Winter Break: 4 Ways to Trick Kids Into Learning Over the Winter Holidays! by Kirstin Ahearn

Most school kids have a few weeks off at the end of December – a welcome break to enjoy the holidays without the worries of homework or exams. While this is a carefree time, you can still sneak in a little bit of learning with these easy tips:

• Challenge them to read an old-fashioned book. Perhaps one they received as a gift, or a classic you have around the house, or something recommended from the library. Good writers are also good readers, so when kids take in great books, they are (unwittingly) honing sentence structure and grammar skills.

• Let them do all the baking and even some cooking, which is math and chemistry in action.

• Ask them to be the family “historian” during the holidays by taking lots of candid photos, writing notes and memories, and creating a blog or photo memory book. They will learn organization, design and the value of “reporting” and concise writing.

• If you are traveling, have them create an A-Z list of all the things they see while in the car, on an airplane or on a train. When the list is complete, you can give them their earbuds back!