Four Fun Ways to Get Ready for a New School Year

Believe it or not, the summer months are already coming to an end and school is right around the corner. To help make this school year the best one yet, check out four activities that can help your child build excitement and enthusiasm for learning.

1. Build the Perfect Homework Space

Though children might wish it wasn’t the case, homework is a necessary part of their learning. One way to relieve some of the anxiety that can accompany homework is to help your child construct a designated homework station that will boost their productivity as well as their mood as they complete their work. Check out this blog for some tips and tricks on everything from selecting the right location to gathering supplies. 

2. Bring Some Personality to Back-to-School Shopping

While there will be several mandatory back-to-school items on your child’s shopping list, when possible, it’s important for them to have a sense of agency in selecting school supplies that interest them — from lunch boxes featuring a favorite character to new clothes that express their unique style. Allowing kids the freedom to pick out some items on their own will help them feel both better prepared and more excited about the upcoming school year.

3. Dive Into Hands-on Activities

With our free hands-on activities that make STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) topics fun and approachable, kids will realize that STEM learning can be active and imaginative. For even more engaging experiences that make learning fun, check out our Innovation Exploration Kits^™, designed especially for kids with big imaginations! Summer excitement doesn’t have to stop when the summer ends, and children can also enjoy these activities and kits throughout the school year.

4. Read an Awesome STEM Book

For kids who are not naturally interested in STEM, these subjects can sometimes be intimidating. Reading books that demystify and explore STEM themes in exciting ways is a great way to help children overcome the apprehension they might experience ahead of the school year. To help you get started, here are just a few of our favorites:

• “The Most Magnificent Thing” by Ashley Spires
  This story focuses on a young girl who has the wonderful idea of making “the most magnificent thing!” Things don’t go according to plan at first and she gets discouraged, but after taking a walk with her dog, she returns to her project with a renewed sense of enthusiasm to complete her invention. With an inspiring message that encourages children to never give up, this story tells readers that with hard work and perseverance, they can accomplish greatness.
   
• “Full Steam Ahead” by Paul Reynolds 
  Sydney and Simon are two mice twins who want to enter their flowers in a neighborhood flower show, but their flowers are wilting due to the city heat. Fortunately, the mice are creative. Using the power of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics), they explore different ways to solve their problem. Packed with bright illustrations, this book teaches kids that inspiration can come from many different places.
   
• “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Young Readers Edition” by William Kamkwamba
  When a severe drought struck William Kamkwamba’s village in Malawi, Africa, his family lost their crop, placing them in a precarious situation. Looking for a solution, he traveled to his village library. After reading some science books, he came up with the idea to build a windmill out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts. This windmill was able to bring electricity to his family’s home and pump water to their fields to regrow their fields. This true story is an inspiration for students young and old and was recently adapted into a Netflix film children can enjoy after they finish the book.

For even more STEM book recommendations, please visit our website.

Check Out Our Blog

Stay tuned to our blog for more ideas on getting into the back-to-school spirit!