By Tracey Dowdy

Summer brain drain is real. According to a study by The Summer Learning Association, over the summer students lose about one month on a grade-level equivalent scale. But no one wants their kids sprawled in front of a screen for the entire summer break.

Dr. Gail Gross, Parenting, Education, and Child Development expert, recommends engaging in activities to help your kids stay sharp, many of which can be a fun and educational experience for the whole family.

• Visit your local library
• Go on field trips to museums
• Cook with your children
• Start a family game night
• Take family vacations – either in person or virtually

Another option is to consider some of these games, websites and apps. They’re fun but educational too, so your kids won’t suffer brain drain and, come September, won’t spend the first weeks of school playing catch-up.

BRAINPOP was created by Dr. Avraham Kadar as a creative way to explain challenging concepts to his young patients. It has developed into an innovative way to teach core competencies and supplemental subjects to kids of all abilities and skill levels through games, animated movies and activities. There are over 1000 different topics to explore, including STEM, Math, Social Studies, English, Reading/Writing, Health, Music, Art, Animation, and much, much more. (Ages K-12)

VISUAL SCHEDULE PLANNER is ideal for students with learning or developmental disabilities who struggle maintaining their daily routine and require a visual aid system to help. Being off their school-year routine can cause frustration and setbacks. Instead, download the app to an iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch to help the child maintain the structure they need. The app sends daily and weekly schedules, a task list for each activity, and an estimate for how long each activity will take. (iOS – $14.99/ Ages 4+)

YELLOW SCOPE – FOUNDATION CHEMISTRY KIT FOR GIRLS Recognizing that girls tend to lose their confidence in math and science in middle school, scientists and moms, Marcie Colledge and Kelly McCollum created YellowScope to keep girls engaged and encourage them to pursue careers in STEM. Recognizing that girls learn best when projects are creative and open-ended, Yellow Scope kits are designed to be both scientific and creative. (Ages 5+)

EARLY LINGO offers kids fun and interactive activities that teach them foreign languages through immersive and repetitive learning. Choose from English, Spanish, French, German, Italian or Chinese/Mandarin. Early Lingo focuses on children from infant to nine years to capitalize on those early years when children soak up new skills so easily. Using native speakers, music, bright colors and animation, each lesson reinforces what’s been learned, as well as introducing new vocabulary.  (Ages birth-9 years/iOS – $3.99)

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

By Tracey Dowdy

Are you familiar with the term “nomophobia?” It’s not new – in fact, it’s been around for a number of years, but was recently brought into the spotlight by Apple CEO Tim Cook during an interview with CNN.

Nomophobia, or No Mobile Phone Phobia, is the fear of being without your phone. I’m guilty. I’ve been halfway to pick milk up the grocery store less than 5 minutes from my house and turned around to go back for my phone, “just in case.” There’s even an online test to see if you have it. If you’re not convinced you’re addicted, Apple’s newly released Screen Time feature will prove just how addicted you are to your iPhone.

A couple of weeks ago, Apple released the public beta of iOS 12, the latest version of their mobile operating system that includes features designed to track phone usage and help us all cut down on screen time. The update allows anyone with an iPhone 5S or later to gather detailed information about the frequency and duration of their interaction with their iPhone.  There are other updates of course – group FaceTime, new animojis, and new augmented reality powers.

To turn on Screen Time, users go into their settings and tap to toggle on. Once activated, it will monitor the amount of time you spend on your phone by day and week, and further break down the data by app and category. Not only that, it tracks know how many notifications you received and – ouch – how often you pick up your phone. At the end of the week, you’ll get a report outlining your activity.

Part of the issue says Professor Mark Griffiths, chartered psychologist and director of the International Gaming Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University, is that our phones have moved far beyond being just a phone. “People don’t use their phones to talk to other people – we are talking about an internet-connected device that allows people to deal with lots of aspects of their lives,” says Griffiths.

Because it’s such an integral part of our lives, it can be really tough for some to disconnect. Dr. Larry Rosen, a psychologist and author who focuses on how people use technology says, “The biochemistry of your brain is urging you to check in. That’s really hard to change.”

So, if you’re brave enough, look for Screen Time to be released this fall, and prepare to find out just how addicted you are. If anything, being aware of just how much time we’re devoting to our devices can help us make healthy, necessary changes.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

By Tracey Dowdy

Summer vacation time is here and that means it won’t be long before you hear, “I’m bored. There’s nothing to doooooooo.” Instead of the “Well, When I Was Your Age” speech, try some of these fun ideas to keep your kids – and yourself – happy and entertained.

Summer Book Club – I know, I know, I said these were supposed to be fun, but if you turn your kids summer reading into a book club, it can feel less like homework and more like a party. Set out favorite snacks, or choose food and drinks that coincide with the setting for the book. For example, serve trail mix and water for a book like Grand Canyon, matzo ball soup, orange slices and Gatorade if they’re reading Lola Levine is Not Mean!, or, make lemonade like Lemonade Liberty Witt in Lemons.

Do a little stargazing – This summer we’ll be treated to the Perseid meteor shower from July 17 through August 24, peaking the 11^th -12^th  and August 12^th – 13^th, when we should be able to see about 60-70 meteors per hour. If you live in an urban area where light pollution hinders your view of the stars, Active Junky has some tips on finding the best location for star-gazing. And, now that you’re hooked, check out apps like Night Sky (iOS) or Sky Maps (Android) to keep stargazing.

Go on a Scavenger Hunt – Apps like Actionbound let you create your own custom scavenger hunt or download Big City Hunt to explore your hometown or one of over 200 cities worldwide. Or, explore nature with apps like Project Noah, which allows kids to submit nature photos to help with global research missions around the world.

Take a Roadtrip – If you’re going over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house, or even the White House, make the most of the trip with apps like National Geographic’s National Parks. The app includes visitor information for 25 of America’s 59 national parks, maps, a photo gallery of some of National Geographic magazine’s archived images, as well as user-submitted photos. Parents can purchase complete guides with trail guides, articles, professional images, tips, and facts for $1.99 per park or $12.99 for all parks. If you’re sticking closer to home, apps like Kids Planet Discovery lets your kids take virtual adventures around the world and learn about different cultures, animals, music, dress, and geography.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.