Making the Most of
Summer Learning
What’s your first thought when you hear the phrase “summer learning”? Many people immediately go to workbooks, flashcards, or other structured educational activities. While these resources certainly have their place, some of the most meaningful learning experiences actually happen during everyday moments!
One of the main ways kids learn is by doing. When they’re helping you prepare lunch or playing make-believe with friends, they’re also learning key social, communication, motor, and feeding skills. So it should come as no surprise that summer offers countless opportunities to build important life skills in a fun and natural way.
At Flourishing Lives, we want to help your family make the most of those summertime learning opportunities. Here are just a few ideas from our team.
Three Ways to Help Your Child Learn,
Grow, and Thrive This Summer
Summer offers countless opportunities for children to build important life skills through everyday experiences. Here are a few simple ways to support learning, independence, and development all season long.
Prepare for Back-to-School Success
Kids rightfully associate summer with freedom from school, but there are still ways you can ensure a successful transition back to the classroom once fall hits.
Establish Simple Routines
A predictable daily rhythm can help children feel organized and regulated. You don’t need a strict schedule, but try to maintain consistent wake-ups, mealtimes, quiet times, and bedtimes.
Practice Communication Skills Throughout the Day
Everyday conversations help children strengthen the language and social skills they need for success in the classroom. You can encourage them to talk about their plans for the day or encourage them to share their feelings about a family outing.
Support Feeding Skills During Meals and Snacks
Summer is a great time to practice skills that make school mealtimes easier. You might encourage your child to practice opening snack packages and have them try new foods alongside their favorite summer treats.
Build Independence at Home
Summer’s more freewheeling nature also offers lots of opportunities for children to develop daily living skills that contribute to long-term independence and day-to-day confidence.
Encourage Household Responsibilities
Even simple chores help develop essential skills like motor planning and problem-solving. The key is to select responsibilities suitable for your child’s age. Some good examples include putting away toys, watering plants, feeding pets, or helping to set the table before mealtimes.
Chores also naturally encourage language development, as they often require your child to follow directions or create a plan for completing a task.
Practice Self-Care Skills
Basic self-care activities can be rushed during the school year, but summer offers more time to practice everyday tasks like getting dressed, brushing teeth, or packing up items for outings.
Include Kids When Preparing Meals
The kitchen provides valuable opportunities to support both feeding and occupational skills. Kids can help wash fruits and vegetables, measure out ingredients, or gather essential cooking tools. Meal prep also allows children to explore new foods in a fun, low-pressure environment.
Encourage Sensory and Motor Development
One of the greatest gifts of summer is the opportunity to spend more time in outdoor play, which supports many of the foundational skills children need for success at home, school, and in the community.
Go on a Playground Adventure
From swings to slides and everything in between, playgrounds offer a variety of opportunities for children to strengthen their gross motor skills while learning how to navigate new challenges. They also encourage social interaction, providing opportunities to practice communication, turn-taking, and problem-solving with peers.
Splash Around in the Water
Water play isn’t just a way to cool off; it also offers rich sensory experiences while helping kids develop hand skills and coordination. Depending on your child’s age, you might have them run through sprinklers, create an outdoor water obstacle course, or play around with ice cubes and squirt toys.
Spend Time in the Garden
Gardening provides a wonderful combination of sensory experiences, fine motor development, and communication skills. Encourage your child to dig holes, pull weeds, plant seeds, and harvest fruits and vegetables.
Make Summer Learning Part of Everyday Life
Summer learning shouldn’t look like traditional schoolwork. Some of the most important developmental gains happen through play, daily routines, and fun family activities. Even simple activities like playing in the yard or having a picnic help build important skills while still allowing your child to enjoy all the fun and freedom summer has to offer.
If you’d like personalized support to help your child thrive this summer and beyond, the team at Flourishing Lives is always here to help. Contact us today to learn more about how our occupational and speech therapy services can support your child’s growth, confidence, and participation in everyday life.
Contact UsSummer Nutrition Made Simple
With all the fun your child is having this summer, it’s important not to forget the role of good nutrition and hydration!
Summer is a great time to introduce healthy habits, explore new foods, and get kids involved in the cooking process. That way, they can stay energized for all that summer has to offer.
Four Tips for Supporting Healthy Summer Nutrition
Healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated. These simple strategies can help your child stay nourished, hydrated, and ready for summer adventures.
01
Keep Water Easily Accessible
Keep Water Easily Accessible
Kids need to stay hydrated all year round, but it’s especially important when they’re spending more time outside and in higher temperatures.
- Keep water bottles readily available throughout the day
- Offer water during outdoor play breaks
- Serve fruit snacks like strawberries, oranges, or watermelon, which also help keep kids hydrated
02
Mix Up New and Familiar Foods
Mix Up New and Familiar Foods
Summer is a great time to expand your child’s palate, and kids are usually more willing to explore new foods when paired with something they already enjoy.
- Add a slice of mango or kiwi to a bowl of familiar fruits like strawberries or grapes
- Serve a new vegetable alongside favorite summer meals
- Encourage your child to explore new foods thoroughly but without pressure
Keeping food exploration positive and low-pressure can help children become more comfortable trying new things over time.
03
Take Advantage of Seasonal Produce
Take Advantage of Seasonal Produce
One of summer’s many joys is the bounty of fresh, colorful foods that can make healthy eating more exciting.
- Visit a local farmer’s market together
- Explore summer favorites like watermelon, peaches, tomatoes, and berries
- Encourage your child to describe colors, textures, and smells
- Visit a berry-picking patch for a hands-on food experience
These experiences help children become more familiar and comfortable with healthy foods in a fun, engaging way.
04
Create Consistent Meal and Snack Routines
Create Consistent Meal and Snack Routines
Keeping predictable eating times is important for helping kids recognize their natural hunger and fullness cues.
- Offer meals and snacks at regular times throughout the day
- Limit grazing between meals when possible
- Use mealtimes as opportunities for conversation and connection
- Encourage your child to share thoughts about the foods they are eating
Helping Your Child Build Healthy Habits
Healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated. Small, consistent choices can help children develop positive habits that support their growth, energy, and overall well-being throughout the summer and beyond.
If you’re looking for additional guidance on nutrition, feeding strategies, or supporting healthy routines at home, our team is here to help.
Schedule an Appointment
Patient Spotlight: Zara
This month, we are excited to celebrate one of our amazing clients, Zara, and the incredible progress she has made in her communication journey!
Over the past several months, she has shown tremendous growth in both her AAC and verbal communication skills. She is a wiz at navigating her AAC device and uses it throughout her day for a variety of meaningful communication functions, including advocating for her wants and needs, labeling, commenting, sharing joy, requesting assistance, and supporting transitions between activities.
Zara has also made great gains in her verbal communication skills. She is now independently using more spoken words and has even begun combining 2-word utterances on her own.
Her understanding of new concepts continues to grow, and she is doing an excellent job following directions and engaging in therapy activities.
One of the most exciting parts of her progress has been watching her confidence blossom. As her communication skills have expanded, so has her willingness to interact, participate, and express herself with others.
We are so proud of all of her hard work, determination, and growth, and we cannot wait to see all that she continues to accomplish!
Staff Spotlight: Erica
Erica brings a background in billing, insurance, and training to our team.
She spent five years at Meridian Health Plan in utilization management, authorization, and insurance processes before moving into a Training Manager role at CRDN, where she spent two years building and leading both in-person and virtual training programs.
She later spent two years working with BRSi, an insurance benefits brokerage, further expanding her knowledge of insurance systems and client support.
Erica earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from McKendree University, where she attended on a bowling scholarship. During her senior year, her team placed second at the national collegiate bowling championships, an experience that even led to an appearance on ESPN!
Outside of work, Erica’s life is full of music, family, and community. She has been married to her husband, Drew, for 11 years after the two met through mutual friends in community theatre.
Their shared love of the stage continues today, and they still enjoy performing together in local musicals whenever they can.
Erica also serves on the board of directors at Stagecrafters in Royal Oak and has worn many different hats there, including actress, director, hair and wig committee chair, DEI committee chair, and board liaison.
Erica is also a proud mom to three kids: 16-year-old bonus daughter Ava, 10-year-old son Jax, and 6-year-old son Lincoln.
When she’s not working, coaching baseball, or serving as the family taxi driver, singing remains one of her biggest passions.
One of her favorite singing memories was winning the American Idol Experience at Disney World, combining her love for performing with a little Disney magic.
Help Us Plan a
Family Fun Day!
Flourishing Lives is exploring hosting a special Family Fun Day to celebrate our amazing clients and their families with fun, connection, and community.
We’d love your input! Take our quick survey and let us know what activities, dates, and experiences would make this event the most enjoyable for your family.
Take the Family Fun Day Survey
Activities of the Month:
Screen-Free Summer Fun
Summer time doesn’t have to mean screen time.
The nice weather offers plenty of opportunities to spend more time moving, exploring, and connecting as a family—no screens required!
If you’re looking for inspiration, give these activities a try.
Family Cooking Challenge
Choose a simple (and delicious) recipe and prepare it together. Kids can help measure ingredients, mix up items, or keep an eye on the kitchen timer.
Encourage your child to:
- Measure and pour ingredients
- Help stir and mix foods
- Share their thoughts about the cooking process
- Describe how the finished recipe tastes and looks
Get Creative with Sidewalk Chalk
Take creativity outdoors with a bucket of sidewalk chalk, which offers plenty of ways for your child to engage their imagination.
Try activities like:
- Drawing a sidewalk mural
- Designing a maze or hopscotch board
- Practicing letters, shapes, or numbers
- Creating obstacle course paths to follow
Backyard Picnic and Story Time
Have your child help pack up a simple lunch for a family picnic in your backyard or a nearby park.
During and after eating:
- Play a game of I Spy
- Explore and describe things you find in nature
- Make up stories about animals nearby
- Practice observation and communication skills
Build a Blanket Fort
Too hot to go outside? Use blankets, pillows, and chairs to create a cozy indoor fort together.
Encourage your child to:
- Help design the fort layout
- Gather materials and supplies
- Solve construction challenges
- Decorate with favorite toys and lights
Red, White, and Blue Popsicles
These festive summer popsicles are a fun way to keep kids cool while encouraging them to explore fresh fruit and help in the kitchen. Perfect for holiday celebrations or any warm summer afternoon.
- 2 cups strawberries, sliced
- 2 cups blueberries
- 5 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 2–4 teaspoons water, divided
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1 drop red food coloring
- 1 drop blue food coloring
- Popsicle molds
- In a bowl, combine strawberries with 3 tablespoons sugar and 1–2 teaspoons water. Let sit for 15–30 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine blueberries with 2 tablespoons sugar and 1–2 teaspoons water. Mash slightly and let sit for 15–30 minutes.
- In another bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and heavy whipping cream.
- Add 2–3 tablespoons of the coconut milk mixture and 1 drop of red food coloring to the strawberries.
- Repeat with the blueberry mixture, adding 2–3 tablespoons of the coconut milk mixture and 1 drop of blue food coloring.
- Fill each popsicle mold ⅓ full with the strawberry mixture, ⅓ with the coconut milk mixture, and ⅓ with the blueberry mixture.
- Freeze for 3–4 hours or until completely frozen.
- Remove from molds and enjoy!
Note: Plain Greek yogurt can be substituted for the heavy whipping cream if preferred.
We’re Hiring: Join Our Team!
Flourishing Lives is growing, and we’re looking for passionate occupational therapists, certified occupational therapy assistants, speech-language pathologists, SLP fellows, and mental health professionals to join our team! If you value connection, play-based learning, and helping children feel confident in their communication, we’d love to meet you.
Our unique approach includes:
- Play-based, child-led sessions that build trust and engagement
- Sensory-informed strategies to support attention and regulation
- Strong collaboration with families and other team members
- Focus on functional communication in real-life situations
If you’re looking for a supportive, team-oriented environment where you can make a meaningful impact, we encourage you to apply today.
Helping Families Thrive
Feel confident at the table again—without the power struggles
Mealtimes don’t have to be this hard
- You’re doing everything you can—cutting food just right, offering all the favorites, reading every tip online.
- And still, your child refuses to eat. Or cries. Or gags. Or throws their plate.
- You’re not failing. You’re just missing the right support.
- “Let’s change that”
