School is out, the weather is hot, and we are now in June, however, this summer will look much different. Although many businesses are beginning to reopen, and we are almost to the point of getting back to normal life, everyone should still be continuing to practice social distancing to keep themselves and their loved ones healthy. 

With many youth programs canceled this summer, including our Summer Program here at DREAM, it’s especially important that parents are helping their children stay engaged with learning. This could be anything from reading a book, online educational games, or teaching life skills and lessons right from home. Here are some ways to help keep children engaged and active during this quarantine summer. 

Maintain a structured environment

One way to help your children stay engaged this summer is by developing and maintaining structure in your home. The best way to do this is by creating weekly or even daily schedules.. These schedules and lists can include anything from daily tasks, chores, break time, meals and any other daily activities. When developing an at-home schedule for your child, it’s important to include a few different elements:

• Discuss your plan together by asking your children what they want to accomplish for the day/week
• Write down goals and ask your children what they want to accomplish by noon, 3:00 p.m., dinner time, etc. 
• Discuss your day together at night by going over what your children got done and what their day should look like tomorrow
• Always celebrate with rewards such as snacks, fun activities, etc.

Educational Activities

Summer is meant to be fun, however, it’s vital that kids are still participating in educational activities as well. This can be anything from educational games to reading books, all of which will help develop your child academically. Here are some free educational game websites that will help your children continue learning throughout the summer! 

• PBS Kids games
• Mr. Nussbaum
• National Geographic Kids
• FunBrain
• ABCYa.com

Fun summer activities

Lastly, summer activities should be fun. This can be challenging especially during a time like now, however, there are many different activities and ideas to try! Here are some great ways to get out of the house and have some fun this quarantine summer!

• Take a visit to the zoo. The Omaha Zoo is currently open by reservation and many other restrictions. 
• Go for family bike rides
• Take a mini family vacation
• Go fishing
• Outdoor obstacle courses 
• Go golfing, putt putt golfing, foot golfing, or frisbee golfing
• Visit local hiking trails

Although COVID-19 has changed much the past few months, you should not let that disengage your children this summer! Make sure you continue to practice proper hand washing and social distancing, but also stay connected with your peers, even if it’s over the phone or video chat! Be smart, be safe and have a fun-filled quarantine summer! 

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