It's a paradox parents face every year: How can we preserve the magic of lazy summer days without allowing our children to lose the knowledge and skills they've gained during the school year? With research showing an average summer learning loss of over two months in some subject areas and students typically scoring lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they did on the same tests before vacation began, parents are wise to wonder what they can we do to stop summer fun from draining their children's brains.
According to Marianne Cursetjee, founder of DiscoverThis.com, the answer is simple, although it does involve some rocket science. "Kids are natural scientists," says Cursetjee, who's been evaluating science kits and toys to sell through DiscoverThis.com since 2001. "Parents can turn pretty much any activity, from a walk in the park to baking cookies in the kitchen, into an exciting and educational experience," she says. The problem is, she adds, many parents don't have the time or energy to plan enriching activities for their children.
"Many of my customers are enthusiastic about sharing scientific discovery with their kids," Cursetjee says, "but they either don't know how or don't have the energy to put it all together." For those parents, she recommends any number of ready-made science kits designed specifically to optimize summer fun:
Summer Science Splash: When the sun heats up, the swimming, splashing and spraying begin. Cursetjee suggests parents add wisdom to their children's water play with The Young Scientists Club's Adventure Science Water Splash kit. The easy to follow instructions guide kids in constructing a submarine, learning about siphon science, molding boats out of clay, using water drops as magnifiers, and more. "Kids love it," says Cursetjee. "It's a great mix of summer fun and science exploration."
Don't Burst Their Bubbles: Any parent can tell you kids love bubbles, says Cursetjee, but not many know how much math and science can be linked with bubble play. She recommends Thames and Kosmos' Bubble Builder Experiment Kit, with everything you need to perform dozens of bubbly experiments, as well as The Young Scientists Club's Adventure Science Awesome Bubbles, for guidance in creating the ultimate bubble solution.
Let Their Imaginations Soar: Kites, rockets and balloons are an ideal introduction to aerodynamics, says Cursetjee, illustrating the physics of lift, thrust and drag through boisterous play. Thames and Kosmos provides high flying, educational fun with their Kite Dynamics and Balloon Adventures kits, and several companies offer classic summer fun with water rockets and baking soda and vinegar rockets that are sure to get kids minds soaring along with their enthusiasm.
Bug Me!: Bugs are a fact of life during summer, so why not make the most of it? "Many parents know that boys love bugs, but my girls are fascinated with insects, too," says Cursetjee. "They especially love ladybugs, pill bugs and spiders, especially after reading Charlotte's Web!" Stinky Science's Bug Hunt Kit and GeoSafari's Bug Scene Investigators are two great ways to extend your children's insect safaris with bug catchers, magnifiers and identification tools, she says. Add to that a field guide such as Pet Bugs: A Kid's Guide to Catching and Keeping Touchable Insects or 1001 Bugs to Spot and your creepy crawly curriculum is complete.
Nature Explorations: "You can explore the natural sciences simply by looking around your backyard or the neighborhood park," says Cursetjee. For those who prefer a bit more guidance, she says, The Young Scientists Club's Science on a Nature Walk includes excellent tools and activity ideas. She also recommends author Terry Krautwurst's Night Science For Kids: Exploring the World After Dark to open kids' eyes to the wonders that wake after the sun sets. With young children and older kids who are interested in art, Cursetjee suggests extending nature explorations with collages, mud prints, leaf rubbings and GeoSafari's Solargraphics Jumbo Sunprints Kit.
Edible Experiments: "Every kitchen is a chemistry lab," says Cursetjee, "with experiments kids love to eat!" There are numerous cookbooks for kids on the market, but she prefers the ones that focus on the science of cooking such as Cool Chemistry Concoctions by Joe Rhatigan and Veronika Gunter and The Science Chef by Joan D'Amico and Karen Eich Drummond. She also recommends cooking-related science kits including Thames and Kosmos' Candy Factory, Be Amazing Toys' After Dinner Science and Usborne's Science in the Kitchen. Your kids will eat them up.
Brain drain? What brain drain? After a summer filled with this much scientific fun, your kids will return to school in September smarter -- and more excited about learning -- than ever.
About Discover This: DiscoverThis.com is a woman-owned business providing quality educational products at affordable prices. As a parent, owner Marianne Cursetjee continually seeks out the most engaging, entertaining and educational science toys and kits for children of all ages, including many that have won awards from science and parenting organizations. Cursetjee is committed to making a difference in the world not only by encouraging children to enjoy scientific discovery through DiscoverThis.com and nurturing early childhood development and literacy through BabyClassroom.com, but also by supporting educational organizations including the Clackamas County Library, SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) and others. Her personal values shine through in the promises she makes to customers, most notably that she won't sell toys that promote violence and she won't sell toys she wouldn't buy for her own children.
For more ways to share exciting educational activities with your kids this summer, as well as award-winning science toys and kits to enjoy year-round, visit www.discoverthis.com.