Once school is out, parents are sometimes at a loss for how to keep their kids busy over their break. If you’re looking for summer activities for kids in Pembroke Pines, there are several smart strategies available.

Day Camp

For children and parents who aren’t interested in an away camp, summer day camp offers an excellent solution. Day camp keeps your child busy, active, social, and having fun over their break from school while providing adult supervision.

Athletics

If given the choice, many kids will spend the summer sleeping in every morning and sitting in front of the TV or game console throughout the day. If you’re worried about your children becoming sedentary over the summer, an easy prevention strategy is to sign them up for a sport of their choice. Swimming lessons are fun, educational, and fitting for summer. Martial arts classes inspire discipline and teach self-defense, and basketball and baseball are always popular choices that encourage competition and teamwork.

Outdoor Activities

Summer is the ideal time for getting outdoors and experiencing nature. If you garden, try getting your children involved as well. Giving them a small plot to cultivate will provide a great sense of accomplishment once the seeds that they plant begin to grow. Camping is a popular summer activity for people of all ages. Plan ahead to schedule a weekend or two for your family to go camping together which will get your kids out into nature where they can explore and have fun. For busy families, day trips to the woods and hiking adventures are an easy way to spend time together and stay active while enjoying the summer weather.

Reading Programs

Studies have shown that kids who read over the summer do better in school the following semester. Some teachers believe that when kids keep their minds active over the summer, that they can more easily return to their regular studies. Contact your local library to learn if they offer summer reading programs for children.

If you’re a parent hoping to give your child a jumpstart in kindergarten by enhancing her pre-math, pre-reading, social, and language skills, pre-kindergarten programs in Pembroke Pines are an excellent option. If you’re planning to enroll your child in a pre-kindergarten program, there are a few good things to know to plan for pre-k.

Find the right program.

Before choosing a pre-k program, there are a few essential features to look for during your search. Ask the school if you can schedule an appointment. This will give you a chance to speak with the teachers, ask questions, and see classes in progress. Look for classrooms where children are safe, active, and not wandering off by themselves. Your child should be in an environment where she is happy and not bored or distressed. Select a program where class sizes do not exceed 20 children, and that have at least 1 teacher for every 10 children. If your child is uncomfortable in larger groups, look for programs offering smaller classes of about 10 students.

Find the right teachers.

The staff should be caring, sensitive, and responsive to the needs and requests of the children. Ask about the program’s curriculum, and find out how it promotes language, social, physical-motor, and cognition development for the students. The pre-k program’s teachers should hold 4-year college degrees and have specialized training in child development and early childhood education. Assistant teachers should have some training or college course work in child development or a discipline related to pre-kindergarten.

Prepare your child.

Before heading to pre-k, ready your child with a few skills that will help her flourish at her new program. At this age, children should be able to dress themselves. Take the time to teach your child how to tie her shoes, button a shirt, dress herself in a jacket and mittens, and put on her backpack. To prepare her for learning to write in school, teach her how to properly grip a pencil and show her how to draw circles, half circles, and straight lines.

Voluntary Pre-K, also known as VPK, is a program children can be enrolled into before they enter kindergarten. Though it is a voluntary program, VPK in Pembroke Pines is an essential addition to children’s education . It helps prepare them for academic life, and it gives them a leg up in making friends. VPK is not all fun and games, though. Here are some facts about Voluntary Pre-K:

• VPK is typically held for a few hours in the morning. There are additional programs that offer more hours for the parents that work full-time.
• Children are exposed to the building blocks of various academic subjects. They will learn the alphabet, as well as the sounds of each letter. They will learn numbers 1-100, and the basics of pre-math.
• VPK is an opportunity for children to learn social skills before entering kindergarten. They will learn good manners, proper behaviors, and how best to act while in school while building their own unique identities.
• There is a program available during the summer months before kindergarten begins. This program is designed for children who were not initially involved in a VPK program the previous spring.