Winter Break Refreshes the Mind, Body, and Spirit of Students

Winter break is a time that aids in refreshing the mind, the body, and the spirit of students. Students that are refreshed are found to experience higher levels of success in school.

If you are reading this, your child has already endured the most challenging aspects of the school year – starting school, adjusting to a new teacher or teachers, becoming familiar with their new classmates, reviewing material previously learned, being exposed to new academic material, bonding with new friends, and receiving – at least – one to two report cards and probably several progress reports.

Now that winter break has arrived, they have visited with friends and family members, enjoyed the festivities of the holidays, and are excited – as so many adults – to ring in the New Year. A new year means new experiences, new lessons, new activities, and a fresh new start.

Here you will be introduced to several strategies that can be engaged in to help refresh your child’s mind, body, and spirit for the return to school after winter break.

Maintain a Schedule

While the shorter days, colder temperatures, and the lack of commitment during winter break may have parents and kids looking forward to sleeping in and lazy days, educators and child developmental specialists encourage parents to ensure that the family maintains their regular schedule while the kids are out of school for the holidays. Not only do routines aid in providing children with a sense of security and helps them develop a strong sense of self-discipline, it ensures optimal physiological and psychological health.

If you are seeking to maximize the benefits associated with the break from school, maintaining a set schedule should be your top priority.

Encourage Real-World Learning

Ask any child what they want to learn over winter break, and they are sure to respond with “nothing”. This is because they associate learning with the classroom environment. Their minds need a break from the stereotypical learning environment; however, learning should never cease.

In order to make the most of winter break, you should provide your child with real-world learning opportunities. To teach the joy of giving and to increase empathy towards others, you may encourage them to volunteer in a homeless shelter or a local soup kitchen.

To reinforce math skills, you may encourage them to cook a casserole or a special dessert for an elderly neighbor.

To practice sorting and organizing skills, you may have them build snowmen in the front yard, have them help with household chores – such as laundry -, or, even have them assist you on a shopping trip.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to real-world learning over holiday break.

Encourage Creativity

Winter break is an ideal time to encourage creativity. You may have your child paint pictures or color when it is too cold to spend a lot of time outdoors, have them help you pick items from your home that are no longer in use to donate to charity, have them build snow creatures/characters on the front lawn, or simply get them involved in a creative hobby – such as paint by numbers, sketching, or knitting.

Creativity allows the brain to develop critical thinking skills, sharpen focus, improve memory retention, and helps improve perception skills. For more information on improving the mind, body, and spirit of your child, visit our blog today at: https://miraclemathcoaching.com/blog/

Resources:
http://www.learningstationmusic.com/blog/2013/01/16/brain-breaks-regenerate-refresh-and-refocus/
https://magoosh.com/hs/college-admissions/college-preparation/2015/how-to-make-the-most-of-winter-break/
http://time.com/4233255/real-world-skills/