Helpful Tips for Keeping Young Minds Active During the Holiday Season

The holidays are a very busy time for everyone, which makes everyday routines difficult to keep up with. This includes spending time with your child on homework and reading. Focus tends to be shifted from books to bags of presents, and it’s not always easy to bring your child back to reality.

Sr. St. John Delany, PhD, Director of the Center for Literacy Enrichment in White Plains, NY, has been dealing with this phenomenon for decades. “Children see the first sign of Santa and their attention to academics goes right out the window,” she said. “It’s very important during the holidays to be involved in your child’s education and learning process. Whether it’s helping with homework or reading together, your interest in them really helps your child focus on their school work,” she continued. “There are several easy things you can do to keep their minds agile during those weeks off from school. The more fun and creative you make it, the more apt they will be to participate.”

So how do you inspire their imaginations? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Holiday Cards – Let your child help you write holiday cards. This will give them practice with vocabulary, handwriting, sentence structure, and attention to detail.

2. Car Games – Long car trips are an age old tradition during the holidays. Take this opportunity to play games with your children to stimulate their imaginations. Some suggestions: Categories, the Name Game, 20 Questions, the License Plate Game, and the List Story Game.

3. Clever Cooking – There are many things you can teach your child through recipes. Let them help you bake those cookies and holiday roast. Math, including fractions, addition, and subtraction, and vocabulary are both bolstered when you let your child read and manipulate recipes. Even something as simple as counting cookies when they are cooling is a great way to keep younger children engaged.

4. Personal Publications – Many children love to write – especially when they don’t have to. Invite your children to write stories, poems, comics, or anything they want. They can then illustrate it and make it into a book. You can even make copies for the family and use them as gifts.

5. Thank You Notes – Personal thank you notes are a great way to get your child writing over the holiday break. Plus, the recipients feel appreciated and recognized for the gift they gave.

6. Storytelling – Storytelling is a wonderful tradition to share with your family. Before bed, have your child tell you a story they make up about anything that comes into their imagination. If they have trouble thinking of a topic, you can always prompt them with an idea, such as the holidays or favorite memories. They could also give you a topic and you could amaze them with your own creative tales!

About The Center for Literacy Enrichment

Founded in 1972, The Center for Literacy Enrichment (www.thecenterforliteracy.com) offers a variety of programs for children and parents throughout the year, including homework help, one-on-one and group tutoring in literacy, math, science, and ELL, writing and reading workshops, special events, summer literacy camp, and much more. The Center for Literacy Enrichment is a division of the School of Education at Pace University, a private, comprehensive institution of higher education. Conveniently located at Pace University’s White Plains Campus, the Center for Literacy Enrichment is staffed by certified teachers.