By Patrick McKenzie

Most kids love to learn but hate to study.  And if you want them to continue their education over the summer, you’re going to be hard-pressed to convince them it’s not homework.  That is, of course, unless you can find a way to make it fun. And what could be better in that respect than games?  Modern children are practically raised on video games and internet usage, so why not combine their love of electronics with your desire to help them retain knowledge?  To that effect, here are five fun ways to keep them learning this summer.

1. Board games.  That’s right.  Dust off the family games from the closet to keep kids practicing spelling and vocabulary (Scrabble, Balderdash), math skills (Monopoly, card games), history (Axis and Allies), geography (Where in the World?), and mental skills like strategy and reasoning (chess, Othello).  Board games are not only a great educational tool, they also allow for some fun, quality family time.
2. Cell phone games.  Although there are not many educational games for cell phones, classics like Scrabble, Monopoly, and Trivial Pursuit have enjoyed a modern resurgence due to their popularity on mobile devices.  If your child seems apathetic about board games, this may be a great way to get them interested.
3. Apple devices.  Although Apple does offer a cell phone, they are really in a class all by themselves when it comes to the amount of educational games offered on iTunes (and they are available not only for the iPhone, but also for iPod and iPad).  There are games for every conceivable subject and age group (and at prices ranging from less than a dollar to under $10 for downloads), so peruse their vast selection to find the right ones for your children.
4. Online games.  There are a wealth of websites dedicated to educational games for kids, but a couple of good ones are Apples 4 the Teacher and Funbrain, both of which allow you to search by subject (Funbrain also offers an age/grade level search option).  However, both of these sites are for preadolescent kids (Apples = preK-6, Funbrain = K-8).  For those in high school, try Super Smart Games.  They offer games for all age groups.
5. Outings.  Technically, this may not qualify as a game, but you really can’t go wrong taking your kids on summertime field trips.  Take a tour at the local zoo or museum, go on nature hikes, or visit a nearby observatory to check out meteor showers in late July (Delta Aquarids, July 28-29, Capricornids, July 29-30) and early August (Perseids, August 12-13).

Keeping your kids learning over the long summer months can seem like a chore for everyone involved.  But parents can help children engage in educational games that are both fun and beneficial by becoming aware of the many products available and choosing the ones that are best suited to their child’s needs and abilities.  It can also be a great way to stay connected to your kids, assess their level of learning, and take a firm hand in guiding their education.

Patrick is an avid Bingo Player and he enjoys playing fun and educational games. You can visit his site Printable Bingo Cards.

By Jennie

Redbook has a feature on summer beach reads for 2010. Do any of these books look appealing to you? Or do you have your own summer reading list?

I am not much of a chick-lit reader, and to some degree I do associate summer beach reads with chick-lit. That said, there’s something about the summer months, with their longer days, lazy vacations, barbecues and warm weather that I associate with a lighter read (besides, sometimes you just need a light read, you know what I mean?). Not all of the books on the list look “light”, necessarily – Alice Hoffman, the only author on the list that I’ve read before, is not someone I associate with fluffy books. But all the books appear to be by female authors and seem to deal with subjects of interest to women.

Do you like to read at the beach? What’s your ideal beach read? Do any of the books on Redbook’s list look like your cup of tea? Is there any other book you’re particularly looking forward to this summer?

By Jennie

For many Americans, Memorial Day symbolizes the unofficial kickoff of summer – a holiday to fire up the grill, put on some baseball, and break out the white shoes (should you care about such fashion rules). Of course, as the name implies, Memorial Day has another, more solemn, purpose – to honor U.S. soldiers who have died in the service of their country.

Memorial Day was first celebrated in 1866 and meant to honor Union soldiers who’d died in the Civil War. I actually have a relative who died in the Battle of Shiloh (the only ancestor of mine whom I’m aware of having died in a war) – my maternal grandfather’s uncle, who was just seventeen when he died. I can’t pretend to feel a great kinship to a relative who died more than 100 years before I was born, but realizing that the holiday was first enacted in response to the great loss of life in the Civil War reminded me that I should take a moment to reflect on the reason for the day off. I plan to grill hamburgers for lunch (hoping for some sunshine!), but I also plan to observe the 3:00 p.m. moment of remembrance in honor of all of our war dead.

What are your plans?

Spring is almost here and before you know it, summer will be here. Do you have any plans? What’s your favorite thing to do in the summer?

Written by Anya

Summer is here. Specifically – July. Almost everyone is a fan of this time of year. Longer and warmer days. Backyard barbeque’s. And if you lucky, perhaps a vacation — or at least a staycation.

One of the things I enjoy about summer is a little bit of a guilty secret. I am a fan of “Big Brother.” Yes, that show. The one where twelve strangers are locked up in a production studio (I mean, house) for eleven weeks or until they get voted out (whichever comes first). I have heard all the slams against the show – “It’s further proof of the dumbing down of American entertainment.” “The show only casts hot young bods with no brains.” “Julie Chen is the worst reality TV show host ever.” You know what, I agree with each of assertions, but I still plan to watch. Why? Well, I guess I am a bit invested. I have been watching since Season One – shout-out to Josh, Eddie and Chicken George!

Part of the fun is also the fact that the cameras are on 24/7 in the “Big Brother” house. You can subscribe to live internet feeds for a nominal fee, but there are plenty of bloggers who do an hour-by-hour run down of the latest house happenings so you might want to save your dineros. This makes Big Brother 11 different from other reality shows. There is no doubt that “Big Brother” producers edit their footage like all reality TV show producers do. That is to say, you can bet there will be heroes and villains, hookups and breakups, and as much conflict as they can wangle out of the cast. The distinction with “Big Brother” is savvy internet viewers can see through the manipulations of the producers and form their own opinions about the contestants.

Each season, “Big Brother” has a unique hook. Speaking for myself, I could do without these gimmicks. At least this year we won’t have to watch two siblings who have never met each other try to get to know each other before deciding to throw each other under the bus or witness former couples whose relationships ended badly suddenly find out they will be bunking with each other. Sigh. This year, the producers have decided to split the cast into four cliques ala high school. We will have the “populars”, “athletes”, “brainiacs” and “off-beats.” What it lacks for in subtlety, hopefully it will make up for in entertainment.

The show is scheduled to run Sundays, Tuesday and Thursdays. Assuming there is reader interest, we will try and put up a fresh post each episode to discuss the latest happenings.

Happy summer viewing all!