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Kids have nothing but free time in the summer, and parents need playful ways to engage their kids. Much like sneaking vegetables into a child's diet, caregivers want to offer educational games and activities that are also fun. Fortunately, the highly qualified daycare teachers at Imagination Childcare Academy have plenty of experience in this area.

Your kids won't suspect the hidden educational objectives in these 10 awesome summer vacation diversions:

  1. Cook with your kids! Cooking is one of the simplest ways to spend time with your child, while also teaching them valuable skills. Making a meal together teaches little ones how to follow instructions, measuring, planning, nutrition, and more, thus building their knowledge in mathematics, chemistry, life sciences, and health.
  2. Give origami a try! This fun activity helps kids work on following directions and building attention and patience, not to mention the basic geometrical concepts involved in this intricate process. You can also talk about the history of paper folding and other aspects of Japanese culture.
  3. Have a photo scavenger hunt! This game can be a simple or complex as you want. Make a list of objects, places, or even outdoor flora and fauna, and have you kids take one snapshot for each. For older kids, boost critical thinking skills with riddles or clues with more than one right answer, like, "Something green and smelly."
  4. Make fun musical instruments! Office supplies and the recycling bin are great materials for building new music-making inventions. Form a band and compose an original song.
  5. Turn a favorite book into a performance! Take that favorite bedtime story and write a play or musical for kids to perform. Let your child try on different hats—from writer to actor to costume designer to director—and have friends join in the fun.
  6. Make a book from one piece of paper! Check out this awesome video on how to make a mini-book from one sheet of 8x11 paper. Write a story and design the cover and illustrate as you go. 
  7. Plan a day trip! Include your kids in planning a fun family outing. Give them a budget and a list of options. Older kids can use a tablet computer to research destinations while young ones make a list of what to bring along.
  8. Decorate the ceiling with constellations! Search for favorite star patterns at night time with your child. Then choose which ones to replicate on their bedroom ceiling. Use glow in the dark paint and remember to label each.
  9. Garden together! Get kids outside and teach them about anything from photosynthesis to crop rotation. Have kids pick a recipe that includes veggies from your garden. Studies have shown that when kids grow and prepare their own food, they are more likely to eat those vegetables.
  10. Experiment with paper airplanes! First, make three to five different paper airplanes. Then, figure out which can fly the furthest by measuring the distance of five throws and taking the average.

While some of these are special activities, many are things parents already do around the house. Anything can be a learning experience if you include your child in the process. These kinds of games enjoyed at Imagination Childcare Academy where kids learn throughout the day. Discover more about this daycare center's top-notch preschool program by visiting them online and by calling (585) 413-3948.

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