Middle School Feed Your Brain: Summer 2021 Edition

To help our students use their summer effectively and prepare for the fall, we want to share a list of activities and opportunities for students to feed their brains while away from school.

The list includes options that are indoor and outdoor, as well as a variety of ways for students to engage with the world around them to feed their brains!

Please note: This list is merely a sampling to inspire students to think creatively and get started.

LEARN

General knowledge

• Learning something new with Khan Academy
• Check out free classes from Coursera, edx, Lynda, and Khan Academy
• Visit a museum or take a virtual tour of a museum
• Learn, play, and give back with Free Rice. (Each correct response in the game sends a financial payment to the World Food Programme (WFP) to support its work saving and changing lives around the world.)

Math skills

• Focal points for 6th, 7th, 8th grades
• New Math: 6th grade | 7th grade | 8th grade
• Sharpen & develop your math brain

Language skills

• Learn or practice a language with Memrise or Duolingo

Code

• Learn to code in p5
• Code

MOVE

• Go for a swim
• Ride a bike
• Do yoga
• Get active and save lives with UNICEF Kid Power

CONNECT

• Volunteer in person or remotely for an organization
• Interview friends and family and make a podcast
• Connect with nature through Mass Audubon’s in-person and online nature-based programs. Nature Walks and the Firefly Watch Community Science Project are two of the many options!

NOURISH

• Cook something!
• Plant some vegetables, herbs, or flowers in your yard or a planter

Design & create

• Paint, draw, or make art
• Woodworking and DIY Furniture
• Build and fly your own kite
• Design your own board game
• Build something out of found objects

BE

Relaxation & mindfulness

• Take a mindfulness break
• Go for a nature walk
• Color
• Take a beach day
• Visit a public museum, garden, or park

Read

• Read a book
• Read a book from the ProjectLIT recommended list
• Do a summer reading challenge

Write

• Write a short story, poem, novel, or whatever you like
• Keep a diary or journal. Write down feelings throughout the day
• Keep a gratitude log. At the end of each day, write down what you are thankful for

Listen

• Play music in the house to shift or influence the mood in your home
• Listen to a Podcast

Bonus: Exercise Your Brain

• Play these Brain Games to enhance the power of your brain