Halfway through the summer

Well, we're halfway through the summer.  It's been really hot lately, and it's very probable that most of you have been indoors with your kids, enjoying the air conditioning.  Are you getting tired of each other?  Are your kids tired of the same old toys?  Want to do something that doesn't involve turning on the TV?  Here's some great ideas for the hot, dog days of summer: (Click on the links for more information.)

• Make your own book
• Make a story with magnetic words
• Illustrate a famous book
• Host a magazine scavenger hunt
• Tell a story in a jar
• Play "Guess my Word" vocabulary game
• Bake Alphabet pretzels
• Play nursery rhyme madlibs
• Environmental print bingo 
• Play picture book charades
• Make green eggs and ham
• Practice story telling with fairy tale dice
• Go on an alphabet photo shoot
• Invent a secret code
• Practice reading with newspaper highlights

All of these activities show a fun side of learning, and will help progress your child's reading skills.  Have fun!