Summer Social Media

As we go into the summer, we want to have a plan to keep up engagement with our community. While it’s a time to relax and give your mind a break from school, we still want to keep our community connected with us. Summer is a great time to share fun information and social media posts. Consider coming up with a theme for each month of the summer – this month, we’re focusing on ways to keep kids engaged in learning during the summer! Here’s some fun ideas we came up with for our districts to share with the parents and guardians in their community. 

Engaging Kids During the Summer

Create an initial post to let your community know that you’re going to be focusing on this topic. That way, they will know to look forward to the great information you’re going to be sharing. Keeping your kids occupied during the summer can be tough, so make sure to tell them to keep an eye out for great summer activity ideas throughout the month. 

Create a Calendar

Even though school stopped, that doesn’t mean work does too. Many parents aren’t able to spend all day, every day with their kids during the summer. Creating a calendar of activities can be very helpful in keeping your kids doing something other than just watching the tv all day. Whether it’s a grandparent, older sibling or babysitting keeping an eye on younger kids, having these activities planned out ahead of time will make their job easier. 

Summer Reading

One great way for kids to stay engaged in learning during the break is through summer reading. Encourage reading by making it into a game! For every book they read, they get a certain number of points, which they can then redeem for prizes like a pack of water balloons, a new football, or maybe even a trip to the local pool!

Gardening

Of course we want to be getting our kids outside during the summer! A great activity to do is gardening. Learning about how to grow and take care of different plants is great to keep kids engaged in learning, and they’ll get to enjoy the reward of seeing their hard work pay off as the plants get bigger. 

Blogging/Writing Encouragement

Writing is another fantastic way to keep working on those school skills during the summer. Have your kids keep a daily journal of what they did that day, this will help them with writing fluency and penmanship. For the older kids, start an online blog detailing their summer adventures!

Arts/Crafts

Continuing to think creatively is so important. Doing arts and craft projects during the summer is a fun and easy way to keep kids using their imagination. Something as simple as a craft box with paper scraps, stickers, paints, leftover clothespins and popsicle sticks, and whatever else you can recycle, can give kids all they need to spend an hour or two using their creativity to design something. 

Family Game Night

Learning a new board game, or card game is a perfect way to spend some fun time together as a family, while also stimulating our mind. Learning something new can take focus, but doing it through a family game night keeps things interesting for kids.

Volunteer Opportunities

If your kids are wanting to get out of the house, check out what local volunteer opportunities are available in your area. There may be great opportunities to help out other people, or your community as a whole.

Cooking

Take one more task off your to-do list and have your kids plan a dinner to make. This can become a lesson in budgeting, as well as a great way for them to learn some cooking skills. 

Learn a Language

By spending thirty minutes a day learning a new language, our kids can learn a lot! Studying a new language is an amazing way to keep your kids engaged in learning. Have them learn a word a day, and then teach it to you before they go to bed!

Entrepreneurship

Remember that garden your kids started earlier in the summer? Have them learn a lesson in entrepreneurship by selling those flowers and other plants they grew! Not quite ready to pick yet? A good old lemonade stand is always a great idea. Let them go on a dollar store shopping spree with whatever money they’re able to earn!

Baking (Math & Fractions)

Maybe your kids need a little summer refresh on their fractions… baking is a great way to do that, plus they’ll get a yummy treat to enjoy at the end. Make it a little more challenging by having them cut the recipe in half. 

Sharing these ideas on your social media can be a great way to help out the parents and guardians in your community, as well as create some awesome engagement. People may share these with their friends or relatives that have kids, even if they aren’t part of your district. Create even more engagement by asking people to comment if they try the idea and let you know how it went, or send in pictures of the crafts your kids made or the meal they cooked!  

For more communication and social media advice, follow us on Instagram @center4commandengagement. And if you’re looking for someone to help you develop your communication plan for the upcoming school year, contact Kathleen Kennedy at kennedy@okcce.com.