Skip to main content

Slide into Summer

Meagan Waite, Assistant Director - My Discovery Destination!

I LOVE summer. I love it when the sun comes up early and wakes me. I love flip flops and shorts. I like to be warm (not hot, but warm). I like warm evenings where I can sit outside and talk with friends and family.  I do not care for mosquitos (although they LOVE me), but that is what Avon’s Skin So Soft is for. This time of year, the summer, is when I thrive. 

Unfortunately, summer can have the opposite effect on school-age children. Two months of reading skills–and if reading skills slip then everything slips–and more than two and a half months of math skills can be lost over the 12-weeks between the end of one school year and the beginning of another. It takes teachers about six weeks to play catchup in the fall. This phenomenon is somewhat-affectionately called the “summer slide,” or summer learning loss. Additionally, there’s the risk of early childhood death during the extended school break–you know it’s imminent when your children say things like, “I’m so bored I’m going to DIE!” The onset of this fatal disease typically occurs in week two of summer vacation. What is a parent to do?

My Discovery Destination! and the Discovery Family Coalition have the antidote for summer doldrums, and it’s called the Summer Passport Program. 

There are well over 100 fun, flexible, FREE Adventures that families can do on their own time. The Adventures have the added benefit of keeping kids' bodies active and minds engaged. 

Did I mention they are FREE?

They are FREE to families because of generous grants from the Bear River Health Department, the Central Utah Public Health Department, and the Davis County Health Department. And completing the Summer Passport Program Adventures comes with REWARDS. Families can earn FREE, fun experiences from multiple Family Reward Event Partners from the grant areas, but the biggest rewards are the benefits that come to your family because you are spending time together.

Give your kids a better “shot” at healthy minds and bodies during June, July and August. You cannot hold back the changing of the season. Summer is coming. But, you can avoid the potential retrogression that can accompany it–the Summer Passport Program is the cure. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Oh, The Places You'll Go...

  by Meagan Waite, Assistant Director - My Discovery Destination! Dr. Seuss, the beloved children’s author, wrote “Green Eggs and Ham” on a bet. The co-founder of Random House Publishing, Mr. Bennett Cerf, wagered that Seuss couldn’t write a book that had fewer than 50 unique words. Seuss won 50 bucks, and we have a piece of literary art with which one cannot help but rhyme along.  If you haven’t read it, you should. It can get you thinking about the relationship between what you believe and what you experience. It can encourage you to think outside the box (no would-nots, could-nots for you!) and try new things. It can give you courage to show resilience in the face of challenges, opposition, and adversity. Yes, reading can do that for you. March is National Reading Month. It has been designated as such in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, March 2. My Discovery Destination! is celebrating. How? With a Discovery Hunt, of course! In fact, we bet YOU that you are going to love this ...
2 comments
Read more

#FinancialFriday: When Teaching Kids Financial Literacy, Start With EXAMPLE

  Leading by Example: Teaching Kids Financial Literacy Through Real-Life Actions As parents and guardians, we play a profound role in shaping our children's understanding of the world. While imparting academic knowledge is crucial, teaching practical life skills like financial literacy is equally vital. One of the most effective ways to instill financial wisdom in young minds is by leading through example. By showcasing responsible financial behavior and involving children in everyday financial decisions, we can empower them with valuable skills that will last a lifetime. The Power of Modeling Children are keen observers, absorbing information from their surroundings like sponges. This makes modeling positive financial behavior a powerful teaching tool. When kids see responsible financial habits in action, they're more likely to internalize these behaviors and adopt them as their own. Here are some ideas of ways to use the power of example to help your kids develop healthy fina...
Post a Comment
Read more

TLDR

  Meagan Piantanida - My Discovery Destination! This will not come as a shock to most of you, but we are living in a world of instant gratification. We want what we want, and we want it five minutes ago: food, entertainment, and even a cure for the sniffles. Then there are answers to any of the questions we have. We want our information NOW.  Because information is available at our fingertips–literally, because not a single one of us ever puts down our mini-computer, also known as a phone–the answer to any query we have is utterly, completely, and directly in our hands.  While having the world available at the touch of a screen is an awesome thing, this age of cyberspace resources has created a planet full of some very impatient people. We have SO MUCH data right in front of us that many of us experience information overload. Does this sound familiar to you? You enable the recorder on your phone, ask Google or Siri a question, click on one of the provided links, pull up s...
Post a Comment
Read more