VTech Canada | Jeux et Jouets Educatifs pour enfants, console de jeu educative, jouets d'eveil

School vacations give families a nice break from their hectic routine. But, like any time off from learning, winter break allows time for school-aged children to lose some of their recently-acquired knowledge. Parents can help your children stay intellectually engaged by planning fun, but mentally stimulating activities during the winter break. Here are a few suggestions that are not only good for your child’s mind but are great bonding activities for the whole family:

Read by the fire (or any other cozy spot). Reading is always the best way to enhance your child’s intellectual growth. Simply put, reading makes us smarter. For young children this is easy; colorful, attractive picture books (both hardcopy and digital) are widely appealing, especially if you’ve established a habit of bedtime reading together. For older children, the great news is that that the selection of chapter books and young adult reading just keeps getting better. If your child is a reluctant reader, try going back to bedtime stories together. Once your child is hooked on a great book, s/he will look for any opportunity to finish it during holiday downtime and travel.

Try other cozy, non-video activities. If the family has a favorite place to gather away from the TV, encourage everyone to join in on a group jigsaw puzzle or even crossword puzzle. One person can call out: “I need a six letter word for a small yellow bird that ends in ‘y’,” to keep everyone in the game. Or, bring out a favorite card game or board game like Monopoly or Scrabble. If you go for the jigsaw puzzle (a seasonal favorite in my family), pick one with only 500 or so pieces to keep it fun and manageable.

Plan family outings. Is there a choral concert in your neighborhood or a great museum you’ve been meaning to visit? Winter break is a perfect chance to take advantage of cultural opportunities in the arts, music, theater, history, and science. What kid doesn’t love to visit the planetarium or natural history museum? There are tons of learning opportunities in any of these outings and nobody has to take a test! Many museums offer discounted memberships for families that can end up saving money over the regular ticket price, even if you go only once a year.

Don’t forget to exercise. If there’s one thing that research has found is good for our brains—young and old—it is solid, vigorous exercise. Try skating or snowshoeing if you live in a cold area. Or, try hiking or playing a family soccer game if you live in a warmer climate. Not only is it good for your brains, it can’t hurt to counteract over-indulgent holiday eating.