Set Our Teachers FREE!

Yesterday I shared some ideas to keep children’s minds sharp and academically-oriented while they are away from school for two weeks during Christmas Break. The ideas come from McNeil Pediatrics, manufacturers of Centris, a drug for children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Today I’d like to share their list for suggested teen/preteen activities.

SMART ACTIVITIES FOR TEENS TO HELP MAKE THE HOLIDAYS HAPPIER

Cool Ideas to Keep Your Teen Focused and Entertained Over the Holidays

RESEARCH
Suggest that your teen use the internet to learn about winter
celebrations of cultures other than your own. Not only is this a
good exercise for reading and comprehension, but it’s great for
building research skills too.

READING
Request a list of upcoming novels from your teen’s English
teacher. That way your teen can get a jumpstart on future reading
assignments and wind up ahead of the game after the holiday
break. Consider how you can reward your teen for completing
a book.

WRITING
Write a short play or skit, then direct family and friends as they
learn scenes and act it out. Being a playwright/director will help
your teen with writing and working with others.

ARTS
Let your teen be a filmmaker or the designated holiday
photographer. He or she can record or take pictures of family
and friends, then create a holiday scrapbook, slide show or short
movie on the computer for all to enjoy. This project will help your
teen learn how to organize and follow through on a task from
start to finish.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Have your teen plan a family holiday event. He or she can even
develop a menu, do the cooking and ask family members or
friends to help them pull it all off. Not only is event planning fun,
it’s also good practice for learning to organize school projects,
work toward a deadline and cooperate with others.

COMMUNITY
Get your teen involved in a community outreach program like a
food or clothing drive. It helps develop discipline, responsibility and
social awareness. And it’s something your teen can feel good about
doing on his or her own or with friends over the holiday break.

© McNeil Pediatrics, Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc. 2007 November 2007 60CON07

I posted these lists to give you time during the next couple of weeks to prepare, gather the needed supplies, and come up with creative ideas on your own.

These ideas are wonderful alternatives to having bored, cranky and restless teens hanging around the house, who then grumble when they have to go back to school. And even if you can’t stop the grumbling, you can be confident that you helped your youngster get back into the swing of academics quickly, rather than losing valuable learning time.

Here’s to helping our students in every way we can.

Brennan

Filed under: Main

Youngsters look forward to Christmas vacation longingly. Two weeks with no text books or tests, sleeping in late every morning. But you can help your child stay sharp during this time so that going back to school in January is not such a jolt to their brains.

McNeil Pediatrics, a division of McNeil-PPC,Inc is the manufacturer of Centris, a drug that is meant to help children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) stay focused. They have published suggestions for parents to help their children during the Holiday season. Because these ideas are terrific for every student, I’d like to share them with you.

SMART ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN TO HELP MAKE HOLIDAYS HAPPIER
Creative Ideas to Help Your Child have an enjoyable Break while staying in an Academic Frame of mind.

READING
Encourage your child to read holiday-themed and seasonal stories and
books. Getting the whole family to read aloud together makes it even
more fun. Consider asking your child’s teacher to recommend a list of
age-appropriate books.

MATH
Go from the classroom to the kitchen. Have your child help you measure
and mix ingredients of a favorite recipe for cookies or other dessert.
Cooking and baking help develop concentration and patience while also
using essential math skills like addition, subtraction, fractions and time.
Plus, it will make your child feel a part of your family’s holiday traditions.

WRITING
Create and write holiday cards to friends and relatives for practice
with spelling, penmanship and art skills. It also reinforces the idea of
relationship-building in your child.
To keep your child writing, encourage keeping a diary, journal or
scrapbook about his or her holiday break or any other seasonal subject.

ARTS & CRAFTS
Get your child or teen in the holiday spirit by making snowflakes or
holiday decorations out of paper, cardboard or other materials. He or
she can also make a winter diorama or holiday village out of clay, wood
and/or paper mache. He or she will be incorporating math concepts like
geometry and symmetry while using their creativity. It’s also a good way
to get siblings and friends to work on something positive together.

THEATER
Gather friends and siblings to put on a holiday talent show or play.
It will use skills like memorization, reading, project management and
working with others. Plays can come from a favorite holiday story
or something they make up themselves.

GAMES
With family and friends gathering together, the holidays are a
perfect time to play everyone’s favorite games. Most games
incorporate plenty of reading, math and memorization skills,
and they’re a great way for everyone to join in on the fun.

© McNeil Pediatrics, Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc. 2007 November 2007 60CON07

Remember: This list is just a suggestion. I know you can come up with lots more ideas.

Tomorrow I’ll post the suggestions for teens.

Have a great day!
Brennan

Filed under: Main