Education Can Be Fun
Summer break is well underway, but that doesn’t mean all attempts at education have to fall by the wayside until the new school year starts up. Education can be secretly fun (shhh…) and it can be a great way to keep kids engaged and involved this summer. Apex Leadership Co. offers some fun and easy ideas for incorporating education into vacations and staycations.
Educating about history while traveling
History is extremely educational and pretty fascinating, too. Every city its own unique history. When traveling to a new region, do some research about its past. There may be monuments, ruins, museums, and more that delve into the area’s rich heritage in a fun and unique way.
National monuments that encompass everything from petroglyphs and ancient villages to dinosaur fossils are amazing peeks into the past and can provide some incredible insight into the future. Museums also are goldmines of information — kids that are interested in astronomy or outer space may find a trip to an observatory or a space museum interesting while kids that love animals will enjoy visits to zoos or aquariums.
Many national parks also tell a tale of the earth’s evolution through the elements. Think of the Grand Canyon, Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park, or the age-old trees of Yosemite and the Olympic National Park. There is so much incredible and vastly varying, terrain and history to explore around the country, and every area can provide an engaging education for people of all ages. Many national parks also offer junior ranger events and other fun programs for kids that encourage them to learn about the land they’re inhabiting.
Educating yourself about the history of your hometown
Even if this summer’s plans don’t include a vacation to another state or city, so much can be learned in one’s own town. Families could consider “playing tourist” in their city — visiting museums or doing some research about the area’s history. After all, every area has a story to tell. Some cities have cool “secret” or underground tours such as haunted locations with ghost sightings, while others may be rich with reports of alien encounters. Or check out a current exhibit at a nearby museum that unveils information and artifacts about far-reaching areas of the world. The options are endless!
Homing in on a student’s particular interest is a great way to gear an educational vacation or staycation this summer and ensure they have fun while learning (which is the real key to a lifelong interest in one’s personal education). From a parent or guardian’s perspective, this supports children’s natural curiosity and also shows them their voices are being heard and taken into consideration — an extremely valuable asset for youth as they develop.
When planning a vacation or simply a day trip this summer, consider adding in some element of education with the “fun” stuff. With a little research and some open minds, there is no limit to the amount of education that can be attained over the summer.
