This week, I want to list ten things you could do with your child or children this summer. Today I’ll start with four, then do three on Wednesday and the final three on Friday. In addition to being fun, doing these kinds of activities is important from a developmental perspective. One of the difficulties children have in beginning school is that they have no experiences to draw on from outside the classroom. Having external experiences enables a child, who learn by doing, to relate places they have been and things that they have seen to things that they read and do in the classroom. To help your child broaden those horizons, here are some suggestions.
- Get a library card for your child. Virtually all libraries will give cards to children, with a parent’s permission. Bring your driver’s license or picture ID with you to the library if you don’t already have one. And then designate a special time each week to hang out at the library.
- Imagination Library, a project of Delta Health Alliance. Sign your child up for Imagination Library! Its free. Your child will receive a book each month until he or she begins kindergarten. Call 662.686.7004 for more information.
- Explore a museum in your area. Some possibilities are the Kermit the Frog museum in Leland, the BB King Blues Museum in Indianola, the Catfish Visitor’s center in Belzoni.,the Delta Blues museum in Clarksdale.
- See the Mississippi River. It is amazing how many children do not know what a resource the Mississippi River is and haven’t seen this magnificent river up close. There are many parks and museums in most of our river towns.
Thanks,
Karen Matthews
