How to keep children enthused and engaged during summer holidays

Your teaching job doesn’t end as the summer holidays starts. There is plenty of work to be done. It’s about to make sure that pupils and students keep learning and growing throughout the holiday, as for some students that time out can cause a slip. Here are great ways to keep children enthused and engaged during summer holidays. 

Set a summer project

In collaboration with other teachers in the school set summer projects that allow young people to learn new skills and reinforce existing skills. It’s a great way to bring together lots of subjects and ideas. Cross departmental learning builds critical thinking and project management skills, as well as enhances specific knowledge. It could be something such as researching the history of local monument, or finding out how the local council works. 

Give them a list of local attractions

Encourage families to be tourists in their own town, by giving them a list of museums, galleries and sights to visit. Teachers in London have it a bit easier with lots of free locations such as the Science Museum, British Museum, National Gallery and Tate offering free entry and having a summer programme of activities.

Keep reading

Learning and developing literacy skills shouldn’t stop in the summer holidays. Set a summer reading challenge for your students. Encourage them to pick a goal of the number of books they want to read, or the number of pages they will get through, or read one book from three different genres. A trip to the library is another free activity that they can do with their families.

Use video

During the pandemic pupils and teachers got more familiar with online learning – something that has changed teaching jobs. Teachers could record a series of short video lessons or project prompts and send one a week via email or a school intranet portal. Remember that not all families have access to phones or laptops to make this possible, so it shouldn’t be compulsory.

Encourage volunteering

Volunteering is a great way to make new friends and develop softer skills such as team building, communication and empathy. Local volunteering opportunities might include helping out at homeless shelter, gardening, or visiting isolated or elderly people. Those who volunteer often end up being more rounded – which makes our teaching jobs easier.

Stay active

Physical activity might not increase knowledge, but it is critical for having a healthy brain. Summer holidays shouldn’t be about staying indoors studying, but out having fun. This could be a daily walk, joining a dance class, or taking up five a side football.  Teaching in England means that every weekend in summer there are cricket matches or athletics tournaments on – just have a look around.

What are your top tips for keeping young people engaged during the summer holidays? Help other teachers out with their teaching jobs with your ideas!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top