12 tips for a smart summer

School holiday just started; time is on our side!

Relax and recharge, keep minds active and build important life skills, without textbooks or class study.

1. Keep a holiday journal: develop writing skills, vocabulary, internalize the events and emotions, structure thoughts process, articulate feelings

2. Practice Fact-checking: choose subjects, verify, inform using school acquired research skills. Build intentional curiosity, observation skills, value for smart leisure

3. Set time for reading : important to continue developing comprehension skills, set aside daily reading time for whole family

4. Plan the family trips : research, prepare the best itinerary, list things-to-do, pro’s and con’s, look at prices and timetables. Practice everyday math skills, basic planning organisation, budgeting.

5. Board games: Scrabble, Monopoly, cards etc. Besides the quality time spent together in family, great for spelling, vocabulary, basic math and money skills as well as competitive and fair play.

6. Budget your pocket money: plan to earn and spend vacation pocket money. Use basic math skills, practice delayed gratification, understand value of work and financial independence

7. Family cooking time: Follow instructions, understand or recognize basic science in kitchen, practice kitchen safety. Last but not least, practice foreign language with cooking with international recipes.

8. Vacation healthy tips: find ideas and solutions in everyday family life, build the case and follow through to put in practice. Learn to enjoy the natural, eco-friendly lifestyle

9. Learn new skills: get inspiration from siblings, friends and try out, indoor or outdoor, new activities, tools, sports. Find classes or camps to practice safely and make new friends.

10. Make a family movie: build a scenario around a theme, craft a good storyline, add some effects and the voiceover. Test vocabulary, verbal communication, visual expression skills, attention to details.

11. Write a blog: whether it is about cooking, sports, movies, societal problems or even books, writing is a lifelong skill, it gets better with practice. Great for structuring thoughts, grow self-awareness, vocabulary, express emotions, stress relief

12. Get a summer job: earn pocket money, learn something new and meet new people through small part-time jobs. Great to acquire real-life work habits, learn to be disciplined and accountable, very valuable to advance at school degree and in building up the resume.

… and, cool or not, vacation is a great time to get sharper on skills that really make a difference . Take it easy and make it easy for the next school year!