10 Tips to Help Stop the “Summer Slide"

05.18.2026 | 5 min read

Summer is all about relaxation, but too much relaxation can have detrimental effects on your child's ability to retain knowledge.

Experts began researching the “summer slide” as early as 1996, when they found that some students can lose ground academically over summer break, particularly in math skills and reading comprehension. It's a phenomenon also sometimes known as "summer learning loss."

The National Summer Learning Association describes the summer slide as something that often happens to disadvantaged children during the summer months, who may tread water at best or even fall behind, while higher-income children build their skills steadily over the summer months.

Who is most at risk of the summer slide?

Younger children are prone to the most learning loss because they’re at a crucial stage in their development, according to Scholastic, which suggests kids generally learn more in the first few grades of elementary school than compared to middle or high school, because learning follows a curve where it's accelerated early in life before plateauing.

Maintaining education over the course of the summer is crucial to kids’ academic success and self-esteem. So how do you combat the “summer slide” without enrolling in summer school? Check out these tips that can help your child maintain their knowledge over the summer, so they’re ready to flourish when the new school year begins.

10 tips to help stop the summer slide

Encourage reading

Encourage your child to read as much as possible, even if the books they read aren't necessarily educational. After all, if they aren't enjoying it, they won't keep reading it.

Take a trip to your local library or grab a book and sit outside. The stimulation will keep their minds sharp throughout the summer. For a fun challenge, make a reading timeline for them. Start with 10 minutes of reading each day, then increase it to 15, and so on. The time won’t seem as daunting once they’ve started.

Get your kids off the couch

Research repeatedly show that kids who are more active tend to do better in school. Support the idea of getting outside and playing with friends and join them by encouraging family bike rides, walks, hikes and visits to nearby parks.

Engage your kids in everyday summer activities

The Mayo Clinic recommends adding in the "extras of summer," and encouraging kids to spend more time outdoors and to take advantage of free programs offered by libraries and parks, camps and vacations. Summer enrichment doesn’t have to resemble schoolwork.

Foster their creativity

Similarly, setting aside time each day to build, paint, draw, make crafts or write stories can nurture their minds. Being able to think creatively helps with problem solving and critical thinking skills. Mental Health America states that creative activities can also help to decrease stress and foster positive feelings.

Incorporate basic math into daily activities

If your kids are old enough, have them help you measure ingredients when cooking or baking. It will teach them basic fractions and conversion skills. If you have elementary-aged children, have them count items on their plates at meals. The Mayo Clinic also recommends running through math facts like counting by twos or multiplication tables during long summer car rides.

Use educational apps

There are a number of educational apps for kids to play on their tablets. On a rainy day, allow them some screen time to develop their math, reading, science and English skills. If you would prefer your child stay away from electronics, board games can be beneficial for thinking and social skills as well.

Explore a local museum

Trips to museums can help children build curiosity, social skills and confidence while staying mentally engaged. Whether it’s a hands-on science museum or a historical museum, your little ones can learn through exposure to the very things they learn about all year long – and those that they haven’t been exposed to yet. Museums are a great way to bring learning concepts to life.

Encourage them to sing and make music

Let your child sing, play piano, guitar, or whatever they wish. Music is a great creative outlet and can also help with math skills by recognizing patterns throughout the compositions.

Turn getaways and vacations into learning opportunities

You can open up a world of new experiences and learning by encouraging kids to actively learn about the destinations you visit on summer vacation. The Mayo Clinic suggests doing this by:

Researching where you're going, what there is to do, the history of the place, how you'll get there and more.
Letting them plot your travels on a paper map that you download and print.
Having them keep track of the miles, fuel use and costs.
Creating a photo album of experiences and findings big and small.
Writing and sending postcards.

Explore Michigan with them

Go for a walk, a hike or a bike ride around town. Your kids can see various nature scenes – butterflies, flowers, trees, clouds and more – to keep them curious about their world.

Michigan families can visit this Michigan.gov link to explore local library programming, parks and recreation activities and summer meal initiatives that provide educational and social opportunities throughout their summer break.

Photo credit: Getty Images

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