How getting active can help kids beat the summer slide
Have you heard about the summer slide? It’s not a ride at the amusement park or some newfangled inflatable slide. In fact, the summer slide is not that fun at all.
It gets parents and caregivers panicking the moment the school year ends, and teachers waving a teary goodbye to all their hard work. The summer slide is the idea that kids “slide” backwards academically over the summer break. This phenomenon hit the headlines in the mid-1990s when a study showed that kids lose academic knowledge and academic skills over the summer months.
Since then, there have been more studies, plenty of debate, and even more pressure on parents to do everything they can to “stop the slide” or, better yet, “get ahead” with summer learning before school starts again. But before panicking and filling up your child’s summer with summer school, summer reading programs, or other academic programs, there’s another, often-overlooked strategy to beating the summer slide: being active.
Reading, writing, and even running (being active) are all important for children’s academic success, and physical literacy can positively impact academic success. Based on summer reading challenges, here’s how to help develop physical literacy and get active during summer break.
Reading, writing, and running (being active)
According to the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation, “building literacy skills in children is one of the most effective ways to ensure they can achieve their full potential in school and throughout life.” While there has been amazing progress in literacy worldwide—86% of the world’s population is literate compared to 68% in 1979—more than one million children in Canada are struggling to read and write. Reading skills are important, there’s no doubt, so it makes sense that parents support their children in developing these skills throughout the summer and year-round. But literacy goes beyond reading and writing—it also involves being active too.
The “reading and writing” of movement is called physical literacy, which encompasses the skills, confidence, and love of movement to be physically active for life. Just like reading and writing, developing physical literacy begins early on, in infancy, and develops throughout life. Physical literacy doesn’t magically happen when kids sit around. To develop physical literacy, children need plenty of time and opportunities to move. They need to run, skip, climb, kick, and jump! And just like reading and writing skills, physical literacy helps children thrive and succeed in life. In fact, children who have developed physical literacy are happier, healthier, and do better in school.
You might want to read: 10 ways raising a physically literate child is like raising a reader
Physical literacy and academic success
It might seem counterintuitive that physical literacy and academic success are related. After all, what does playing outside, kicking around a ball, or swimming lessons have to do with reading and writing? Apparently, quite a lot!
According to the World Health Organization, kids who spend time running, playing, and being physically active on a regular basis do better in school. They get better grades and score better on tests. They also have better concentration, memory, and mental health—all things that make learning easier and more enjoyable. In fact, through active play, children prepare themselves to be successful learners in school. So while it’s great to sign up kids for the library summer reading challenge (a highlight of our summer!) or to take part in extra academic programs to prevent summer learning loss, it’s just as important to make sure kids (ages five to 17) are active daily, playing, developing physical literacy, and limiting sitting time to less than two hours per day.
Beat the summer slide by sliding into an active summer
Luckily, summer is a perfect opportunity for children to be active and develop physical literacy. Not only is there more time, but the weather makes getting outside easier (barring heat waves and smoky skies—when that happens here are some indoor physical activities).
If you aren’t sure how to help your child develop their physical literacy, grab a page from your library’s summer reading club challenge or follow these steps below.
Download an activity tracker
Help your child keep track of their daily physical activity throughout the summer break by printing this fun activity tracker [PDF] and filling it in. This tracker was inspired by the summer reading challenge tracker at my local public library! Learn more about how to use the physical activity tracker in this article: Simple resources for keeping your kids active this summer + free printables.
Make an active goal
Summer reading challenges encourage kids to read daily (or be read to). Whether it’s one picture book, a chapter of a book, or a set amount of time each day, the point is make an achievable goal and stick with it. This works well for having an active summer too! Make an active goal with your children. How will they get physical activity each day? When and where will they be active? What kind of movement skill do they want to learn or work on?
Get inspired by fun ACTIVE-ities
Just like great books inspire kids to read, fun activities inspire kids to be active. Lucky for you, there is no shortage of ACTIVE-ity ideas here on Active for Life! Check out some of these lists with your child for some inspiration and make your own summer ACTIVE-ities must-do list.
- 100 summer boredom busters for kids + free printable
- 15 retro activities for a fun-filled summer
- A printable list of easy ideas for an active summer
Another way to get inspired is to try a new sport. Many sport clubs and recreation programs offer affordable summer camp opportunities for kids of all skill levels. This is a great way to try a new sport without a long-term commitment. My own kids have dipped their toes into tennis, soccer, swimming, gymnastics, and more this way. Plus, a multi-sport approach helps children’s movement skills and helps prevent overuse injuries.
Celebrate wins, successes, and skills gained!
Just like summer reading challenges, celebrate consistent efforts to be physically active and develop physical literacy. For example, after filling in seven days on the activity tracker, celebrate by enjoying a treat (my vote is homemade ice pops!) or after trying out a new sport, play that sport together as a family.
To beat the summer slide over your summer vacation, get kids active and moving on a daily basis. Whether it’s sports or simply free play at the park, regular physical activity will help them thrive and be prepared for when it’s back to school time again in September.
