There’s no better time than warm, summertime nights to stargaze. Connecting the dots in the sky with the mythology from different cultures can leave your linguistic child star struck. Check books out of the library telling the stories of each
Cardboard Kingdom
Developed by Laura Manriquez of Santa Barbara’s Kids Love Art! program. Used with permission. The parents I know always remark after birthdays and holidays that their kids seem to have more fun with the BOXES than the toys inside. This
Sing Like a Bird
Pop Quiz: How many cereal brands can your child name? How about fast food restaurants? Now ask him/her to name all the birds s/he can remember. There are probably just as many bird species in your neighborhood as fast-food brands,
Thumb Ball
Via Childrens-Choice.org (used with permission) Blow up a multi-colored beach ball, then using a sharpie, draw an “equator” on the ball, then number each section from 1 to 12. Toss the ball to different family members and call out the operation to
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
Summer Reading Recommendations for the “Self Smart” Child
All ages Have You Filled a Bucket Today: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids. By Carol McCloud.Through simple prose and vivid illustrations, this book encourages positive behavior as children see how rewarding it is to express daily kindness, appreciation,
Melodramatic Mime
Have your child act out a favorite story or book in melodramatic mime, playing all the characters. Encourage over-exaggerated movements from him/her! Extra Credit: Have your child mime one of your favorite stories without you reading it. See if you can
Native Nature
Encourage your child’s “blossoming” love of nature by introducing the art of Xeriscaping. Have him/her help you identify new plants that you can use to beautify your outdoor surroundings…that can thrive without additional irrigation. If they don’t know about it
Tongue Twisters
Adapted from a childrens-choice.org activity recommendation (used with permission) Depending on your child’s language level, place varying words on post-its on a twister board, then place the word types on the different spinner sections (e.g. short vowel/long vowel, verb tense,
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).