by: Deborah Sharp Libby, Ph.D.

The end of summer always seems to sneak up on us, and before we know it, the first day of school is right around the corner. To create a smooth transition from summer time to school time, try out some engaging, educational activities that help your little learner kick-start another great academic year. It’s simple – take quality time out of your preparation schedule each and every day to play, laugh and learn.

Back to School Countdown – Start your family’s official back-to-school countdown two to three weeks before the big day. Have your child mark the days off the calendar and count aloud how many days are left until the first day of school. You can also set aside specific days for outings to pick up school supplies or visit your child’s new classroom and meet their teacher. These fun activities serve as an exciting way to review and recite the days of the week, become re-acquainted with numbers and familiarize your child with reading the calendar.

Read, Read & Read Some More – Sharing stories is one of the most important educational traditions you can have with your child. To shape and encourage positive attitudes toward reading, visit your local library or introduce your child to VTech’s latest reading buddy, the award-winning Bugsby the Bookworm. The Bugsby Reading System offers kids many rewarding reading experiences and includes titles from children’s favorite characters such as Dora the Explorer, Max and Ruby, Scooby Doo, and Wonder Pets. Children can join the tale exploration as Bugsby reads adventurous stories with fluency and expression. Along the way, Bugsby offers fun learning games, focusing on important early reading concepts like letter and word recognition, phonics, rhyming and vocabulary.

Rise & Shine – Rest is an important part of a hectic routine, especially if children are expected to do their best in the classroom. To ease your kids back into their school routine, skip the summer sleep schedule and set both wake up and bed times. Then, help your children’s self-esteem shine through encouraging independence – ask them to pick out their outfit and get dressed once they hop out of bed, all on their own. Each of these exercises can help your child build positive habits and make a smooth transition into the school year.

Family Play Time – Kids love using their imagination – it’s what they do best! A great way to encourage imaginative learning and introduce them to real-life situations is to play “school” or “office.” Start by getting out your chalk or dry erase board, school and office supplies, stationery and old business forms. Take turns pretending to be the teacher or the boss while reviewing letters of the alphabet, numbers, spelling and basic math facts. Plus, you can help your child feel like a top-notch student or first class executive with VTech’s Nitro Web Notebook. Filled with over 70 fun learning games, Nitro Web Notebook reinforces many early grade school concepts, such as language arts, math, science, creativity, logic and Spanish. Nitro Web’s curriculum can be constantly refreshed with connection to PlanetVtech.com, promising never-ending fun and learning. Just designate time for imaginative play, and kids will be more than ready to rejuvenate their important school skill set.

Enjoy the end of your summer!