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- Buddy Project
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Forget about the lazy days of summer and take this summer head-on with a plan for fun. As a family, sit down at the computer and make a checklist of all the places you'd like to go and activities you would like to do during the summer. What places would you like to explore? What kinds of games would you like to play? Is there a special book you want to make sure you read or an art project to complete? You may even want to contact local libraries, parks and museums for a schedule of their special events. Write all the ideas down on your list. Be sure to capitalize all the proper nouns (names of special places and the people involved) and check for correct spelling. Once your list is complete add some "summer-themed" clip art and print out your page. Place the checklist on your refrigerator or bulletin board and be sure to check it often. You might even get out your calendar each week and plan what items you want to check off! You'll be surprised at how quickly summer flies by when you're having fun!
Help your child sharpen their math skills while you go on family trips. You can use even short trips around town. For example, at the gas station, ask your child how much gas you needed and the cost per gallon. On the highway, ask your children to read the signs and check the different speed limits. Then ask them to watch the speedometer readings and notice how fast or slow the car is going. Have your children estimate distances between cities and check the estimates on a road map. Use a spreadsheet to track the miles from destination point to destination point.
Summer is the perfect time to sit back, relax and read a book! It is also fun and a great way to improve your reading skills at the same time. Looking for a good book to read? Why not check out Indiana's Department of Education 2007 Summer Reading List at the link listed below. Find your grade level and search for a book that sounds interesting to you. Check it out at your local library or bookstore. 
Use some of your time this summer to go on a scavenger hunt by using your five senses. Begin by brainstorming a list of attributes of items that your family and friends might find this summer that would be "discovered" and/or enjoyed by using one or more of the five senses (ie. Something loud, fuzzy, pointy, smooth, good smelling, would crunch if you ate it, pretty, ugly, rough, soft, dull, etc.) Type up your list of attributes in a word processor or spreadsheet, providing a box to check off when you find the item and a space next to it to write in the name of what you found to match the characteristic. Print off your list on a 9 x 12 envelope or on a separate paper to tape to the envelope. Now the hunt can begin! As you find objects that match your sensory list and that willfit in the envelope, place them inside then check off the attribute. Note the name or details about each object found next to the attribute you checked. At At summer's end, share your findings by pulling out one object at a time and see if others can tell what sensory detail it best fits.
Summer is a wonderful time to gather up all those items that you no longer use or need and put them in a garage sale. Here are some great ways that your computer can help you do a top rate job. 
Work on your vocabulary this summer by creating a list centering around the theme of summer for each letter of the alphabet. In a word prcessor first put your title: "The ABC's of Summer" and center it on the page. Next, down the left side of the page write each letter of the alphabet, (hit the return key after you type each letter). Now go back and try to come up with a word that begins with each letter that has to do with summer. If you are having a hard time coming up with words you may want to pull out your dictionary or look through some summer month magazines to jog your memory.