Sunshine & Storytelling: Playful Summer Activities for Young Readers + Writers!
It’s finally summer!
While this season brings lots of fun- trips to the pool, sunny picnics, and family vacations- it can also feel daunting! What are we going to do for endless hours at home together? Will my child still remember everything they learned this year when they return to school in the fall? How can I continue supporting their reading and writing skills outside of the classroom? If you’ve found yourself wondering these things, you’ve come to the right place.
Here at Way to Grow, we love to create a playful, safe place to explore and learn new skills! Reading and writing skills don’t just grow in the classroom or during structured practice at the kitchen table- written language is all around us!
Here are some fun-filled ideas to encourage your child’s love of literacy this summer:
What are your dreams for the summer? Get out your favorite markers, stickers, and a poster board to create a summer bucket list! This is a great way to connect as a family, share ideas with each other, and practice organizing a written list!
Go on an alphabet drive around town! Look out your window and see if you can find every letter of the alphabet on billboards, license plates, trucks, and more! Bonus points if everyone can think of a word that starts with each letter you find!
Start a summer book club! Whether this is with family, neighbors, or friends, it can be fun to read a book together and have a meeting to talk about the characters, story, and ideas we’ve learned from the book!
Is it hot outside? Bring out a tray of ice cubes and use them to write on the sidewalk! Draw pictures, write your name, or practice the alphabet!
Get cozy in your pajamas and have an indoor campout with your very own blanket fort! We can use lamps or a flashlight to read aloud our favorite picture books.
Take a family field trip to the public library! Reading aloud to your child often is the best way to nurture a love of stories and reading, and the library is the perfect place to stock up on lots of read-aloud options!
Put on a puppet show! Create puppets out of craft materials or use your dolls and stuffed animals! You can come up with a story, write a script, and perform your masterpiece for your debut audience!
Who doesn’t like receiving mail? Set your child up with a pen pal (Grandma? Friend? Cousin?) and teach them how to send a letter!
Invent a secret code for the alphabet, create an answer key, and see if anybody can decode your secret message!
Try out a new recipe! Cooking or baking together is a great way to learn about sequencing, understanding numbers, and following directions! It can also be silly and messy in the BEST way!
Wishing you a summer full of new stories, creativity, and playful fun!
Olivia Zimmermann, MA, CF-SLP
The Way to Grow Pediatric Therapy Team 🌟
about our featured writer:
Miss Olivia is a speech therapist with specialized experience in dyslexia. She grew up with a deep love for trips to the library, reading books, and creating stories. It is her great joy to help children discover their OWN love of literacy! If you have questions or think you may be seeing early signs of dyslexia or if you have a family history of dyslexia, reach out! We are happy to discuss the next steps to get your child set up for a dyslexia evaluation. Following the evaluation, we can walk you through the options available that best support each milestone surrounding reading, literacy and writing!
