Summertime - kids’ favorite time of the year. (OK, it might be teachers’ favorite time, too.) There are endless opportunities for fun, from swimming in a backyard or community pool, attending day camps, going on family vacations, taking camping (or for some of us “glamping”) trips, enjoying fairs and carnivals, to bike riding on trails and more.

For many teachers, it’s a rest they desperately need. For kids, it’s seen as a time for freedom and playing. But all that free time, sometimes not filled with active learning, can lead to the summer slide.

According to scholastic.com, “The concept of the summer slide has been on researchers’ radar since at least 1996, when one of the first comprehensive studies on the phenomenon was published. The study showed kids lose significant knowledge in reading and math over summer break, which tends to have a snowball effect as they experience subsequent skill loss each year. A more recent study of children in third to fifth grades also showed that students lost, on average, about 20% of their school year gains in reading and 27% of their school year gains in math during summer break.”

In the Scholastic article, it also states younger children are more at risk “because they’re at a crucial stage in their development. Things like decoding, letter knowledge and word reading skills are very susceptible to decay without frequent practice, as are math facts like addition and subtraction.”

What can you do to help? Scholastic lists the following suggestions for optimal success.

“Let kids read what they want.” Greater learning may occur if they are enjoying the subject.

“Make time for smart play.” Games and puzzles, with reading or math involved, are two great resources to incorporate fun and learning at the same time.

“Get out of the house.” Learn about history book lessons in a “real-world setting.” One way to achieve this is by visiting one or more of the participating sites with Lehigh Valley Passport to History, taking place weekends this month.

“Use your imagination.” “Kids who use their imagination are also expanding their vocabularies and experimenting with new concepts.”

In case you’re a parent, grandparent, guardian or caregiver who wants to avoid the summer slide as much as possible, below are a few local activities to partake in. Note: These programs have already started and may have ended registration. Keep in mind for next summer if slots are filled.

Kids can get physically active and crafty with Camp Whitehall, hosted at two township parks for Whitehall and Coplay residents, and the Crafts and Laughs program, located at North Catasauqua William J. Albert Memorial Park.

PBS39’s Summer Series program offers kids the chance to engage in music/movement and STEM events Tuesdays and Thursdays in Bethlehem. Specific COVID-19-related requirements must be met to attend.

Do you have an animal lover? Lehigh Valley Zoo’s summer camps, with titles such as Polar Explorations and Jungle Journeys for 2022, are for you. The zoo is located in Schnecksville.

Your child can discover the mysteries of science with Da Vinci Science Center’s weeklong and single-day camps in Allentown. My son has attended one single-day camp and will return for another. He was sad to leave at the end of day!

Some places that may have continuous registration throughout the summer are library programs. In addition to submitting minutes read to libraries, many of which have prizes available to be won, libraries also have events scheduled. The theme this year for the summer reading program is “Oceans of Possibilities.”

Library events coming up include story time, for all ages, 11 a.m. July 7 at Coplay Public Library; Hands on History: Planes and Trains, for all ages, 1 p.m. July 14 with Bethlehem Area Public Library at National Museum of Industrial History; Lego building, for ages 6-14, 1 p.m. July 18 at Southern Lehigh Public Library; virtual shark presentation, for grades 2-5, 2 p.m. July 19 at Parkland Community Library; STEAM Craft Club, for grades 3-5, 6 p.m. July 21 at Northampton Area Public Library; lesson on what fish need to survive, for older children, 3 p.m. July 21 at Public Library of Catasauqua; story time and vision screening, 11 a.m. July 28 at Whitehall Township Public Library; science and art project, for ages 4 and older, 2:30 p.m. Aug. 1 at Allentown Public Library; Mindful Moments, for grades 6-12, 2 p.m. Aug. 4 at Lower Macungie Library; and mapmaking, for teens, 1 p.m. Aug. 15 at Emmaus Public Library.

Summer break will continue to the end of August. There is still plenty of time to take advantage of what’s out there to maximize your child’s academic learning and success. Avoid the summer slide, so your kid can climb higher.

Stacey Koch

editorial assistant

Whitehall-Coplay Press

Northampton Press

Catasauqua Press