Irvine Tutor Tips: 5 Ways to Transition to Summer Break

Tips from a Private Irvine Summer Tutor: 5 Ways to Transition to Summer Break

For the most part, we think about the transition from summer to school. However, there is also a transition from school to summer. Many students don’t know what to do with their time, especially after spending so much of their day studying for finals or preparing for standardized testing. When students go from having a structured 8-hour day to having nothing in particular to do, they often struggle to find a good way to spend their time. Appropriate summer activities will vary greatly based on a child’s age, but there are several productive ways to transition during that first couple of weeks after school lets out.

1. Planned social activities

Many students think about doing tons of fun social activities the minute school gets out. Although older students will probably be able to arrange activities with friends easily, younger kids will likely need a little bit of help to plan them. When kids are used to having their social part of the day planned out by the teacher, they get used to waiting until a specific time to go out and play or chat with their peers. The transition to summer break can be made easier if parents can plan some social activities that are structured or semi-structured in addition to any casual neighborhood play that takes place after camp or summer school. When children are used to structured socialization, it can be a challenge to participate in unstructured play without a little bit of help (READ: 5 tips to stay active on campus over summer break).

2. Reading hour

Students are used to doing tons of things with their brain throughout the school year. The summer is a welcome break and a chance for the mind to rest, grow, and prepare for the next academic year. However, going from doing mentally taxing activities to having days on end without intellectual stimulation can be a challenge and leave students unmotivated in some cases. A great way to provide a little bit of brainpower without overwhelming younger students is to have a reading hour. Students can sit down and enjoy reading some of their favorite books, or discover a new series of novels, for about an hour a day during the week. This keeps their reading comprehension sharp and their imaginations at work without adding stress.

3. Field trips

Parents can take their kids on any number of awesome field trips during the summer months that are both fun and educational. Alternately, kids can go to a summer camp that takes the entire group on a series of field trips. Learning outside of the four walls of the classroom is an excellent opportunity for the growing mind to experience multi-modality learning. Some great field trip ideas in Southern California include Griffith Observatory, Birch Aquarium, The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch, San Diego Natural History Museum, and The J Paul Getty Museum of Art.

http://griffithobservatory.org/
http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/
http://www.theflowerfields.com/
http://www.sdnhm.org/
http://www.getty.edu/museum/

4. Summer camp

Short-term summer camps are also a great way for kids to transition to their relaxing summer break. Many summer camps only last a week or two thus providing an opportunity for kids to experience several different activities. Additionally, kids can adjust to the structure of a one week half day camp and then spend a couple of weeks relaxing and playing at home if that works out for their family. Short-term summer camps help children transition to going from a highly structured environment to a more laid-back summer atmosphere.

5. Sports activities

There is a broad range of sports activities that can also help children transition into the summer mode. Whether a student is participating in an organized sports team, taking individualized tennis lessons, or learning how to surf, any sports or physical activity can help regulate their energy and help them adjust from school to summer.

Stay sharp over the summer with the help of Irvine summer tutoring from TutorNerds. From ACT/SAT to foreign languages we have you covered! Call us today for more information.

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