At the end of every school year, I emailed my students’ parents Mrs. Marla’s Summer Playbook of how tos, what fors, and why nots for continued speech and language practice at home. In retrospect, it was too long, too overwhelming, and likely never read by any of them. After twenty plus years of trying to cover too much, I have boiled my summer list down to three things: rest, play, and read.

Most parents do not have the opportunity for summers off. Once school is out, many folks have to leave their children with grandmas, babysitters, nannies, older siblings, or in more formal daycare situations and go to work. Lots of families make the summer camp circuit. Regardless of what you do or have to do this summer, try to REST.

There was a time when I wanted my boys to have something to do every second—baseball, swim lessons, piano lessons, art camp, and on and on and on. We could have rested! I’m not saying these opportunities were not valuable or not worth the hefty price tag. I’m saying, rest! Take naps. Be bored. Go to bed early. Sleep late and watch cartoons on Saturday. Go to church and eat dinner with grandma on Sunday, and then nap again. Our bodies and our children’s bodies are begging for rest. Unplug. Tune out. Lay in the grass and watch the clouds; rest.

I am afraid that play is a dying art. We do not play anymore. What happened? Children need to play. They need to get messy and scrape their knees. They need to spill things and build things. Play is children’s work; it is how they learn.

I once made a one sheet for my parents of no-prep, no-prop games to play with their children. Examples include: Hide-n-seek. Freeze tag. Red Rover. Red Light Green Light. Mother May I? Simon Says. I Spy. Pass the Secret. Telephone. Most of these games are oldies-but-goodie-games we played with each other a long time ago.

I am not a crafty person, but I love scissors and glue on a rainy day. While glitter and slime are banned from my own house, I do love play dough, paint, sticks, mud, sand, water, markers, stamps, stickers, and crayons.

Never underestimate the intrigue of kitchen pots and pans and tupperware and cups—just put the knives and forks out of reach. Banging on lids and stacking cups and opening and closing drawers bring real joy to toddlers. Pretend tea parties and “playing” chef turn into real cooking practice and learning how to make simple things. Following a recipe is natural math practice and a lesson in patience.

Dear friends, you know my love of the written word. I need not belabor it here. Read to your children. Let them see you reading. Visit the library together. Make up funny stories and share them. Illustrate your favorite stories. Challenge your child to write down a favorite story told by a grandparent, family member, or friend. Make up alternate endings to books you read together. The power of reading is infinite.

Have the best summer friends. Enjoy your families. Enjoy your pets. I hope you get a little me time too.

Love Y’all, Marla