School's Out For Summer! 

I wrote this article for our neighborhood magazine, but I learned so much writing it, I had to share!  This is written for the Charleston, SC area, but most of the information can be useful across the United States. 

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The last day of school is May 27, 2016.  This can be a blessing and a curse at the same time.  Ya! No more homework, projects, conferences, etc.  It’s also the time where your kids can get bored and drive you nuts (or vice versa depending on the perspective).  This article is meant to give you some ideas on how you can use technology to keep you kids actively learning this summer as well as having fun.  I know you don’t want your kids staring at a screen all summer long, so I’ve included educational & fun activities that don’t involve a digital device.

Keep them learning!

Kids can lose a lot of the knowledge they’ve gained during the school year if they don’t continue to use it.  Here are a few of the many online learning resources that they can use to stay sharp.

This one is great if you are interested or involved in STEAM.  
www.discoveryeducation.com/iamsteam  Journey to the Extreme Virtual Field Trip with Leland Melving (NASA’s Associate Administrator for Education and NASA Astronaut) You’ll find also find resources for teachers, parents and students.
STEAM is a way to teach how all things relate to each other, in school and in life. It’s more fun than traditional learning styles and makes more sense to all types of learners because it is based on the natural ways that people learn and are interested in things.

STEAM = Science & Technology interpreted through Engineering & the Arts, all based in Mathematical elements.
To stay on top of academics at an individual level and pace, I recommend using http://www.mobymax.com/  This is a free resource that covers Math, Fact Fluency, Vocabulary, Language Arts, Reading Skills and Writing.  Young ones can use Numbers and Early Reading Trio to learn new skills and bridge gaps they may have.

Around Town

Charleston Area -  www.lowcountryparent.com/resources/camp-listings     
Low Country Parent has many camp resources as well as other activities for kids and families to check out around town. 
www.ccprc.com/110/youthactivities  Charleston County Parks & Recreation Commision had Youth Programs, School Programs & Camps.  This site also has activities, festivals and events for the entire family. 

Nationally: 
Macaroni Kid http://charleston.macaronikid.com/ is one my new favorite resources for things to do around town!  You can view daily and weekly activities and even add them to “My Macaroni” or Google Calendar if you subscribe to the site.  If you travel during the summer to other states, you can search http://national.macaronikid.com/ before you go.

Places to go without leaving your house!

Online virtual summer camps - a way to see the world without traveling!

• Camp PBS Parents -http://www.pbs.org/parents/summer/
• Camp Wonderopolis -http://camp.wonderopolis.org/
• Google+ Maker-Camp -http://makercamp.com/
• Start with a Book -http://www.startwithabook.org/
• Online summer camps for Minecraft($) and Free Kid Club.  https://connectedcamps.com/ 

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Virtual Tour (I know it’s not the same, but it’s still cool!) -http://naturalhistory.si.edu/panoramas/

Virtual Tours http://goo.gl/L0NghX  Lots of different places to check out! 

Go to the Library! 

$1 MOVIES

$1 Movies for kids! If you can’t take the kids, the babysitters can.  Every Tuesday and Wednesday at Regal (check the site for participating theaters) has 9 weeks of $1 movies starting at 10 a.m. The first week of movies starts on June 7th.  Check out www.regmovies.com/movies/summer-movie-express for more details!

​I’m sure there are many more activities out there, but we all need some time to relax at the beach too!  Enjoy your summer!