How to Avoid the Summer STEM Slide

If you’re a parent, chances are you’ve heard of the summer slide. It’s what happens when children regress academically over the summer. It can happen in every subject, but educators mainly focus on regression in math and reading.

Many times, it’s just a case of them not being exposed to the subjects enough over the summer, so they lose steam and tend to forget some of the lessons they’ve learned throughout the school year. But, there are simple things you can do to help them avoid the summer slide, especially when it comes to STEM subjects.

Keep the lines of communication open. One big part of STEM education is curiosity. Encourage your children to ask questions and to be inquisitive about the things around them. This will keep their wheels turning all summer long.

Let them create things. Just because they’re not in school doesn’t mean they can’t let their creative juices flow. Take simple things around the house, even pool noodles to create new projects. The sky’s the limit! Let them create whatever comes to mind. You don’t need to spend a lot of money. There are plenty of simple items around the house that can be used to create just about anything they can imagine.

Turn amusement park trips into STEM lessons. How do those amusement park rides work? There is a lot of engineering that goes into them. Let your child take a look during your trip to the amusement park before they go on their favorite ride. They’ll be surprised to see all that goes into making just one ride. Who knows, they may create an amusement park ride when they get older.

Look for opportunities to meet engineers and scientists. Explore any nearby universities or companies that may have engineers and scientists on hand who they can visit. Many places are very open to showing off their work and encouraging the next wave of engineers and scientists.

One big way to avoid the summer STEM slide is to get your child involved in a summer STEM program, like the camp programs offered at MakerKids. Kids can keep their minds sharp with programs in coding, robotics, and Minecraft. Call 1-844-MAKERKIDS today to find out more about summer programs to avoid the summer slide. Once your child attends just one MakerKids class, they’ll be asking to come back for more!