How to Make Errands and Chores Educational While Your Children Are On Summer Break
The school year has ended, and your child is on summer break. Maybe they're not going to sleep-away camp, and those sports clinics you've signed them up for only run for a few weeks, or only for several hours a day. They're home, but you've got your household management routine to maintain! Errands still need to be run, and the laundry, dusting, and mopping still need to get done. Depending on where you are in your parenting journey, I'd bet that you've got dealing with your routines and your littles down to a science. However, it is possible to turn these mundane tasks into opportunities for your child to keep up his or her math, reading, science, and spatial reasoning skills during the summer. Whether your child is in the early elementary grades, a tween, or a teen--there are ways to engage your child at a more meaningful level when taking care of your to-do's.
Early Elementary Grades (K-2)
Involving early-elementary grade children in learning activities while you are grocery or personal-care shopping, and/or cooking can keep them engaged with you, and not falling victim to boredom and the misbehavior that can come out of it.
Learning While Shopping
Play a game of "I spy" describing the item you are looking for
Counting the number of fruit or vegetables as you put them in a produce bag
Create math problems around "how many more do we need?" to get to a total amount
Ask them to spell the name of the fruit or vegetable (maybe stick to the simple ones--asparagus might be more appropriate of the upper grades)
If you know that there are certain words your child is supposed to recognize, create a list before your go and have your child look for those words
Have them find items from your shopping list on the shelves--have them sound out the brand name or the name of the item ("shampoo," "pasta," "freezer bag")
Learning While Cooking or Baking
Have them help you measure ingredients; while you don't need to go into a fractions lesson, ask them to identify which measuring cup/spoon is bigger or smaller
Identify words in the recipe or on the box or can
If you are working with colorful vegetables, ask your child to create a rainbow with some pieces or slices you've cut
Introduce/reinforce units of measurement like "pint," "quart," "dozen," "ounce," "pound," etc.
Learning While Cleaning
Assign picking up their toys by color
Ask them to count how many toys are out in their play area
Have them sort the toys by category--dolls/action figures, Legos, board games, etc.
Upper Elementary Grades (3-5)
Because children this age are learning more sophisticated concepts--especially in math and science--you can really reinforce those ideas 'in real life' while running errands and taking care of household chores.
Learning While Shopping
To make multiplication tables "real," have your child select a fruit or vegetable and put it into the produce bag by the number of "times." For example, ask your child to put two apples into a produce bag, then ask him or her to put two more into a second produce bag. Ask how many times they put two apples into a produce bag. Ask for the total number of apples in your cart. Repeat this process with three to a bag, or four to a bag. Think of this especially when grabbing a dozen ears of fresh corn on the cob.
Go all in on ounces, pounds, pints, quarts, half-gallon, and gallon measurements. Point out how some items are no longer sold in half-gallons (specialty milks). Ask your child to estimate what might be a better value--the gallon of milk or the not-quite-half-gallon specialty milk. Do the same with juices--or you could even have them compare prices/servings per container between the large bottle of juice and individual boxes or pouches.
Ask your child to read the nutrition label to you. Ask if they think the item is something they should eat daily or sometimes; ask why or why not.
Learning While Cooking or Baking
Involve your child in meal planning. Give him or her a choice between several main dishes; do the same with selecting a vegetable as a side dish.
Let your child help in assembling a salad.
Go all in on fractions. Relate each measuring cup to its next larger or smaller one. Point out how the larger the denominator, the smaller the actual cup or spoon (ie. 1/8 vs. 1/4; 1/4 vs. 1/2, etc.)
Tell your child what ingredients like baking powder or yeast do.
Learning While Cleaning
Safety first. Always remind your child that they should never drink, eat, or sniff anything they are using to clean. It may be best for you to dampen any cloths, spray any surfaces, and mix any solutions without your child's involvement.
For a task like vacuuming or mopping--ask them where they think they might start, and why they chose that starting point. You might want to let your child have that experience of mopping themselves into a corner, as that learning experience.
Mix in a little geometry when folding sheets and towels. Ask them about those rectangles, squares, and triangles; have them measure those sides and angles!
Depending on their grade level, you might want to ask your child to determine what percentage of his or her toys are games, actions figures, or building blocks (Legos) when tidying up their play area.
Middle School (Grades 6-8)
This may be the age range that can learn the most from chores and errands. Their relative maturity, combined with the increasingly sophisticated concepts/courses of study that they are encountering throughout the school year, provides them with an opportunity to practice critical thinking skills.
Learning While Shopping
Because many middle schools offer a "Foods" class, along with extracurricular clubs such as Chocolate Club (candy-making) or Garden Club (growing and eating salad greens)--the grocery store can be a gateway to discussions on nutrition and food preparation. Financial literacy courses make it possible to discuss budgeting and price comparisons.
Reading ingredient labels reinforces recognition of multi-syllabic words, creates the opportunity for conversations regarding man-made versus natural ingredients, presence or absence of allergens, etc.
Ask your child about unit pricing, in comparison to the purchase price. Is buying one brand over another a "better deal?"
Ask your son or daughter to do the mental math on the items in your cart, versus your budget. Are you within your budget? Close to maxing it out?
Ask your child to determine the purchase price of an item, based on percentage discounted (for example, 30% off of the ticket price)
Learning While Cooking or Baking
Where appropriate, ask your child to double or halve a recipe.
Discuss the science of baking--leavening, aerating by whipping or beating, folding, why it is necessary to heat-treat flour before eating.
Make a ceviche and explore cooking through exposure to acids.
Create a dish for lunch or dinner, focusing on the main flavors of sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami.
Discuss ratios when making a marinade, salad dressing, or sauce
Learning While Cleaning
Ask your child to search the internet for DIY cleaning solutions. Mix one together.
Have your child compare the performance of the DIY solution to that of a commercially-prepared cleaner. Which did the better job?
Together explore the chemistry of laundry--why differing products work best for removing different types of stains, how to avoid cancelling out the effects of one product with another.
Have your son or daughter calculate the area of the room they may be cleaning--bathroom, living room, or their bedroom. Discuss why it would be important to know this.
Senior High School (Grades 9-12)
At this age, your child has a fair amount of independence and won't necessarily have to accompany you on errands. However, household tasks and things like budgeting and meal planning and preparation take on practical significance--as this will prepare them for their college and adult years. A strong foundation with cleaning routines, laundry, and money management will make the tasks of "adulting" that much less daunting.
As you can see, this is quite a list! You may be feeling a bit overwhelmed yourself. If that is the case, know that you don't have to do every activity or take every suggestion. If the cooking and baking portion of this list is where you feel you can make the most memories and provide the most learning opportunities--go for it! ChoreVoyant exists to handle the tasks that aren't your strength, or aren't your favorite thing to do! It's okay to delegate them! If delegating a task or errand sounds good to you, click here to book a chat. Together, we can find the solutions that best fit you, your family, and your routines.
