Almost every kid looks forward to summer break: sleeping in, no homework, hanging out with friends whenever you want, the few months in Western Washington that it’s not cold or rainy. What’s not to love?

The summer learning slide, that’s what. Studies show that many students, particularly historically disadvantaged student groups, come back to school having lost some of the skills and knowledge they had before summer break. It can happen to any student, but it particularly affects those from lower-income families.

Luckily, the summer learning slump doesn’t have to happen! There are many free and cheap ways to keep kids learning when school is out. Here are five ways to keep students from pre-k to high school learning.

Book it (to the Library)

As always, the Seattle Public Library is a stellar resource, with several programs for King County kids and teens (still time to get in on teen book bingo!).

Field Trip!

You can also get a free family pass to many of Seattle’s fantastic museum via the library. This includes The Burke Museum, the Northwest African American Museum, the Museum of Flight and many more. But don’t hesitate—passes are snapped up quickly! Get yours here.

Educational Play at Home

Sometimes it can just be difficult to know what games to play with young children to spark learning. Luckily, Vroom has an app to help parents with just that! The app is not something you hand to a child and walk away. Instead, it helps parents through five different types of play, designed to grow brain power children 5 years old and younger.

Lunch and Play

United Way’s Free Summer Meals sites offer many opportunities for kinetic learning for young ones, plus food for everyone 18 and younger. Despite the fun that summer brings, it can also be a stressful time for families that rely on free and reduced school meals. This program is at dozens of sites across King County to fight hunger and make summer fun.

Twist on an Old Classic

King County has several educational camps for many different grades. These camps specialize in everything. Really! From getting children ready for kindergarten to opportunities for high school credit, to coding to middle school STEM camps at the Woodland Zoo.

We know that the best way to reduce summer learning loss is to build parents’ strength and confidence in education at home. They’re their children’s earliest and most consistent teachers- with tenure for life! When students thrive, the whole community succeeds! Learn more and join our efforts to help students graduate here.