Your Summer Learning Tool Kit

Our take on workbooks. Plus, one powerful way to celebrate Pride month. Learn better. Play smarter. | [View this email in your browser]( Parenting made simpler. Written by experts. Designed for intentional parents. Be a Plinkit Pro Thank you for reading! This newsletter is made possible through Plinkit Pro membership support. Please consider being a [PLINKIT PRO]( if you aren't already, to enjoy access to all our expert guidance and events. Membership support allows us to keep bringing you time-saving and practical child development insights. [BE A PLINKIT PRO]( Your Summer Learning Tool Kit We’re giddy with excitement for play this summer, but that doesn't mean that learning stops. While we prefer a more hands-on, multi-dimensional learning approach that supports learning in context (like with our [self-directed activities at home]( learning through play (like with our [curated list of activities + games]( and project-based learning (like with our [Project-Learning Bingo]( there's something to be said for screen-free, old-fashioned pencil to paper workbooks that are great for on-the-go. Plus, children love the sense of independence and accomplishment that comes with completing their work. Workbooks have their place (especially if you’re working them into a [sensible structure for slower days](. The key is to reframe the purpose of workbooks. Workbooks allow your child to practice skills they’ve already learned but are not usually going to teach your child new concepts. (Save higher order, complex skills for more interactive instruction.) Some children love workbooks, others don’t. Both are OK. You know your child best, and you may need to experiment with different styles and levels of workbooks. Regardless of whether it’s a workbook or a different learning medium, the goal is to find something that meaningfully engages your child, targets specific skills with a clear purpose, can be done somewhat independently, and challenges your child to think and practice. Keep reading below for favorites we’re personally packing this summer and more [summer skill-building strategies on myplinkit.com.]( 1:1 Office Hours (*For Plinkit Pro Members*) The Magic is in the *How* - How do you set up a summer routine? Implement chores? Handle screen time? Manage challenging behavior? Talk about recent news tragedies? For a limited time, our Founder, Charmaine Pattinson, is offering (virtual) Office Hours for Plinkit Pro Members. This is your time. Share what’s on your mind about your child and get personalized guidance, tools, and scripts. [SIGN UP IF YOU'RE A PLINKIT PRO]( Celebrating PRIDE It’s Pride Month! And one simple way to celebrate Pride is to talk to your child about the meaning of the rainbow flag and how each color represents an important value of the LGBTQIA+ community. It's a concrete way of talking with your concrete little thinker about a complex topic. So the next time you pass by a rainbow flag with your child, consider asking them what they know about it and why it's there. Here’s a quick guide to what each color represents: - Red - Life - Orange - Healing - Yellow - Sunlight, new ideas and thoughts - Green - Nature (and how nature is a healing place) - Blue - Peace, harmony and serenity - Purple - Spirit - Additions to the Progress Pride Flag - Brown and black - Diversity and inclusion, people of color - White, pink, and baby blue - Transgender community 5 Favorite Books We're Reading Now - [Plenty of Hugs]( - Sweetly shows how there is love in all families. Great for young children. - [From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea]( - A lyrical poem that beautifully captures the acceptance of differences. - [Our Subway Baby]( - Based on an amazing true story. Wonderfully written, a remarkable story of family love. - [It Feels Good to Be Yourself]( - A lovely showcase of how we all belong and have the power to identify ourselves. - [Sewing the Rainbow: A Story About Gilbert Baker]( - A picture biography and colorful tribute to Gilbert Baker and his legacy. See our [full booklist]( for more wonderful books that celebrate Pride month every day. SHOP + PLAY [My First Book of Cutting]( Clever visuals with twists and turns. A fun way of using scissors to strengthen hand muscles, which are [critical for developing fine motor control.]( [BUY NOW]( SHOP + PLAY [Puzzletivities - Color + Match Floor Puzzle]( DIY your own puzzle! A creative twist on a timeless problem-solving activity. [BUY NOW]( SHOP + PLAY [Learning Starter Workbook]( Playful + unique. A special tile system that uses a self-checking design for honing a series of skills, including beginning math, critical thinking, visual perception, memory, and concentration. [BUY NOW]( SHOP + PLAY [Amazing Mazes]( We love the simple layout of this book’s puzzles. Super for building fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, while sharpening [executive functioning skills.]( [BUY NOW]( SHOP + PLAY [Rush Hour Jr.]( Excellent for travel, independent play, and rainy afternoons. Great for developing spatial visualization, early logic, and reasoning. [BUY NOW]( SHOP + PLAY [Little Library Storytelling Box]( An all-in-one kit for your budding storyteller, complete with inspiring ideas and books to write them in. Did you know that [oral language and storytelling leads to literacy development?]( [BUY NOW]( SHOP + PLAY [The Big Book of Comprehension Activities]( Short, interesting exercises to improve comprehension that give children a rewarding sense of progress and achievement. [BUY NOW]( SHOP + PLAY [Math Dice Jr.]( Always in our tool kit. A hands-on way of practicing addition and subtraction that fits into pockets and backpacks. As your child progresses, layer it to include multiplication and division. [BUY NOW]( SHOP + PLAY [Singapore Math Workbook Set]( Clear graphics and focused text helps children follow the Singaporean model of moving from objects, to pictures, to math symbols. [BUY NOW]( SHOP + PLAY [Finger Puppets Felting Kit]( A sweet, practical application of essential skills. From building fine motor control and precision, to measuring and understanding proportion, to staying on a task until completed, this DIY kit is much more than making finger puppets. [BUY NOW]( Learn better. 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