Adapted from a Chicago City Parks & Rec activity recommendation (used with permission) See a familiar outdoor setting with new eyes as you and your child pretend to be aliens on a mission to explore our planet and report back to
Hearing in Color
Using a pitch pipe, have your child picture different colors as you play each note on the scale (e.g. red for C, orange for D, yellow for E, green for F, aqua for G, blue for A, purple for B).
article originally written for LessonPlanet by Jen Lilienstein For many kids, annual standardized testing is one of the highest periods of stress1 during the school year. In fact, according to the Kids Health1 website, the number one kid stressor is
Now You’re Cooking!
It most likely won't take much convincing to get your linguistic child to read or verbally practice language arts over the summer. But you can stretch both your child's verbal and math skills by trying “worldly” recipes together. Whether you
Rhythm Nation
Talk about the different types of notes (whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth) as well as the time signature or meter. Talk about how, just like in math, each measure has to make up the number of beats in the time
Get in Gear for Back-to-School :: LANGUAGE ARTS
One day closer to the first day of school… Below, we’ve compiled our favorite 10 language arts activities we’ve featured over the summer (as well as our Summer Reading Lists) to make sure your child gets in gear ahead of
Haiku and Tanka
Pick up a child-friendly Haiku collection like If Not for the Cat or Cricket Never Does to introduce your child to the art and science of Haiku and Tanka. Talk about the structure of Haiku (5 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in
Enlightening Film Fest
Watch a movie together, paying close attention to set design, camera angle and lighting. How do the changes in lighting or openness/closed feel of the set change the way your child interprets the emotional state of the actors? Extra Credit: Are
Let’s Go!
Adapted with permission from Chicago Park District’s “Once Upon a Day Camp” Guide Find a large, open space and have your child start walking around the room or space. Then, say “Let’s go to [A PLACE]!” (The place can be
For the Birds
Inspired by 7 Times Smarter by Laurel Schmidt Birds are generally abundant whether you’re a city-dweller or rural resident…but by the age of nine, while most kids can name 16 TV shows and 7 fast-food chains, they can only name