Congratulations! You almost reached the finish line!

At the start of the school year, how many times have you been discouraged at the thought of the upcoming school year filled with lessons and homework…yet you made it to June! This is quite the victory.

Think of the amount of times, through the course of the year, where you had to resort to ploy and subterfuge to get your children to sit in front of their notebooks. Don’t despair, the end of the school year is close at hand.

Parents face the same question every year when June arrives: How can homework be interesting when our children are tempted by the other kids playing outside or riding on their bikes? We may have asked ourselves: Why is it that the neighbours’ kids are outside, shouldn’t they also be inside to study?

The answer is easy! We stay outside!

Homework is still going to be done. Your child still needs to study his vocabulary, his math equations and do revisions. But who said homework had to be done inside? 

  1. Take out the pieces of chalk and write vocabulary words on the pavement.

  2. Spell words while dribbling a ball. If spelled correctly the ‘player’ can throw the ball to the hoop and keep score of the points. Mom or Dad can play as the child checks and corrects if the adult spelled correctly (another efficient way of learning). The jump rope is another useful tool.

  3. For reading, why not bring a blanket and go to the park? Get comfortable at the base of a tree (or on a branch for those most agile). Parents should also bring a book and enjoy the moment.

  4. The neighborhood kids are outside? Why not do a revision with questions that are adapted to their age category. Kids on their bike or scooter go as quickly as possible to a determined spot and must come back to you with their answer.

  5. On the pavement, draw a grid and when your child calculates correctly, he throws a dice and moves forward, or backwards if the answer is incorrect (a sort of Snakes and Ladders). The neighbours can also play along.

  6. The result: we move around, spend fun time with the family, share laughs and the children don’t even notice they are learning. I have a feeling, they will ask for more.

So, ready, set and get out of the house: what a great way of mixing business with pleasure.

Véronique Gauthier

Psycho-educator  │ Resource Teacher