activities

Summer To-Do List

| Patti Webb

On Pinterest and Insta, I’ve seen a lot of posts on summer to-do lists. You know, make s’mores, go to the beach, have a barbecue, etc. This is a far cry from my typical summer growing up, which was mostly sitting around while my parents worked or just being parked in front of the tv and out of the way. While summer was great because you didn’t have to go to school, it also meant being lonely and bored most of the time.

In June and July for a working parent, you have to figure out some sort of childcare. For a SAHP, you have to be cruise director all day for two solid months. Not to mention, fending off Summer Slide. I can see why parents really hate extended summer break because the school year has so much more workable structure.

Just like holidays, it really is up to us parents to make summer fun. So with that in mind, here are Mary’s and my summer to-do lists.

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Summer Slide

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

No more pencils, no more books...

For us in Georgia, it’s the last week of school. While our teachers are trying to get ahead of summer learning loss, only 48% of parents have heard of it. So what is it and should parents honestly worry about it?

Summer learning loss (aka summer slide or summer brain drain) is forgetting key information and/or academic skills previously mastered during the seasonal break. It’s most common in the US and Canada since we have lengthier summer recesses compared to other countries. So, while our kids soak up the sun, sleep in, and go on adventures, their education routine takes a back seat. Studies show that an average student loses 17-34% of their prior year’s academic gains over the summer. Kids who fall behind one summer are likely to widen that gap as more time goes on.

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Our Balloon Museum Playdate Review

| Patti Webb

Balloons go hand-in-hand with celebrations. Kids are all over them. So, it felt like a no-brainer to do our next playdate at the Balloon Museum. The Balloon Museum opened Let’s Fly in Atlanta this spring and runs through June 9th. They have more locations in the US and internationally.

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Perfection

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

As we wrap up our #OTMonth board game series, we must discuss one that induces so much stress and anxiety but is still a classic after all these years. It’s the ultimate challenge of fine motor dexterity and mental agility, all while staying focused under pressure.

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Battleship

| Mary Stoffel, MOT, OTR/L

Out of all the classic games we have covered this month, no other game has changed mediums multiple times over the last century, had a movie made about them, AND had its own memorable tagline. You sunk my battleship!

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