If you incorporate learning into their daily routine, your child will be well prepared upon entering kindergarten. There are many ways to encourage learning outside of preschool. Great Beginnings, with locations in both Saint Charles and Cottleville, MO, offers summer day care to continue the learning experience even when school is not in session. Along with their programs, they share a few ways you can broaden your child’s mind when they aren’t at preschool.

A Summer Day Care’s Top 5 Tips to Help Your Child Learn Outside of Preschool

1. Read Together

One of the best things you can do for your child is foster a love of reading. Try to read together every day. When you run out of material, go to the public library and pick out some new stories to explore. Public libraries also have many programs for young readers throughout the year. Visit your local branch to find out their schedule.

2. Make Every Day a Learning Experience

Even the most mundane daily activities can become learning experiences. Count cars, identify colors, and point out words or letters when you’re running errands. Activities like baking and cooking rely on the basic principles of math and science. For a preschool-aged child, these activities are perfect to help them learn colors, fruits and vegetables, and numbers.

3. Take a Field Trip

Going to a nature center, a museum, or the zoo is a fantastic way to indulge your child’s curiosity. Many have learning materials and programs for different age groups, but simply exploring together is a fun way to encourage education. You may learn some new things, too!

4. Encourage Creativity & Problem Solving

Keep a box of construction paper, markers, and glue to whip out on rainy days. Children are immensely creative, and encouraging their self-expression will help them develop self-confidence, as well as fine motor skills for future tasks like writing. Solve puzzles and word games together, or keep a box of building blocks and Legos®. These kinds of activities build a variety of skills, like problem solving, reasoning, counting, and sharing.

5. Enroll Them in Summer Day Care

Your child’s education doesn’t pause when the school year ends. Learning is a lifelong endeavor, but it can be difficult to make sure your little one is spending their day productively while you’re at work. Signing your child up for summer day care gives them the opportunity to make friends and play in a supervised learning environment.

To sign your child up for summer day care at Great Beginnings, call (636) 724-5048 for their Saint Charles location or (636) 447-4212 for their Cottleville center. Visit their website for more information.