It’s important to feed your child’s hunger for learning when school’s not in session. Here are some fun, easy ways you and your family can keep your child’s skills sharp.

  1. Savor the suspense

    Your child may be reading fluently on their own. But reading aloud to your child is still important. Your child can understand a more complicated story than they can read to themself. Choose a book that is more advanced that what they were reading at school this year. The best choice is a story with exciting twists and turns. Use funny or scary voices and make it as dramatic as you like. This way, it’s fun — and they’ll be practicing listening skills that will also help build their vocabulary, comprehension skills, and knowledge bank. For inspiration, check out our list of read-aloud books for 3rd graders.

  2. Shopping trip help

    Your child can help you make a grocery list and compare prices. At home, set up a play store by gathering canned items, toys, books, and other household objects. Draw some play money (or use the Monopoly money) and write up simple price tags. For easy addition and subtraction, make the prices round numbers like $1, $5, $20. Price items on the high side so your child will have to do more difficult addition and subtraction. Now take turns shopping and being the cashier. How much will it cost to buy a $2 can of soup and a $15 toy? How much change will you get back if you give them a $20 bill?

  3. Ready for wheels

    At this age, many kids are coordinated enough for bicycling, scooting, and skateboarding. Playground games like tag and capture the flag are also great exercise because they teach social and physical skills at the same time. Playing active games and getting at least an hour a day of exercise are important for learning, too. Kids learn critical thinking skills by playing games with rules and games that require strategy. What’s more, vigorous exercise is critical for your child’s brain development. Kids who exercise intensely perform better academically than kids who do not.

  4. The story of my life

    Have your child write down what they do each day. (Even dictating to an adult or older sibling is fine!) The key is to include as much detail as possible. For example, not just “I saw grandma,” but “I ate pizza with grandma.” Or enhancing, “We ate cookies,” with “I bit into a cookie expecting chocolate chips and was surprised to taste raisins.” Falling and scraping a knee? The dog barking at the mail carrier? No detail is too small to include if it strikes your child as noteworthy. Sometimes a small detail becomes the most important part of the story! Have your child illustrate the entry and write the date. Every week or so, when you have a quiet moment, look back together and talk about the highlights.

  5. Sticky, squeaky, fuzzy, fizzy

    Your child’s vocabulary is growing fast! The more you can develop your child’s vocabulary, the stronger their reading and writing skills will be. How many different words can you think of to describe how your mouth feels after a sip of lemon juice? How many different words can you think of that mean “angry?” How about “beautiful?” Playing Mad Libs is a fun way to practice new vocabulary words while also learning about parts of speech, like which words are nouns, adjectives, and verbs.

  6. Watch the clock

    Telling time to the nearest five minutes on digital and old-fashioned clocks is a skill your child will have learned in second grade. Help your child keep this skill sharp by asking the time whenever you see a clock. Use this worksheet for more practice.

  7. Tell a story with puppets

    Have your child draw their favorite characters from a book or a show. Cut out the characters and tape each one to a craft stick or a pencil. Now your child can crouch below the table and act out a story by holding the puppets up at table-level. Film it with your phone; your child will want to watch and then do it again.