As a parent, you are your child’s first, best teacher. The Kent County Success Basics are five fun, easy and powerful ways to help your child grow smarter.
Complete Summer Wonder's 30-Day Challenge by doing 30 days of any of the following activities between June 5 and August 12 (see below for specific ideas).
Track Your Activities, Win Prizes
Prizes
Little Readers will get a free book as their prize for completing Summer Wonder. Actual titles vary by branch.
Little Reader Prize Examples
Events
Events for Little Readers
Suggested Activities
- Respond to your child’s feelings and let them know that all feelings are okay.
- Have your child help you prepare dinner.
- For snack, offer limited choices. For example: apples OR grapes.
- Spend time outside together. Spread out a blanket and look at the clouds.
- Sing a nursery rhyme.
- Make up your own verses for the song, “If You’re Happy and You Know it.”
- As you walk or do errands, talk about what you are doing while do it and what it going on.
- Say and do the motions to one of your favorite rhymes.
- Help your child clap to the beat as you listen to a song.
- In the bath, fill up and dump out a cup. Talk about “full” vs. “empty” and “in” vs “out.”
- Count a basket of objects together and sort them into related groups.
- Share a counting book together.
- Put on a puppet show using stuffed animals or make your own sock puppet.
- Play search and find: hide things under a blanket and have your child “find” it or play hide and seek.
- Get out spoons and pots to make a kitchen band.
- Drawing is a good way to exercise little hands and be creative. Put out some crayons and paper. Your child can also experiment with tearing and folding the paper.
- Before you open a book, read the title and look at the pictures. Guess what it might be about.
- Read a story and act out movements to some of the action words.
- Reread your child’s favorite book.
- While reading, describe the pictures, talking about colors, shapes and characters.
- Read books together that are about people who are alike and different from you and your child.
Nature is My Lifelong Friend
The smell of buds, the buzz of bees, the tickle of Lamb's Ear, the sweetness of Honeysuckle, nature is our generous friend. Dig in!
