Summer Schools for 2012

As we gradually get to the close of the school session and the start of a long vacation from July to September starting next week, Children are excitingly talking about the long holiday and the need to go for a vacation.

I have been on the lookout for a good summer school for my children here in Abuja. I have a 4yr old and an 8yr old. Both are a handful trust me.

 My idea of a summer school is a time when children are occupied during school hours with daily activities like music, dancing, cooking, sports, excursion and minimal school work that will prepare the children for the next school term plus a revision of the past school year.

After some research, the summer schools I have seen do not help in logistics especially if you are the regular 8-5 working parents.

How can a summer school resume at 9am and close at 2pm? What is the essence of sending the children to summer school then if I have to leave my office to take the children to school at 9am and also take permission to go pick them from school at 2pm?  So I am left with no other option than to plan an elaborate summer holiday with the theme “Get Busy”. The following are good ideas:

Online activities for families

Share examples of good interactive educational websites that parents and young kids can explore together. Here are a few more of our favorites:

National Geographic Kids: offers great nature videos, activities, games, stories, and more

CoolMath4Kids: take a trip through an amusement park of math and more at this extremely interactive math website

Smithsonian Kids Collecting: how to start your own collection and see what other kids collect

Explore Dinosaurs: FAQs and top 10 myths about dinosaurs, a virtual dig, behind the scenes tours, and more from the National Museum of Natural History

Smithsonian Digging for Answers: a site that tests your research skills and knowledge

NASA Quest: interactive explorations that engage students in real science and engineering. Topics include robots, helicopters, lunar exploration, and designing your own human-friendly planet

My Wonderful World: a multimedia tour of our seven continents

Time for Kids: fun games (The Great State Race), an online weekly magazine written for kids, and news from around the world

Visiting Parks and Recreation

Taking the children to amusement parks, recreational parks, park and zoo etc that will help increase their curiosity about their surroundings.

Reading a book a week

For the children that can read, it is important that you provide reading materials from the library so as to help the children in comprehension and composition. It is also important to provide history books about the world around us.

Music

It is easier for children to learn how to play musical instruments and it can very interesting for children. Get a musical instrument, look out for a music teacher and plan on how the children can lean at least 2hours a week.

For a job well done, you can take the children to the cinema during the weekend so as to encourage them.

For the other parents that prefer to send their children to summer schools in Abuja, you can check up the following schools:

·         American International School Abuja

·         Regent School

·         Cradle to Crayon

·         Abigail school

·         Tender Years School

Have a fun filled and accident free SUMMER!!