Holidays are meant for not only spending time in leisure, but also to engage in activities that boost one’s moral, creativity, and knowledge. Parents should make sure that their children keep learning even during the holidays. Students can engage in various activities that develop their learning skills in various subject areas and can improve reasoning, thinking, and other communication skills, which is beneficial for their educational and career development.
The below mentioned activities can help students to enhance their skills and perform better in studies:
Activities to Develop Mathematical Skills
Purchasing Grocery
Parents can ask their children to fetch grocery from the shops. This will not only instill a sense of responsibility among them, but will also help them practice mental mathematics. For example, if they are cooking food for six people, they can ask their children to purchase rice from the shop as per requirement. Parents can ask older children complex questions like to determine how expensive each unit in a bag is, based on its price.
Cooking Food
If parents are preparing food for special occasions during holidays, they can ask their children to measure out the ingredients. This will help them to assess ingredients quantity wise, which will, in turn, improve their calculation skills. While doing so, parents can ask them questions like, ‘how many millimeters will fit in a cup’, which will get their minds working even more.
Carrying out Activities that can Develop Science Skills
Walking Outdoors
Simple activities like taking a walk in the neighborhood or in the park can teach the children many things. Parents can ask their children what they think about the landscape and surroundings, or what animals they came across throughout the walk. This will spark curiosity among the children. Moreover, parents can also ask them to arrange the found objects according to color, shape, and size.
Science Experiments at Home
Conducting minor science experiments at home can nurture creativity and the curiosity to learn among the students. Parents can conduct small experiments like tornado in a bottle, baking soda volcano, rainbow in a glass, and so on which can be both interesting and educative. If there are multiple children at home, parents can organize friendly competitions to decide the next science experiments that the family performs.
Activities that Develop Writing Skills
Writing Short Stories
Parents can encourage children to express their ideas and opinions by writing their own short stories. This will nurture the childrens’ creative side and will improve their hand writing and writing skills. It will also encourage them to engage in something productive during their spare time.
Writing Letters to Friends and Relatives
During holidays, children can write letters to their family members and friends. They can share about their different experiences throughout the session. This will help students in learning how to compromise and coordinate with others, and in turn, improve their writing and time management skills. Also, it will give students the satisfaction and joy of creating something unique that the entire family can enjoy.
Promoting Activities that Develop Reading Skills
Reading out Every Night
Every night, parents can read a chapter of a story to their children. It is an interesting way to improve a student’s reading skills. They can read the book aloud together, point out interesting pictures, and guide their children while reading the book. Reading novels to matured children is effective, as it develops their reading and listening skills, along with making it a fun-filled experience. Parents can buy their children an educative book at the beginning of the holidays, and encourage them to finish reading the same before the next session starts.
Introducing Innovative Games
Parents can gift their children new games which can be played throughout the holidays. They can select games which are educative, creative, and help their children to explore new dimensions. When they start playing the game, parents should ask their children to read the instructions aloud. It will not only help the students to improve their reading skills, but will also boost their confidence while making a presentation. It is important to support the students when the games are difficult as it will boost their morale and will motivate them to take up more challenges.
Embracing Activities that Develop Art Skills
Encouraging Students to Perform a Play
Parents can unleash the creativity of their children by encouraging them to participate in plays. They should build their childrens’ confidence and up their game by reviewing dialogues and reenacting scenes. But, parents should make sure that the play is entirely their ward’s idea.
Writing and performing plays is an innovative way to help a student express their feelings and have fun at the same time.
Filming Videos
Parents can convert learning into a fun-filled experience by allowing their child to film videos related to their studies, or anything of their interest. Some students might not feel comfortable with live performances. For them, recording a video to express their ideas and emotions is an excellent technique. While filming videos, students have to take into consideration various factors like angles, sets, lighting, and storyline. It tests their concentration and dedication; also, they will attain a feeling of accomplishment when the video is completed. It will also inspire them to start more creative projects.
Learning is an endless procedure. Students get to acquire knowledge about new things every day, which is beneficial for their educational and career growth. Exploring innovative activities will build their interest and confidence. This will also contribute in educational and personality development of the students. Parents can incorporate the above mentioned activities to encourage productivity among students during the holidays.
— Ananda Kamal Das
