Long summer can be the perfect time to enjoy some fun, educational play. A couple of favorites around here are store/restaurant and school. The younger kids can enjoy these for hours.
The kids and I made up a fun menu for their restaurant awhile back. They decided what foods they’d like to offer and we made up realistic prices for them. I printed it up and laminated it for them. Then, all I have to do is be the happy customer. They’ll take my order and tally my bill (sometimes using the 10-key adding machine and printing a ticket just because that’s fun). We’ve even used the opportunity to talk about sales tax. I pay with play money and they have to make change. It’s a great way to sneak in lots of fun math while having fun spending time with the kids.
Playing store is essentially the same, but we use a box of those little price tags on a string and we’ll price toys and things to set up the store. Then, I (or one of the kids) gets to be the shopper.
School is one they usually play without me (and the older one may get in on this one, if she can be the teacher), but they love pulling out the dry erase board and teaching each other. It’s always fun to see what their lessons entail, and it’s a great way to reinforce what they’ve been learning…or to observe and assess what they’ve learned.
What kind of educational fun do your kids enjoy in the summer (or any time of the year)?
Kris is the sweet-tea-drinking, classically eclectic, slightly Charlotte Mason, homeschooling mom to her three Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.
Photo by trancedmoogle
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I love the restaurant idea. We are going to do that and play store! I know that my two younger children will really enjoy this, and the older ones will benefit from handling the money.
Thanks for the great idea!
Happy Summer!
I remember playing school when I was younger. We'd spend so much time on making a seating chart and preparing what we would teach, that by the time we would actually start "school" my cousin would say she was bored and we'd move onto something else! LOL!
My daughter loves to play store.
We play restaurant they have a little kitchen that they cook at. My sister gave me the idea to have them cut out their favorite foods from the grocery store ads and make menus.