Summer Tips

American Library Association Summer Reading Lists

Summer is finally here, and so are the American Library Association summer reading lists. The lists are full of book titles to keep children engaged in reading throughout the summer. Four summer reading lists are available for birth-preschool and grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Each list is available to download for free. Titles on the 2023 Summer Reading Lists were compiled and annotated by members of American Library Association’s Quicklists Consulting Committee. American Library Association…

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Easy Summer Activities Ideas for Kids

Looking for a fun and affordable way to keep your little one entertained this summer? These low-cost summer activities for kids can be done inside—or outside—the house. Whether you are a working parent or a stay-at-home one, you are probably looking for ways to stave off summer boredom. Once school is out and the kids are home, things can become chaotic very quickly. We’ve rounded up a dozen summer activities that can be done inside…

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June Activities in the Boston Area

There are many fun activities for families to enjoy in the Boston area in June 2023. Check out our list of June activities and events happening around Boston and enjoy the kickoff to summer! La Salette Shrine Spring Carnival When: Thursday 6/1/23 through Sunday 6/4/23 Where: La Salette Shrine, 947 Park Street, Attleboro, MA Age: toddlers, kids, teens, adults Cost: www.fiestashows.com The carnival is coming to Attleboro! The carnival will feature rides, games, and food.…

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How Virtual Tutoring Helps Prevent Summer Backslide

Worried that your children will forget everything they learned over the course of the summer months? You may have more reason than you think. Long summer vacations can break the rhythm of instruction, lead to forgetting, and require a significant amount of review when students return to school in the fall. Students’ overall achievement test scores can drop after one month, on average, over summer vacation. Skills in mathematics and spelling usually take the biggest…

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Special Needs Events and Access for the Summer in MA

Adults and children of all abilities can have fun in Massachusetts this summer. In addition to having a number of special needs events scheduled, Massachusetts also has accessible spray pools, beaches and parks with ramps, wheelchairs that navigate sand and/or can float in the water, and much more. Check out this list of fun summer special needs events and and resources that are accessible and include everyone! 1. Massachusetts Accessible Pools & Spray Decks. All…

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Can American Public Schools Handle Omicron?

Many school districts, and many parents, say they don’t want classrooms to close again, but can American public schools really handle omicron? Several major school systems have said they would not shift districtwide to remote learning, or would do so only if forced to by public health officials. But the looming Omicron wave could challenge the rickety infrastructure that has kept schools running this year. Some classrooms are closing temporarily, as more people test positive…

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These At-Home Activities for Kids are Both Safe and Fun

We’re used to summers filled with barbecues with friends, pool parties, and sightseeing vacations, but the coronavirus pandemic changes things. Despite the disappointment of canceled concerts, events, cruises, and camps,  it is still possible to have a fun summer as a family–and more importantly, stay safe while doing so. Here are some at-home activities to replace those that might be taking a hiatus this summer. Swimming Alternatives 1. Use a lawn sprinkler. Provided you have yard…

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6 Fun Ways to Keep Math Learning Alive Over the Summer

Summer is a time for play and rest, family time and adventures. But there’s compelling research to show that kids forget a lot of what they learned during the school year if they don’t have opportunities to continue reading, using their mathematical thinking skills, and exploring the world around them. It’s also been well-documented that the gaps between kids from high and low socioeconomic statuses grow over the summer. There are plenty of low-cost ways…

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Online Extracurriculars May Be More Doable Than You Think

When Jessyka Bagdon set out to offer her tap dancing classes as online extracurriculars, big questions started popping up right away: what about kids who don’t own their own tap shoes? How do you tap dance at home without ruining the floor? Then came the really big challenge. Online programs like Zoom are designed for meetings, not dance classes. “They’re made to pick up voices,” she explains, not the clickety clack of tap-dancing shoes. “So…

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Summer Camps in the Time of COVID-19

In a typical summer, more than 14 million campers and staff attend overnight and day camps in the United States. But summer 2020 will be far from typical. To prepare for that, the nation’s largest summer camp associations, the American Camp Association and the YMCA of the USA, have released a field guide for how summer camps can operate more safely during the coronavirus pandemic. The 82-page guide, prepared by a private consulting firm, offers…

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