According to a noteworthy study conducted by Danylenko et al. 2021, which involved 1,054 students, 62 per cent of children engaged in educational activities during the summer, 24 per cent participated in business activities, nearly 40 per cent took part in hiking trips and 23 per cent attended a children's health camp.
The type of summer activity chosen influenced the indicators of students' physical development as follows: educational activities were associated with a decrease in body length and left arm strength, whereas business activities, hiking trips and attendance at a health camp were associated with increased weight gain. These findings highlight the developmental impact of summer activities on students.
Recent research has consistently shown significant gaps in students' academic skills, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. Despite these concerns, the summer break represents a valuable period during which students can recover both physically and mentally from the cumulative fatigue of a full academic year.
Moreover, for many children, it provides opportunities to engage in enriching activities such as attending camps, travelling and visiting educational spaces, such as museums, parks and libraries, either with their families or through participation in structured learning programmes.
In an article published by the Varthana team on May 29, 2023, on varthana.com (What Students Need to Know About Summer Break and Getting Ready for School), the authors outline several ways students can make the most of their summer break:
1. Learn New Skills: Summer offers students a chance to reflect on their goals and develop personal and academic skills. Popular options include learning new languages for future academic and career benefits, as well as improving English proficiency to support learning in other subjects.
2. Access Educational Resources: Teachers can support students by recommending books, videos and educational platforms such as Study.com and National Geographic Kids, which can help students brush up on and enhance their knowledge.
3. Engage in Environmentally Friendly Activities: Summer is ideal for teaching sustainability. Students can participate in eco-friendly initiatives such as beach clean-ups, tree planting, kitchen gardening, conserving water and electricity, reducing plastic use and exploring alternatives.
4. Explore and Learn: Visiting historical sites during the break enhances students' understanding of history by connecting classroom knowledge with real-world experiences and can significantly enrich their learning.
5. Strengthen Family and Social Bonds: With more free time, students can reconnect with parents, grandparents and friends, building strong relationships and learning valuable life lessons from close family members.
In conclusion, the appropriate use of free time in the summer can have a positive effect on children and help them cope with stress after the school year.
Wellness and recreation during the summer help improve and strengthen the physical and psychological health of children and restore their vitality. In addition, organised recreation for schoolchildren during the holidays creates conditions for the development of their creative abilities and helps prevent neglect.
The formation of healthy lifestyle habits among young people should be a primary goal. Active forms of summer recreation and health improvement, such as school and suburban camps, summer language camps and hiking trips, should be further developed.
More attention should be paid to the forms and methods of organising summer vacations for school-age children, updating their content and improving the technologies of medical, psychological and pedagogical support (Danylenko et al. 2021).
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
