Here in Oklahoma most of the public schools are getting out for the summer already. It was a shock to me when we first moved here that the kids were out in the middle of May and that they started back in August!!! What?!? School wasn’t supposed to start until after Labor Day and let out the first part of June . . . that’s how it always was for me in both Ohio and Virginia. So that next year I did some readjusting of our schedule and shortly there after our school year looked drastically different; after all, it is hot as blazes here in August, so you might as well get a jump on “school” not that I ever really let them stop learning. 
So, during the summers I had some requirements:
- Read the Bible daily
- Participate in the library’s summer reading program
- Chores
- And most summers I required they play an educational game each day
- and do some cards on our GeoSafari, being sure to include math in either the game or the cards. (I made some cards to review things they learned throughout the year as well as packets of cards we bought.)
These were to ensure that they didn’t think they were going to sit around and play video games or watch television all day throughout the summer and that when we started formal lessons again that we didn’t have to do quite so much catch-up or review. Oh don’t misunderstand, there were many a year that the boys would be struggling to get their required books read before the deadline but complete it they did. 
Here’s a post I wrote with some summer activity ideas.
I also wrote a post on Summer Reading a couple of years ago and spent some time last night checking the links to ensure they still worked; good thing too because one was completely busted and a few needed updating. Anyway, check out that post for some reading scavenger hunt ideas. And just as I was putting in that link, I realized I did one last year with completely different links, which are all still active. It has some good links for Bingo cards to print with reading challenges/goals on them, as well as a simple bookmark to keep track of the number of books read.
I’ll share some more summer activity ideas next week. Until then I hope I’ve given you some ideas to keep your kids learning this summer.
Until next time, God bless,
Michele ºÜº