what they learned in school come to life in ways that matter to them in their own worlds!

First, we offer five tips for helping you plan a summer schedule that is most beneficial to your kids.  Then you can access age-appropriate suggested activities below.  For even more summer learning resources, join today!



"To be intentional is to act purposefully, with a goal in mind and a plan for accomplishing it."
- Ann Epstein

As you think about engaging your kids throughout the summer, be PURPOSEFUL.  Begin with the end in mind so that you're not just giving them "busy work."  At the end of the summer, what do you hope they will have gained as a result of all the experiences you will have planned for them?  Maybe you want them to go into a difficult class with more confidence, to identify a new hobby, to develop important life skills, to have better organization skills, to be closer to family, to be more responsible, or to discover careers they might like to pursue.  Once you determine your end goals, make sure you refer to them anytime you schedule an activity.

"Every person has unique gifts, and those gifts give him or her the power and the opportunity to accomplish great things, if he or she learns how to use those gifts and channel them in the right direction." - Zig Ziglar

Make sure the activities you plan are KID-CENTERED.  There are lots of activities and suggestions on the internet, but it's important that you consider the combination of strengths, talents, and interests that are unique to your children.  Take time to consider the academic courses in which your children excel, the extracurricular activities in which they participate, and the types of activities they engage in during their free time.  This will help you develop activities that will appeal to their interests, keep them engaged, and challenge them to further develop their skills.


"It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well." - Rene Descartes

Summer is the perfect time to help kids find PRACTICAL applications for all they learned in the past school year, while also helping them gain important life skills that, combined with their academic knowledge, will eventually make them an asset to their future employers or an asset as owners of their own businesses.  Take inventory of the tasks you could use assistance with at home, at an organization where you volunteer, or even at your job or place of business and identify ways they can contribute to those tasks.  While you're at it, have conversations with them to help them connect what they are doing to what they have learned in school and to the skills they will need in the future.


"Move out of your comfort zone.  You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new." - Brian Tracy

Often as parents we expose our kids to activities and topics with which we are most familiar and comfortable or those in which we have interest ourselves.  That is a great place to start, but we can also challenge ourselves to OUTSIDE-THE-BOX thinking when choosing activities for our children, especially since our kids may have gifts in areas with which we may not be familiar or interested.  When searching for ideas, be intentional about finding opportunities that will challenge your children to see past boundaries and stereotypes about who might enjoy certain activities and encourage them to try new things.  You may even find activities that you can explore together, which is a great way to model lifelong learning.



"Play is the highest form of research!"
- Albert Einstein

Although our kids do not need a break from learning, they do need a break from the routine of school.  Summer is an opportunity to be creative about how to deliver FUN activities that also have educational value.  Brainstorm hands-on activities that allow them to try things they may not get to try in school.  Allow them opportunities to use their imaginations, plan some of their own activities, and even do things outside the typical school-day schedule.  Aim for laughter, joy from simple things, and daily anticipation of the new adventures each day will bring.