Holiday Activities At Home

    Learning doesn’t just happen at school! With Winter Break coming up, now is a great time to be involved in your child’s education outside of school. Help foster your child’s creativity and academic skills at home over the holidays in ways that are sneakily educational. Here are some fun and engaging ways to keep the learning going:

• The holidays are a great time to spend with family and learn about family history and traditions. During family gatherings, have older relative share stories from their childhood with your children. Compare and contrast how things are different or the same. One of my favorite holiday pastimes is recording my grandpa as he tells stories from when he was a photographer for the LA Times. Having those recordings is a really special way to keep the history alive.
• Bedtime stories are always a good idea! Now is a good time to read about the holidays, especially classic books like How the Grinch Stole Christmas or The Polar Express. These books have also been made into movies so follow the book up with a movie night and compare and contrast the two!. You can also find fun holiday books to base projects on. For example try reading the book How to Catch an Elf, and make an elf trap!
• Play board games - Scattergories, Catch Phrase, Pictionary, Sorry, Trivial Pursuit - anything! Board games are a great way to build social skills such as turn taking, as well as grow literacy skills. For example, the board game Clue works on inference building. Catchphrase and Scattergories help with vocabulary/word building, and speaking skills.

    It might be time for a vacation from school, but learning happens any time any place! Show your child that learning does not always have to be work; it can be enjoyable! We hope you have a wonderful winter break and holiday season!

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