JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – School out for summer for most children in our area but that doesn’t mean their routine has to stop. Children actually crave structure and you can inject it into your days and still make it fun.
There is a one-of-a-kind hidden secret in Jacksonville where you can get a lot of school equipment. School Aids is a local store in Jacksonville where teachers shop but also offers great items that parents can use to keep their children’s minds stimulated.
As you’re thinking about activities for the summer, don’t give up the books altogether. There’s plenty of reading material that can help children not lose what they learned during the school year.
Summer Bridge books will review what your kids learned the year before and prepare them for what’s to come. Matt Musseau, a manager at School Aids, said you don’t want to overwhelm children with work, but a little each day adds up.
“So these books are going to help you review the grade your child just graduated from while going into also the next grade and introducing some of the new concepts that align with that grade. It’s kind of fluid. You can kind of choose how you want to proceed with that so your kid doesn’t get overwhelmed, but they do suggest around three pages so that you get the kind of progress at the rate so finish the book by the end of the summer,” Musseau said.
Musseau said there are also a bunch of items that you can use while on vacation, like a laminated map or water magic that lets kids paint mess-free.
“Another great thing that you can do with these maps is because so many people like to travel nowadays you can also have your child learn about states and capitals where you’re traveling in the United States. You can also use stickers and markers some of these are laminated and they can write on them as you travel,” Musseau said.
There are also great visuals that you can post on the wall to drill your little ones about colors or your big ones on math. School aids is also a place to get your questions answered. Fifty percent of the staff are either teachers or former teachers. They are a great resource to answer questions and make suggestions on your kids’ learning year-round.
School Aids is at 7119 Bonneval Road, off J. Turner Butler Boulevard just east of Philips Highway. Musseau said they’ll get a big shipment of summer supplies this month. For more information go schoolaids.com.