Teachers can attest to the “learning loss” that occurs over a three-month long summer break. Children come back to school out of the habit of reading and need weeks of reviewing old material to bring them back up to speed.

Here are some ideas to ward off the mantra that usually starts mid-summer: “I’m bo-red!” Plus, these games require creativity, imagination and reading skills, but your kids won’t realize it. These ideas are courtesy of author Dr. Claire Rubman, but feel free to suggest tips and summer games that have worked for you. Legions of grateful parents will thank you!

• Leave your children clues so that when they wake up in the morning they can find the “hidden surprise”.
• Set up a treasure hunt so that they can locate items that they’ll need to go on a day trip.
• Create menus with your children to transform meals into an adventure and reinvent your kitchen into a restaurant.
• Use anagrams to encourage them to problem solve and stick labels all around the house that say ‘rood’, ‘airst’, ‘niktech’ or ‘thab’ instead of door, stairs, kitchen or bath!
• Grab a disposable camera and make an adventure story using photos. Transform the pictures into a book and write a few simple words on each page. Watch your child’s eyes glisten and their shoulders puff back with pride as they show off their novel and their new found passion for literacy.