It’s almost holiday break and if parents are in need of a few ideas to help keep children entertained and learning these next few weeks, Huntington Learning Center of Bothell has several suggestions.
“Your child deserves a reprieve from school work, but there are many things you can do as a family that will keep your student engaged,” said Erica Hwang of the Bothell Huntington Learning Center.
Hwang offers the following winter break learning activities for inspiration:
• Get scientific
Safe and fun science experiments are a great way to pass the long days of holiday break and encourage your student’s scientific thinking. Check out the University of Michigan’s BioKIDS web site for an animal tracks and sign guide and send your child out to explore your local habitat for signs of animals. Browse the Steve Spangler Science or Weird Science Kids web sites for educational experiments that your child will enjoy.
• Develop a menu
Have your child help you from start to finish with your holiday menu or even weeknight meals during his or her break. Set up your child with a cookbook or send him or her to a recipe web site to come up with meal ideas, make a list of ingredients and even create a paper menu for dinner guests.
• Make a holiday scrapbook
Bring out your child’s inner crafter by having him or her work on a family scrapbook for the year or just the holiday season. Have your child collect photos and mementos (such as plane ticket stubs) from any vacations or other special outings and share his or her finished product on New Year’s Eve.
• Write a family history book
Work together on a family tree. Your child could take the project further and interview grandparents, aunts and uncles to learn more about different family member’s experiences growing up. Your child may be surprised at how different life as a kid was for a grandparent. Try a book on favorite family holiday memories in which your child can record his or her own reflections as well as those of members of the extended family.
For more information about Huntington Learning Center of Bothell, contact Erica Hwang at (425) 368-2300 or visit www.huntingtonhelps.com
