Tips to keep your child's mind active this summer

1. Read – and read some more!

The summer holidays are a great time to encourage children to read. Regular reading has plenty of advantages, including:

• Improving concentration
• Building language skills
• Developing creativity and imagination
• Supporting cognitive development
• Supporting mental health and wellbeing

Reading over the summer is also excellent preparation for entrance exams. Reading exposes children to new vocabulary, helps them increase their reading speed, and improves their ability to recognise new words. These skills are particularly valuable in verbal reasoning and reading comprehension tests.

2. Stay active

It's easy to slip into the habit of moving less during the holidays, but regular movement is important for children. Exercise helps to keep the body and mind healthy and can have a positive impact on performance at school.

Any movement counts! Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Daily walks to your local park or playground
• Check out sports clubs, yoga lessons and martial arts in your area
• Take a family bike ride
• Organise a dance party at home
• Play outdoor games, such as tag and hide-and-seek
• Take swimming lessons at your local leisure centre

3. Summer lessons

Preparing for grammar 11+ or independent entrance exams? Keep your child's mind active over the summer, learn exam technique, and feel exam-ready with Atom's online live lessons. Enjoy interactive classes with Atom's engaging teachers from the comfort of your own home. Best of all, our classes are completely free!

4. Relax with yoga or mindfulness

Encouraging children to develop relaxation techniques is a great skill to develop over the holidays. Embracing a few minutes of mindfulness each day can help keep some structure during long, lazy days. Meanwhile, older children will benefit from developing a mindfulness toolkit to stay calm during exams.

Adding yoga or meditation into daily routines can help to enhance your child's wellbeing. Digital mindfulness apps such as Headspace and Calm have plenty of beginner sessions suitable for children.

5. Get creative

Encourage your child to engage in activities such as painting or drawing where they can express themselves on canvas or paper. If they have a camera, show them how to experiment with photography – whether it's capturing the beauty of nature or documenting their summer memories. Toys and games like building blocks, LEGO sets and dress-up costumes are also great tools to promote imaginative play.

6. Prepare for exams (the fun way!)

Preparing for the 11+ or other entrance exams? Get your child’s roadmap to success with Atom Home. Atom has everything you need to get prepared, in one package.

Atom Home is an online programme that helps you and your child navigate entrance exams with confidence. Step by step and week by week, you get a clear plan of activities tailored to your top-choice schools. Watch your child build knowledge across the exam curriculum. See their skills skyrocket as they practise mock tests that mirror the real thing.

As well as setting your child up for exam success, Atom Home lets them enjoy the journey. Interactive challenges and rewards keep your child excited to reach the top! Flexible learning fits around your family life, so your child can make strides whenever and wherever suits them. And with clear progress tracking and admissions advice, you’ll never feel left behind.