7 Tips to keep young people excited, fully engaged, and learning during summer

While many families have exotic beaches, trips to Disney World, expensive camps, S.T.E.A.M (science, technology, engineering, art, math) programs, and private tutors in mind when thinking of ways to engage their children this summer, the reality for many parents is that limited finances and other circumstances make these types of activities unattainable.

The great news is that no matter what your circumstances and resources are, there are many ways to create sustained learning and lasting memories through new experiences while engaging your children this summer. You do not have to leave the city or pay high prices to help your children experience fun, breathtaking excitement, and meaningful learning experiences during summer break.

These summer enrichment experiences are critically important for your child as they develop skills, promote independence, foster the ability to work as a team, develop resilience, increase screen free activities, and encourage self awareness and esteem.

It’s vitally important to continually connect with your child in meaningful ways. The abundant opportunities of summer provide you with some easy ways to reconnect with your child by spending quality time and giving them the undivided attention they need and deserve.

A great way to organize a fun and diverse summer calendar is to use the following categories as a tool for planning: social and recreational, job readiness, volunteerism, creativity, physical, and of course, academic.

Here are 7 tips to keep young people excited, fully engaged, and learning for summer, reducing lazy days and screen time while ramping up energy for a great new school year.

1. Be intentional. Plan fun predictable screen free routines and structure your summer time with your child’s passions, strengths, interests, and aspirations in mind!

For many, summer is the favorite season of the year and a time to relax, socialize, and have fun. However, it’s important to make the most of these short months by being intentional, making concrete plans early in the summer, and creating some productive routines because before you know it the leaves are changing and it’s back to school.

Don’t end your summer with regrets about what you didn’t do or your child being too immersed in technology all summer instead of developing social or other necessary skills to thrive in the future. Enter the start of the academic year proud of what your child(ren) accomplished and experienced to prepare them for a successful new academic year.

2. Explore Chicago’s tourist attractions and hidden gems.

Be a tourist in your own city by seeing Chicago with brand new eyes and understand why people love to come from all over the world to visit here.

Consider the incredible attractions you take for granted and make a list of all the hotspots in Chicago you’ve wanted to visit or wanted your children to experience. For example visit: Navy Pier; Shedd Aquarium; Lincoln Park Zoo; Adler Planetarium; Millennium Park (the Splash Pad is SO much fun!) Maggie Daley Park (Rock Climbing, etc); take an architectural tour; and there is so much more. The purchase of a Chicago CityPASS offers discounted access to some of the city’s top attractions like the Willis Tower Skydeck. Although some of these activities have a modest price tag, the memory created for your child might just be worth it, especially considering the price of a plane ticket to Florida, California, or out of the country.

Experience Chicago’s Diverse Neighborhoods -- visit neighborhood museums, go to local eateries, and take plenty of selfies. Make a list of all the murals in your city - some pay homage to some amazing Chicagoans. Take a group of friends or go alone and do a photoshoot at any of these fantastic artistic gems.

Immerse yourself in the city that makes Chicago a magnet for travelers. Go there and treat your children to some culture and world class fun.

3. Keep it Moving - take advantage of the multitude of ways to stay physically active while having a blast in the sun.

Consider bicycle tours and nature walks at the forest preserve, relax at the beach, register for summer long or mini sports camps, play double dutch, roller skate or rollerblade outdoors, check out SummerDance, check out Harold Washington Cultural Center Dance Program, have water balloon battles, or organize block races for your kids.

Take advantage of Chicago’s Divvy Bike System. How many times have you seen cyclists or rode past a park or seen a bike path and wondered where that path went? Make plans to go to different parks or walk new paths or bicycle routes. Record your mileage, make notes of exciting things you see along the way.

Plan play dates with friends and family to stay social, connected, and to try new things together in our great city.

4. Take advantage of Chicago’s Free Fun.

Check out the free fun in the city, there’s plenty and you likely will have something for every day if you chose to explore.

Plan to attend free museum days, free concerts, check out a Kids Museum Passport from Chicago Public Library which would allow you access to museums for free; movies in the park, Chicago festivals, Chicago SummerDance, visit Garfield Conservatory, and be intentional about going.

Check out free camps! There are 1, 2, and 3-week camps hosted by community centers, churches, and some park districts. Some of these have been going on for years.

Don’t forget to cap the summer off with the Bud Billiken Parade (August 14, 2021)!

Make plans, ask questions, and do a search online! You never know what other freebies await you.

5. Introduce meaningful and impactful community service and give your child(ren) a sense of accomplishment, boosted self esteem, and the opportunity to improve their community .

Volunteering opportunities are a great way to empower young people, improve self confidence, and build leadership skills. The simple tasks completed in some service projects can work wonders for giving a young person a can-do attitude they might not have had before.

Sign up for or plan a clean-up or beautification project for a community. Take a city block and consider picking up trash or pulling some weeds. Maybe there is a community area that just needs a little paint or special attention. Go to a neighborhood senior citizen building and ask to read or visit with seniors. The volunteer possibilities are endless. Don't forget to take before and after photos for improvement projects or document your service.

6. Help your child gain some job skills and knowledge to prepare the pathway for a future opportunity (and possibly earn some cash)!

Check if it is possible for you or another trusted adult to take your child to work for a day. Ask if your child can shadow trusted local business owners or other professionals. Some businesses allow young people to shadow employees to observe what it is like to work in that industry. Try it! It never hurts to ask. You can also ask if shadowing or basic internships are possible at a local community center. Seek volunteer opportunities at school, a community center, a local business, a church, food pantry, or another local non-profit. Your child can get some volunteer hours while learning the ins and outs of these important places and gaining some invaluable work skills.

Ages 14-24, check out One Summer Chicago Job Program.

7. Last but not least, keep your child learning and intellectually stimulated during this summer.

Beat summer slide (loss that naturally occurs when kids don’t practice the skills they learned) by doing the following:

Take advantage of all that the Chicago Public Library has to offer!

Get a library card for you and your child. Let your child choose their own book. Explore different kinds of reading materials like picture books, chapter books, magazines, comic books, newspapers, and watch a movie or cartoons with closed captions.

Have your child read for at least 20 minutes a day and be sure your children see you as a reader too. In addition to the 20 minutes, schedule time to read aloud with your child daily.

Spend time together cooking (don’t forget to use measuring cups and recipes).

Listen to audio books (borrowed from the library or other online apps such as Libby (free with your library card).

Engage in meaningful conversation and help build your child’s vocabulary. Ask probing questions about movies, activities, events, or travel to get your child to think and interact with the material or subject matter.

Consider a family or friend book club.

Consider a class at Varsity Tutors or Outschool to learn or sharpen academic skills or to explore an interest or passion of your child.

Additional Academic Programs to consider: Project Exploration

Reading lets your minds travel where you and your child may not be able to physically go! So indulge in this timeless pastime and help your child soar!

Together let's redefine, reimagine, and recharge what it means for your kids (and you) to learn and have fun in your own backyard.