It’s getting festive here at The Independent Education Consultants, we certainly are feeling the chill in the air, enjoying watching all of the Christmas trees and decorations going up across all of the best British boarding schools and looking forward to a well-needed break and a fresh start in the new year when 2023 comes around.
The challenge when it comes to the holidays is encouraging your child(ren) to continue learning.
As we all do, children need a break from education too, they need to relax and enjoy family time and they will probably also feel the need to blow off steam. But how can we keep the academics flowing during the festive season when your child(ren) returns home from their fantastic boarding school?
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Catching up:
Your child is going to be beyond excited to come home and tell you about all the exciting things they got up to during the winter term at boarding school, from the exciting trips out to spending time with their friends, the competitions they’ve entered and won, exams that went really well (even the ones that didn’t), and everything they’ve learned in and out the classroom. This reflection shows they’re really enjoying it. Try to keep the conversation flowing and question their knowledge of each topic they bring up. Don’t test them, just showing your interest will let them bask in the knowledge without realising they’re basically revising.
Fun educational games:
The best way to spend time with your family is by playing some fun games over the festive period, so why not make them a little educational? There is a list of games that will get the cogs turning in your child(ren)’s and the rest of the family’s brain!
General knowledge quiz
Pictionary
Snap
Card Games
Memory games
Charades
Each game has a different way of enriching everyone’s brain while having lots of fun while the whole family is together for Christmas.
Get creative:
Learning doesn’t have to be all academic, your child(ren) can use their strategic thinking to create crafts at Christmas which will also make great gifts for friends and family, even teachers! The list below gives ideas of fun crafts to try with your family.
Make Christmas cards
Decorate baubles
Decorating the Christmas tree and house (use symmetry in this activity to make it slightly more academic)
Baking
Create your own Christmas crackers
Wreath making.
There are loads more you can try by googling “Christmas crafts for children”. By doing this your child will be able to express their creativity, use academic thinking without realising it and build their communication and teamworking skills.
Maybe there is a big interview coming up in the new year that they need to practice for. Visit this link to find out what guidance and support we can provide for tackling school interviews.
English/Literacy-related activities:
Help your child to write out a letter to Santa, or if they’re a little older ask them to write thank you notes or a letter to a friend or family member. Your child can help with writing out Christmas cards to family and friends and learn how to properly address each one.
Maths/Numeracy-related activities:
There are numerous activities that can include simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, but why not try working with fractions around food or learn how to count money when buying Christmas presents on a budget?
History-related activities:
As we all know Christmas isn’t just about presents, so why not have a little history lesson with your child(ren) and help them to learn about the history of Christmas? They may even be interested to learn how other countries celebrate around this time of year too!
Geography-related activities:
This activity will definitely get your child(ren) excited for Christmas… Teach your child the countries and continents of the world by talking about where Santa visits every Christmas when he’s delivering presents. If your child(ren) is a little older, turn it into a game to see how many continents and countries they can remember.
We definitely don’t think that your family will be bored this festive season, that’s for sure! We also know that Christmas is a time when parents may see signs or begin to think about the current educational environment their child is in right now, whether it suits them and will help them to thrive as they grow and learn.
If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s education, please contact us to find out how we can support you.