Point out the position of the sun. See if your child knows what it can tell you.
Ask how many two-scoop combinations your child can make with three flavors of ice cream. Try one together.
Listen to your child’s concerns and acknowledge his or her feelings, but discourage whining.
Remind your child that school is his or her job. It comes before sports, hobbies, and recreational screen time.
Ask your child to tell you how to get from one place to another. Follow his or her directions together to see if they are accurate.
Write your child notes and ask him or her to write back.
Send your child on a “fraction search” through the news. What kinds of articles have the most fractions?
Suggest that your child keep paper and pencil handy while reading. He or she can use it to jot down unknown words and look them up later.
Check out two copies of the same book from the library so you and your child can read together.
Help your child bake cookies today. Review math skills by doubling the recipe.
Celebrate Earth Day coming up by doing something good for the environment, such as mending or repurposing an item rather than throwing it out.
Let your child overhear you saying something positive about him or her to someone else.
Ask your child to estimate the length of something. Then have him or her measure to see if they're right.
Give your child a newspaper article. Have him or her circle all the adjectives.
Ask your child, “Is it more important to be the best, or to do your best?”
Is your child having a problem at school? Have him or her brainstorm ways to solve it—without your help.
Encourage your child to start a journal.
Talk with your child about a choice you have made. Then talk about the consequences of that choice.
Nurture your child’s creativity. Ask questions that start with “What if ...” and “Why do you think ... ?”
Social media makes it easy to hurt others. Remind your child not to post anything he or she wouldn’t say to someone’s face.