Out of the four major seasons that people experience in India, summer is one of the longest ones. It generally begins by the end of March and continues up until June following, which monsoon takes over. It is one of the favorite seasons of many people for multiple reasons. The top reason is its warm and sunny days.
However, summers can also be a bit too hot for people to handle in India sometimes. For kids, it's a perfect opportunity to engage in multiple activities as the days are pretty long. Parents can promote a lot of conceptual learning among kids through the summer season. By understanding this season well, a child may gain better clarity about numerous scientific and even mathematical concepts. Additionally, parents may also explain some intriguing facts about this season to the child to make the learning even more exciting.
Here is a list of some extremely interesting summer activities for kids to deepen their understanding of seasons and the changes that follow with each of them.
One of the most important things to learn about summer is to learn how to cope with it. Everyone needs some summer essentials to make the season more tolerable and beat the heat. To explain this better to your child, you may take a small cardboard box. In this box, you may add various things like sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, water bottles, plastic, fruits, and vegetables. Now you may ask your child to randomly pick up any of these objects and explain the purpose of it. Make them do this activity until you have discussed each of the objects kept in the box.
To enhance a child's understanding of their ecosystem and make them learn the basics of gardening, you may grow some flowers with them. The first step is to select the perfect spot in your garden or any corner of your house that receives ample sunlight. The next step is to take a flowerpot and sow some sunflower seeds into it. Teach the child how to properly water the sunflower plant and take care of the soil in the plant. Now give your kid the responsibility of watering the plant timely and observing it grow every day. The child will be fascinated to see how the sunflower turns in the direction of sun rays.
A weather chart may intensify your child's understanding of temperature shifts on each day within a month. This can also make them understand that throughout the summer season, different months can be hotter than the others. You may use the help of the internet to track the weather prediction for the upcoming 10 days. Now with the help of some colorful sketch pens and a chart paper, the child may draw the predictions with the help of symbols, such as the sun shining brightly to symbolize a sunny day and clouds to signify a cloudy day.
Another interesting activity that kids can do to deepen their understanding of summer is reading some interesting books. There are several books like Enid Blyton’s ‘Summer Stories’ that kids may read to enhance their awareness about the season and improve their vocabulary. Additionally, parents may also take the help of some scientific books, or an Encyclopedia related to seasons to introduce critical information related to kids.
Making ice cream at home is a very rewarding activity that is also extremely fun to do. It is also a great way of providing instant relief to the child from the summer heat while teaching them how to make nutritious homemade ice creams. To do this at home, you would need to combine milk, vanilla essence, and dates for sweetness. You may also add a fruit of your choice, such as bananas or watermelon. Mix everything in a mixer to attain a smooth consistency. Now you may transfer this mixture into a plastic seal bag and add 5 to 6 cubes of ice along with some salt. Keep shaking this mixture for 8 to 10 minutes to get an instant ice cream.
Here is a list of some extremely fun and mind-boggling facts about summers that you may tell your child.
You may educate your child about some yummy summer fruits that are specifically available during this season. This includes fruits like muskmelon, watermelon, and mangoes. You may also educate your kid about the different varieties of each of these fruits. Similarly, several flowers such as marigolds and hibiscus bloom beautifully during summer.
An interesting fact about summer is that there is a specific day called summer solstice that is often considered the first official day of summer. However, this is from an astronomical perspective. It is also the longest day of the year as the sun doesn't set for a very long time during this day. It generally falls between June 20 to June 22.
The very meaning of the word summer is ‘together’. It comes from an old English word called sumor. It can also be related to the Sanskrit word called Sama which means a year.
The above activities and facts can be a significant source of engagement for your child during their summer holidays. You can try introducing these activities to them to have a memorable experience and teach them new skills.