Welcome to the special 2020 edition of the Summer Challenge! After the bumpy end to the scholastic year, we are all looking forward to enjoy summer but we should still take all the necessary precautions to avoid any possible further spread of Covid-19. All of this year’s summer tasks can be easily done at home and we are sure that children (and parents) will love the exciting stuff we are proposing. The focus of the activities is on fun, but parents, please do not be fooled. Children will also be learning some valuable lessons but there is no need to tell them!
We encourage parents to take an active role in this Summer Challenge and support the children to accomplish the tasks. In some cases the children will need some help and guidance, but the whole point of the challenge is that the children engage in these activities and become accountable for their own learning.
Still not convinced? Listen to what students, parents and teachers had to say about the activity in previous years.
How it works…
All children will be provided with a new “Summer Tasks Sheet for 2020”. You can also find the tasks below, with ideas and links which will help the children to accomplish each one.
The children will need to document their work. They can either do so using a scrap book or else they can create a blog. A blog is recommended for older children (Year 5 and 6).
Scrap Book
The scrap book will serve as a diary and proof that the children have actually completed the task. Co-incidentally, it will also make for a beautiful keepsake which you and the children can cherish in the future. There are numerous educational benefits to scrap booking. Check out 2 interesting websites here and here.
It is up to the children how to decorate and present the tasks they complete in the scrap book. There are plenty of ideas online, particularly on Youtube. The important thing is that for ever task that is accomplished, they document this in the scrap book. They can stick photos, drawings, decorations, tickets, leaflets or they can write and draw directly in the scrap book. Here is one video that gives you an idea about scrap booking. Remember, it doesn’t need to be anything elaborate but of course make it worthwhile.
Have the children start by decorating the scrap book cover, not forgetting to include their name. Then stick the “Summer Tasks Sheet 2020” in the scrap book for easy reference.
As the children complete a task, they should “talk” about it in their scrap book, then cross it out from the sheet to indicate that it has been completed.
A Blog
Recommended for the older children taking the summer challenge, a blog is an online journal or diary. You may also think of it as an online scrap book. Check out this website to learn more.
If you decide to create a blog for your Summer Challenge, you will need to learn how to do so. Equally important are safety issues. Parents will need to actively discuss and monitor what the children are uploading on their blog. This is a good starting point. To learn how to create a blog, check this website. You may recognise this from one of the activities we set children while schools were closed.
Once the blog is in place, children should create a post documenting every task that the complete.
The Challenge
We are challenging the children to complete a different number of tasks depending on the year group as follows:
- Children starting Year 3 and Year 4 in September 2019 – 10 tasks
- Children starting Year 5 in September 2019 – 15 tasks
- Children starting Year 6 in September 2019 – 20 tasks
In Summary
- Get a scrap book or create a blog.
- Download the Summer Activity Challenge 2020 sheet.
- Choose a task and complete it.
- Add evidence about the activity in your scrap book or upload the evidence in your blog.
- Cross out the task that has been completed.
- Complete the number of tasks required.
- Make it look good!
In October 2020, children are to hand in the scrap book or a link to their blog to their teachers. Children who will have completed the challenge will receive a certificate and those children who manage to complete all activities will receive a special reward!
The Tasks
Here is the list of activities with some links and suggestions.
- Make a paper plate animal. Turn a paper plate into a fantastic animal. Take a look here for ideas.
- Send a letter. Yes, an old fashioned, pen and paper letter, to a friend or relative. Learn how to format a letter properly. Parents, please check this website for advice.
- Make a bird feeder. You can make a bird feeder with an empty toilet paper roll, some peanut butter and bird seeds. Check this video out. Try to get some pictures of birds eating from your bird feeder.
- Make a dream catcher. In Native American culture the dream catcher is a sacred symbol, a mother’s blessing to her children for peace and positive energy. The idea is that a dream catcher is hung above someone’s bed while they sleep, and during the night bad dreams get trapped in the web so they’re unable to reach the dreamer. You can read about the legend behind dream catchers here. Make your own dream catcher. Check out this website for some ideas.
- Bake bread. Bread comes in different shapes and sizes. Check out these kid friendly bread recipes and have fun baking your own loaf of bread.
- Make a raw egg bounce. Yes, you can! Check out how here.
- Learn about a famous artist. Here is a whole list to choose from!
- Make paper beads. Learn how to make paper beads here or here then make yourself a bracelet or necklace! Maybe make some for your friends and relatives too!
- Grow herbs. Mint? Basil? Parsley? Grow your own. Find out how here!
- Make as many words as you can using the letters in “quarantine”. Using the letters in “holidays” you can make up to 224 new words…
- Read for 15 minutes everyday for 10 consecutive days. Warning: this could become a habit!
- Make a salt painting. Find out how here and then let your imagination do the rest!
- Make a catapult. There are plenty of ways you can make one! Find out how here.
- Drop a raw egg from a height without breaking it. Search the internet for ideas.
- Start your family tree. A family tree shows the history of a family. Do you know that some family trees go back 1200 years? How far back can you trace your own family tree? You can find some family tree templates here or you could just make your own.
- Clean your closet. Simple! Just do it. And throw away all the stuff you don’t need.
- Complete a jigsaw puzzle. The jigsaw puzzle should have at least 100 pieces!
- Make a flip book. Here is how!
- Make a quarantine time capsule. A time capsule is a container that holds present day items. It is then hidden away for you to open in the future (10, 15, 20 years time). Create a time capsule with things from the time schools were closed. These can be things you made, or found… Seal the box, and put a date on it. Don’t open until that date!
- Make water walk! Find out how here.
- Learn about a different culture and make a meal to match it. Check this website for help.
- Fly a kite. Here is how you can make a very simple kite. Now try flying it!
- Make ice-cream. There are different ways in which you can do this. Check some ideas here.
- Make Oobleck. Oobleck? What’s that? Find out how here and have loads of fun!
- Play Scrabble until you score at least 150 points. If you do not have the game at home, make it yourself. You can find instructions here.
- Learn a magic trick. Here are some ideas!
- Make rice dance. Don’t know how? Check here!
- Create a bucket list. A bucket list is a list of things you want to do in your life. It is a collection of goals, dreams, aspirations… Write your bucket list and then start working to tick off every item on that list.
- Play marbles. Ask an adult to teach you how!
- Do the laundry. Learn how to use the washing machine and remember that once upon a time, clothes were washed by hand.