As winter approaches, now is the time for parents to start planning how to keep their children mentally and physically active during the holidays.
Why? Over 100 years (yes, 100 years) of research has documented the occurrence of “winter learning loss,” the loss of academic skills and knowledge that can set students back academically during the winter months if they don’t engage in meaningful formal or informal winter learning and enrichment activities.
It is well documented that over time, winter learning loss directly contributes to widening achievement gaps between low- and moderate-income students, and that lack of summer learning opportunities leads to increased student dropout rates.
Additionally, children who do not participate in winter learning programs gain weight disproportionately during the winter months because they do not have access to recreational and eating programs in school and spend more time watching television and being sedentary, thereby increasing their risk of childhood obesity.
That’s the bad news about why winter matters. The good news is that there are simple, effective and affordable ways for parents to prevent winter learning loss by engaging their children in meaningful winter learning activities that cost nothing (or almost nothing) and help keep them mentally and physically healthy and ready for a successful start to the new school year.
While camps and formal winter learning programs do provide opportunities for enrichment, there are many effective and affordable ways to support your child’s winter learning. Here are four easy DIY ways to get started.
- Talk to your child’s teacher before the end of the school year. Teachers will have great ideas for workbooks, activities and even online resources that kids can do over the winter to keep their skills sharp.
- Read to and with your child. Take advantage of your local public library and their winter reading program. You’ll get all the books you want for free, and your kids will love the field trips, which may help instill a love of reading.
- Turn everyday activities into learning opportunities. For example, take your kids shopping and challenge them to add up the prices at the store and see if they can figure out the final bill. Going for a drive? Have them look for specific shapes, colors, letters or words on billboards and signs.
- Get away from the TV, the couch, and the fridge and get out and about, take a walk around the neighborhood, go to local parks, playgrounds, zoos, community centers, and other enjoyable, educational places that get everyone moving.
Try these activities, plus a few of your own, and you’ll see why winter is important for your child’s physical and mental health and well-being, and how a little enrichment can make a big difference.