Can you believe that it’s already Memorial Day? The last day of school will be here before we know it!
With Wednesday, June 4, just around the corner (and likely marked on many parents’ and students’ calendars), it’s likely that Downey Unified families are already making summer plans. While vacations and relaxation are important for everyone to recharge and feel refreshed, it’s also beneficial for students to make sure that they keep their minds working while away on summer break.
There are plenty of ways for kids and teens to remain sharp throughout the summer while still enjoying their time off from school so that they’re prepared and ready to go when they return in August.
Reading
Books are powerful tools that help students keep their minds engaged in compelling stories as they are exposed to new ideas, different perspectives, and diverse cultures. Reading books that challenge students to think in different ways helps them broaden their own viewpoints, which can result in the ability to show more empathy). For added enjoyment, encourage students to read outside on nice days.
Playing Scrabble (or other games)
Because of the nature of the game, Scrabble allows students to build upon their vocabularies, improve their spelling abilities, apply math skills, and enhance their memories. Other games that also create opportunities for keeping students’ minds sharp while taking part in some old-fashioned fun include Trivial Pursuit, Yahtzee, Scattergories, Boggle, Monopoly, and many more.
Completing crossword and sudoku puzzles
Reading and understanding clues and using them to solve crossword puzzles is highly beneficial for students and creates a fun and entertaining way to keep them actively involved in an activity. Additionally, crossword puzzles can improve vocabulary and spelling skills, and help students effectively retain what they learn with each new puzzle.
Similarly, sudoku puzzles help students exercise their brains in a variety of ways. Not only do they force students to think critically and creatively, but they also improve memory and math skills, build focus and concentration, help students pay attention to details, and apply logic and reason to reach solutions.
Exercising
Exercise not only provides significant physical health benefits but also creates positive outcomes for students’ minds. According to Harvard Health, exercise improves memory, thinking, and mood, and reduces stress and anxiety. There are plenty of ways for students to engage in fun exercise activities, such as playing sports outside with friends, participating in local athletic summer camps, going on walks, riding their bikes, and swimming.
Volunteering
Volunteering helps students keep their minds sharp by learning about how their local communities work and what issues are present within them, all while helping them realize that there are many people in the world with different circumstances from their own. At the same time, it allows them to help create a better society while connecting with diverse groups of individuals, spanning different ages, cultures, education levels, backgrounds, and more. Volunteering also creates opportunities for families to have conversations with their students about how, no matter what a person’s financial status is, that individual can always give his or her time and volunteer.
We hope that you and your family enjoy your summer break, and we look forward to seeing all of our students again for the next school year. Remember, the first day of the 2025-26 school year is Wednesday, August 13th! For more information regarding the district calendar, please visit the DUSD website.
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