This Final Event is a FREE Playdate with Tips and Games for Young Writers + Money Saver Tips for Family + Intel Top Family Friendly Events in SA this Summer + Splash Pad
Hosted by San Antonio Charter Moms, this final event is a family-friendly, FREE playdate on July 14th with a focus on helping kiddos develop pre-writing dexterity skills as the pandemic caused developmental delays in many young children. The summer is a great time to make up for lost time and pick up some fun tips and tricks to use at home to help give our children the assist they need to succeed inside the classroom and out. While at the event, families can visit with on-site experts from San Antonio Charter Moms and Alamo City Moms about money saver tips for family fun, school choice options, enrollment deadlines, the best ways to beat summer boredom with their ultimate summer bucket list, summer camp guide, biking-hiking guide, free museum hours guide and much more to make your summer sizzle! (More about the Summer of Play Series below.)
WHAT: Strong Hands Strong Writers: A Playdate with TamboRhythms
Pre-writing skills are the foundational strokes and forms that children need to develop before writing. They are the basis for letter formation. These skills typically begin to develop at one year and progress through 5 years of age but with the pandemic, much of this development was delayed. Jorge Ochoa, a school-based occupational therapist who helps students develop pre-writing skills, joins us to offer resources and tips for having fun with common objects found at home, all while building stronger hands and preparing strong writers.
WHERE:
SPLASH PAD at Pearsall Park
4838 Old Pearsall Rd. | San Antonio, TX 78242
WHEN:
Thursday, July 14, 2022, at 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Missed the June Summer of Play events? SACM has you covered. Families can access creative games, print-outs and how-to video tutorials from education experts in the STEMulate Curiosity blog post on the topic of keeping math skills sharp this summer with hands-on activities like outdoor games, scavenger hunts and more. And perhaps the most commonly developed pandemic bad habit of all and often the hardest to break… too much screentime! Mandy Majors and Kim Elerick, co-hosts of the nextTalk podcast with over 2M podcast listeners in more than 60 countries, offer invaluable tips on establishing screen guidelines through open communication, teaching kids when to report to an adult, and going beyond screens to build good habits for the summer and beyond in the Conversations to Connect blogpost. Parents need to have “the digital talk” earlier than they think.
WHO:
San Antonio Charter Moms offers several online communities designed to fulfill the nonprofit’s mission of being the most trusted information source on education in the region. The Facebook discussion group serves as a sounding board and support group to nearly 9,500 “parents helping parents” as they seek guidance on everything from navigating school choice options, summer camps, post-pandemic parenting, cultural enrichment activities and much more. Charter Moms Chats includes live conversations on Facebook where Cotton and guests walk families through pressing education-based topics. The San Antonio Charter Moms website offers a wealth of education-based information, including an in-depth school search tool, the School Choice Guide, designed for searching open enrollment and in-district charter schools in and around San Antonio. The guide is also accessible via mobile app.
About Summer of Play Series
San Antonio Charter Moms invites families to have some fun in the sun while learning a thing or two during the Summer of Play event series. The family-friendly meetups are designed to help children shed bad habits brought on by the pandemic while having a ton of fun along the way. From increasing finger strength and dexterity to balancing screen time and sharpening social skills – each event offers valuable educational tips from local experts mixed with creative, hands-on activities to keep kids entertained.
Summer of Play brings San Antonio Charter Moms’ thriving online community to life through in-person playdates with an informative twist. The casual come-and-go events are free and open to the public at area splash pads around the city. San Antonio Charter Moms Founder and Executive Director, Inga Cotton and team will be on-site to answer education-related questions offering families an ideal opportunity to go straight to the source for expert advice. From discussing local school options, school search tips and expert resources to free enrichment activities around town, learning loss solutions and so much more. Additionally, representatives from Alamo City Moms will be on site to share insight from their ultimate summer bucket list of things to do around town, summer camp guide and more.
“Summer presents an ideal time for us all to regroup and get kids back on track by introducing and enforcing good habits and saying goodbye to the bad. After speaking with hundreds of parents, students and educators alike, there is no doubt the pandemic took its toll academically and socially. With all that has happened over the last few years; we can’t wait to come together to discuss post-pandemic challenges and solutions. But mostly, we look forward to having some fun as we laugh, learn and share,” said Inga Cotton, Founder and Executive Director of San Antonio Charter Moms.
Summer of Play is designed as a celebratory next chapter to the nonprofit’s award-winning Charter a Voyage of Learning campaign launched at the start of the pandemic to help parents navigate distance learning and parenting challenges while social distancing. Due to its success, the campaign continues to grow and evolve, offering activities and online support to keep children active, learning, and having fun through the summer and beyond. Summer of Play events are free and open to the public. Families are encouraged to bring a sack lunch and stay awhile.