Getting back into the back-to-school swing of things can be tough; kids are juggling homework, sports, friends, and more. It’s easy to get overwhelmed! We believe that a healthy balance among schoolwork, free play, and extracurricular activities set students up for success. Balance between work and play is key, and providing engaging leisure reading materials can help students enjoy constructive down time. Here are some secrets to helping kids find equilibrium while still having fun with their favorite hobbies and activities:
- Find a hobby your student loves. Whether it’s an instrument, a sport, or a craft, hobbies give kids a break from schoolwork that is constructive, healthy, and fun. Plus, hobbies help kids to grow into well-rounded students! Not sure where to start? Check out Learning Ladders: Things I Like, which shows young readers lots of popular hobbies and all the things that are so great about each of them.
- Breaks from screen time don’t have to be a bore. Screen time is fine in doses, but it’s important to pull students away from computers and TVs! For a fun start, put students' knowledge to the test with True or False?: Video Games! This play-along book busts myths and teaches the coolest facts about computer and video games. To lean how technology has progressed throughout history, try Counting Pebbles to Writing Code: A Timeline of Mathematics and Computers. Kids will see how scientists and mathematicians developed the complex technologies that make screen time possible!
- Show budding sports stars how their heroes scored, swung, and shot their way to success. Motivate young athletes to work hard and overcome obstacles both on and off the field with sports-oriented series and biographies of their sports heroes, like On the Pitch, Béisbol! Latino Heroes of Major League Baseball, and Football’s All-Time Greats. Dedication to a sport—or any hobby, for that matter—teaches diligence, perseverance, and cooperation!
- Inspire students to persevere in and outside of the classroom. Commitment to their passions can take kids to great places! The Women Who Rock series tells the stories of six women who became top performers in their field—sports, music, and advocacy—despite cultures that threw lots of obstacles in their path. From Misty Copeland to Malala Yousafzai, these women are great role models for young girls—and boys—hoping to have a positive impact.