It is the time of May and June and most of the schools have declared vacation for the students. The parents eagerly want to know how to engage the students of middle level in this vacation period. In my teaching experience of more than 25 years, I am providing some constructive tips for students to engage them.
Tips to Engage the Students in Vacation
Some parents forced the students to study in vacation, it is not a good idea. I am providing some interesting tips which would help the students to spend the vacation constructively. Follow the following tips for your children:
It is the time of vacation, so never force your children to study the whole day. Relaxation is necessary for the students. Provide them some time in a day to do the work of their interests like playing, watching TV, reading books, etc.
In some areas, summer camps are organized where students enjoy the different skills with playing. So, enrol your child in a summer camp would be a great idea.
If you cannot afford the fees of summer camp, you can hire a tutor in your nearby areas who provide different types of courses like painting, drawing, cooking, stitching, embroidery, etc. as per the interest of the students.
If students have an interest in games, arrange coaching classes to improve their techniques of playing games. A coach will provide different techniques and skills according to needs.
If your child is weak in any subject like maths, science or English, please try to clear his doubt and make him understand the concept of that topic. But remember not to force him to study whole the time.
Excercise and meditation are necessary for students to make them concentrate and focus on a subject. So, include exercise and meditation as a routine for your child.
If you do not have a good tutor in nearby areas, you can use any online platform like Physics Wallah, Unacademy, Udemy, etc.
Last words
So, vacation is a good time for creative activities and developing your skills. Do not waste the time of your children only in enjoying. Do some creative work and try to clear your doubt to understand the different topics of the main subjects.
Author: Geeta Post Date: 20 Apr 2023 When my daughter was in CBSE standard 9 most of her activites were cancelled due to preparation year for two years of board. The PTM members suggested to have at least 3-5 activities during their breaks where students get little more space to breath in their board stress. After that they included almost all activities for middle school students and board appearing students.
On the basis of that engaging middle school students during their summer vacation can be a great way to keep their minds active and prevent summer learning loss.
0. Reading: Encourage students to read books of their choice during the summer. You can provide reading lists, create book clubs, or organize reading challenges to make reading fun.
1. STEM activities: Provide students with opportunities to engage in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) activities, such as building robots or conducting experiments. There are many resources available online to help you find STEM activities for middle school students.
2. Writing: Encourage students to keep a summer journal or participate in writing challenges. You can provide prompts to inspire creativity or have students write about their summer experiences.
3. Art and crafts: Organize art and crafts activities for students, such as painting, drawing, and making jewelry. These activities can help students develop their creativity and fine motor skills.
4. Outdoor activities: Plan outdoor activities for students, such as nature walks, camping, or sports. These activities provide opportunities for exercise, exploration, and socialization.
5. Cooking and baking: Teach students how to cook and bake. You can provide recipes or have students create their own recipes. This can be a fun way to develop their culinary skills and creativity. Happy to write this that I was leading this activity once in a week.
6. Virtual field trips: Organize virtual field trips for students, such as visiting museums, national parks, and historical sites. This can be a great way to expose students to new experiences and cultures.
Engaging middle school students during their summer vacation can be a fun and rewarding experience. Encouraging students to explore new interests, develop their skills, and have fun can help them stay motivated and engaged during the summer months.
Author: Sheo Shankar Jha Post Date: 20 Apr 2023 Summer Vacation is really the exciting period for the kids to get refreshed with their multiple activities which they have already planned to undertake some fun filled activities. For a few days, they would behave like monarchs - not paying any attention to your honest advice, you should not be in a hurry either. Let them pass their times for a couple of days as per desires and later with your persuasive skills, you could encourage them to follow the plans as you deem fit for your kids. The following points would be more helpful in nurturing their skills for their healthy growth. For this, they should not pressurised but taking them in confidence with your touch of love could motivate them substantially to forge ahead with an exciting journey. The points are as follows- 1) Allow the children to listen to audio stories. They might come across different characters of their choice by scrolling through such books. Allow them to immerse in such fictions momentarily so that their hearts are filled with unexplainable emotions and thoughts while listening such audio stories. Later you might suggest to go in different characters of your likings. This could ultimately help them to manage their free timings experiencing a new world. 2) Encourage the kids for morning walk - Tell them the importance of benefits of fresh air. Inhaling and exhaling in alternate ways for a session of ten minutes every morning could prove healthy exercise for them. They can do other favourable activities such as brisk walking for a couple of minutes, cycling on the park lanes, skating, swimming etc if the provisions exist for such facilities. 3) Inculcate the habit of reading recreational reading among your kids - Initially it could not be a smooth journey for them but here your motivation would work wonders in moulding them. You being the parent of the kids, you can visit the nearby library containing a lot of children books. Read any such book aloud initially so that they would pick up this habit themselves for assimilation of such extracts for their benefits. 4) Make a plan of vacation of their choice- Such plannings would make them grateful to you thinking how sincere you are for their comforts and love. It could be anything from a garden trip to riverside to explore nearby restaurants. Let them feel the crisp air, walk on the green grass, observe flowers enjoying the sunlight along with you and many more activities providing them healthy pleasure due to your motivational guidance. 5) Ask your children to sort out old toys and encourage them to organise the room - By assigning such tasks, the kids can promote empathy, creativity and enthusiasm among them. They might be given some fruitful assignments such as dusting off photo - frames, cleaning bookshelves etc so that they learn positive skills under your guidance. 6) Water Play - It would certainly offer them sensory experience to children enhancing their gross motor skills. It could be of different forms such as washing the family- car, playing with water balloons, swimming etc to raise their therapeutic activities.
Author: Samuel Unni Post Date: 20 Apr 2023 Jack, the son of my sister, was getting set to start middle school in the autumn of last year. She was concerned that he would be uninterested and unsure of what to do throughout the summer. She, therefore, came up with some entertaining and enjoyable things to occupy him.
Exploring the outdoors was one thing Jack enjoyed doing. So they took walks in the local parks and natural areas. Jack created his own nature diary to record his observations because he was so captivated by the various plants and creatures he encountered. In addition, they went camping, where Jack learnt how to pitch a tent and make a fire. Cooking was another activity they engaged in. Jack liked to prepare quick snacks and dinners, so they looked up some ideas online and cooked together. For a barbecue in the backyard, they even invited friends around, and Jack was pleased to demonstrate his culinary abilities.
They also went to the neighbourhood library and took part in the summer reading programme to keep Jack's mind engaged. Over the course of the summer, Jack developed a love for mysteries and read a number of them. In order to keep his mind sharp, they also played educational games like chess and sudoku.
Finally, they engaged in various outdoor activities while enjoying the summertime weather. Jack attempted swimming and tennis, which he found to be difficult but satisfying. They also went to the neighbourhood skate park, where Jack practised his tricks.
Ultimately, there are various strategies to keep middle school pupils interested throughout the summer break. According to my sister, Jack had a great summer by blending sports, reading, cooking, and outdoor activities. A memorable and fulfilling break might result from letting your child explore their hobbies and attempt new things.
Author: Drupad Madhavan Post Date: 20 Apr 2023 Engaging middle schools is a hefty but fun task. I recall the activities I used to partake in during my summer vacations. Mostly, vacations meant that I could go visit my cousins and grandparents who lived far away. My parents would also plan trips to their friends' places and schedule them during my vacations.
I shall share some of the things I did during each summer break: -Joined a swimming course -Visited Pondicherry with parents -Joined Roller skating classes -Visited Hyderabad with parents -Joined a Plane-building course organized by the Aeronautical Society -Regularly visited the Library -Play video games - Play badminton -Go cycling
Children in their Middle School Age are packed with energy, and summer break is exactly a good time to make opportune of this! I suggest partaking in activities that are physical as well as fun. Travelling is a good way. Join for summer courses such as any sports or extracurricular activities such as singing and dancing. Make it mandatory for them to visit the Library and make reading a good habit. Please make sure to keep screen time for phones and other digital screens as children are already getting exposed to it a lot. These are some of my suggestions, I hope you have a good summer break!