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Robin Pizzo, WKAR director of education, responds to frequently asked questions from parents and educators

Q: How can parents keep learning fun all summer long?

A: Did I hear someone say ICE CREAM? What about VIDEO GAMES? Or even CHOCOLATE? Each of these represent a great way to keep learning fun, all summer long because they all have a special dedicated celebration day.

Parents and teachers love theme days and kids love holidays. Therefore, with a little internet search, it’s quite easy to discover fun, quirky themed holidays that you can explore using the five Ws of research:  Who, What, Where, When, and Why. It’s a great place to start learning about any theme. 

World Chocolate Day is celebrated on July 7. How deliciously fun exploring chocolate’s origins might be, as young learners research who first discovered chocolate, what chocolate is made of, when it was discovered and where. This research could include a delicious taste-tasting opportunity like exploring dark and milk chocolate. Testing if learners can tell the difference between sugar free and regular chocolate can be a fascinating experience. 

For those a bit older, set up a chocolate challenge and see how many chocolate recipes they can name and then choose one to make. And don’t forget, there are tons of children’s books about chocolate including my favorite, Chocolatina, written by Erik Kraft and illustrated by Denise Brunkus.

Whether it’s Video Game Day on July 8 or July 12 Simplicity Day or World Emoji Day on July 17, connecting celebrations to math, science, literacy, and history is sure to keep young learners having fun all summer long. 

Happy Learning, 

Mrs. Pizzo

Robin Pizzo leads the education outreach efforts of WKAR Public Media at Michigan State University, the PBS and NPR affiliate serving Michigan's capital region. Robin convenes partnerships and coordinates station initiatives such as WKAR Family and Ready to Learn to bring workshops, learning tools, and other resources into the community to help kids be resilient, lifelong learners.
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