5 Summer Enrichment Ideas for Your Preschooler … in Jackson!

A significant amount of brain and body development occurs during your child’s preschool years. This is why summer enrichment is so important during school breaks. Preschool-aged children experience numerous firsts during this time and learn to interact with the world. As parents, it is important to expose your child to a variety of activities. Listed below are some ideas for enrichment for your preschooler in Jackson.

Exercise for the Preschool Student

In their early years, children learn how their bodies move and gain balance and coordination abilities. These motor skills develop at different rates in each child. It is important to provide summer enrichment activities that allow them to test out their physical abilities and master progressive skills.

Jackson Funday’s Family Fun Cafe offers a range of equipment for children to explore and develop their motor skills. There is a separate area for toddlers to master more basic exercises. Children play on equipment that matches their abilities and then graduate to the main area when ready. The primary area includes a 40-foot-high space with different types of slides, ladders, tunnels and obstacles, all built with safety as a top priority. This is a great indoor summer enrichment activity when you need a break from the heat.
Also, for outdoor physical preschool enrichment, Dahlem, Jackson’s Nature Place, offers a variety of walks and activities. Children learn to interact with nature while getting exercise and fresh air. Along with nature trails, you can explore outdoor exhibits. These include the children’s garden, sensory garden and geology garden. The Nature Playscape provides another summer enrichment activity where your preschoolers can play in an environment like exploring the woods but designed with special safety features for young children. Dahlem also offers organized summer programs for children of every age.

Summer Camp and Classes

Children’s brains are primed for learning new things, especially languages. Exposing your child to a variety of information helps the pathways in the brain develop. Early child development specialists encourage parents to have their children learn other languages.
One great opportunity for this type of summer enrichment in Jackson is Little Ones Signing. This is a facility that offers sign language classes for all ages. The classes for preschool students combine sign language lessons with learning about other topics like geography, biology, animals and health. Parents learn signs along with their child which can help them communicate in quiet places. Learning sign language has benefits for all children regardless of hearing ability.
ABC Academy also offers summer enrichment for your preschooler in Jackson with camps for preschoolers. They arrange their curriculum around play activities. This keeps your children engaged while learning about science, math, music and language. With weekly field trips, children participate in a variety of outdoor adventures in Jackson. They also take part in indoor education that keeps their minds active during the break from school. Summer camp programs are especially important for continuous development. They also help children practice social skills and learn to communicate and cooperate with others.

Preschool Enrichment at the Movies

Since summer break is technically vacation, you need to spend some relaxing time with your preschooler. Too much television is harmful for children but occasional screen time is not. Some experts say that watching age-appropriate movies is a beneficial summer enrichment activity. The animation in children’s cartoons stimulates creativity. The story line can help children learn important lessons about relationships and diversity. Plus, this is an activity the entire family can share.

The Michigan Theater of Jackson offers a summer deal. Families can enjoy children’s movies and refreshments at a fraction of the normal cost. For ten weeks, they play the Kiwanis Summer Kids Film Series movies featuring titles like Shrek, Lego Movie, Rock Dog and Born Leader. They chose the movies specifically as summer enrichment for children. While watching the movies, preschoolers will also enjoy the old-time charm of this theater.

As parents, you want to give your children the best experiences possible during school breaks. The above suggestions offer some exciting local options for family summer enrichment activities.