Summer Education and Enrichment

Summer is a time for play, sunshine, and family fun. However, prolonged periods without continued learning and studying can have unintended consequences on academic success. This phenomenon is known as the summer slide, and it can significantly impact the amount of knowledge that your children retain when they come back to school at the end of the summer. However, there are easy steps that parents and au pairs can follow to help ensure that a child's summer is filled with both moments for learning and fun!

What Is the Summer Slide?

The “summer slide” is a common term that refers to the learning loss that many children experience during the summer months when they are not engaged in regular educational activities. While a break is important for rest and recharging, studies show that most students lose up to two months of math skills over the summer. Reading comprehension can also decline, particularly if children aren’t reading regularly.

For younger children who are still developing foundational skills, taking too long of a break from school can set them back at the beginning of the school year, requiring extra time needed to relearn content. Over the course of multiple years, the summer slide can lead to cumulative learning gaps, especially for children who do not have access to enrichment opportunities during their time off.

The Research Behind Summer Learning Loss

Multiple studies have shown that the summer slide is not just anecdotal—it’s backed by decades of educational research. According to the National Summer Learning Association, students can lose 20% to 30% of the knowledge they gained over the school year during the summer months. This is equivalent to a month of learning! The losses are often greater in math than reading, but both areas can be affected.

According to a report conducted by Brown University, the amount of summer learning loss in a single year may seem insignificant, however this small figure compounds over time, resulting in a widening gap of knowledge loss. The cumulative impact of summer learning loss is even greater for children where were behind in school to begin with. While these figures may sound alarming, there are many actions parents can take to ensure their children remain up to speed, and ready to learn for the school year ahead.

Common Misconceptions About Summer Break

Many parents view summer as a time to keep the kids entertained while they work, often times completely unplugging from academics, and while rest is important, learning doesn’t have to stop. In fact, summer should be a great opportunity for children to have time for learning and retaining skills in a way that suits them best.

Summer learning doesn’t need to feel like school. In fact, the most effective learning often happens outside the classroom through everyday experiences. Cooking together can reinforce math and sequencing skills. A nature hike becomes a biology lesson. Writing postcards to relatives encourages literacy. The key is to find ways to make learning fun, engaging, and relevant to a child’s world. Having the right type of summer childcare, like hosting an au pair, can help ensure your children are enriched and educated all summer long.

How to Keep Kids Learning Over the Summer

To prevent the summer slide, children need opportunities to stay engaged, stimulated, and supported. Educational games, reading programs, museum visits, and everyday learning experiences can all make a difference.

One solution is bringing an au pair into your home for the summer to help. Hosting an au pair provides your family with flexible, and personalized childcare, so you can customize your children's care schedule to optimize their summer learning.

Top Educational Online Games and Resources

Parents and au pairs can use the following high-quality educational websites and games to supplement summer learning:

- Khan Academy (khanacademy.org): Free lessons in math, science, reading, and more for all ages.

- ABCmouse (abcmouse.com): An interactive platform for young learners (ages 2–8) covering reading, math, and art.

- PBS Kids Games (pbskids.org/games): Offers a range of educational games based on popular PBS characters.

- National Geographic Kids (kids.nationalgeographic.com): Science, animals, and geography resources that are fun and interactive.

- Prodigy Math (prodigygame.com): A game-based math platform for grades 1–8.

- Storyline Online (storylineonline.net): Features actors reading children’s books aloud.

- Duolingo (duolingo.com): Language learning for kids and adults in short, gamified lessons. Great resource for au pairs to help their host children learn their native language!

- TypingClub (typingclub.com): Helps kids improve their keyboarding skills through structured lessons and games.

How an Au Pair Can Help Prevent the Summer Slide

At AuPairCare, we understand that summer break often creates a gap—not only in learning but also in reliable childcare. That’s where our au pairs can step in to support both your family’s needs and your child’s educational journey.

Here’s how an au pair can help your child thrive this summer:

1. Enrichment Through Daily Routines

Au pairs provide live-in childcare, meaning they’re there while parents are away to guide your child through activities that encourage critical thinking, reading, and creativity. Whether it’s practicing math facts during a grocery run, setting up a backyard science experiment, or encouraging your child to read aloud during story time, au pairs weave learning into your child’s daily life.

2. Personalized Support

Unlike group settings like camps or day care, au pairs offer one-on-one attention tailored to your child’s interests, academic level, and needs. This individualized care helps reinforce skills your child learned during the school year, so they return to the classroom confident and ready.

3. Screen-Free Fun with Purpose

Part of the au pair's responsibility is engaging children through hands-on, educational play. An au pair can work with the parents to create goals and guidelines for their children's enrichment over the summer. This can look like children and au pairs heading to their local libraries to discover and read new books, go on nature scavenger hunts, or learning a new craft—all while continuing to develop problem-solving and language skills.

4. Cultural Learning

A major benefit of the au pair program is the cultural exchange brought into the home by the au pair, sharing their language and culture. Au pairs are young international visitors participating in a U.S. State Department-approved cultural exchange program. As part of their summer au pair childcare duties, they bring with them games, songs, traditions, and language from around their country, offering your child the chance to learn about new languages and cultures in exciting and engaging ways.

5. Consistent Care All Summer Long

With flexible scheduling, having an au pair can adapt to your family’s summer plans—whether you need help with summer sports pick-ups, assistance with light childcare-related chores, or providing all-day childcare at home. Having consistency in your family’s care schedule is key in maintaining routines that support learning and growth for your children.

Take a look at the sample activities an au pair can plan for their host children!

1. Create a library summer reading challenge with small prizes or certificates for each book read.

2. Keep a daily journal where your child writes a few sentences about their day.

3. Practice math using real-world examples like shopping, measuring, or budgeting.

4. Set themed weeks like ‘Science Week,’ ‘Art Week,’ or ‘Nature Week’ to focus activities and keep things exciting.

5. Explore your local library’s summer reading programs or virtual learning resources.

In all of these activities, an au pair can play a key role in maintaining momentum and excitement around learning. Their presence adds structure to your child’s day while still leaving room for creativity and play.

How have host families benefitted?

Many host families have shared how their au pairs helped their children grow academically and emotionally over the summer months. Whether it’s preparing for a new school year, catching up on reading skills, or simply staying curious, the feedback is clear: an au pair is more than a caregiver—they’re a summer learning ally.

“Our au pair turned everyday activities into fun math lessons. While baking together, she helped my daughter understand fractions by measuring ingredients and doubling recipes. They even created a ‘fraction wall’ in the kitchen to visualize it all. When school started again, her teacher was impressed with how confidently she worked with fractions.” - Amy, host mom from California

“Last summer, our au pair organized a weekly book club with our kids. They took turns reading aloud and even acted out scenes from their favorite stories. It made reading fun, and it kept them engaged without even realizing they were learning.” - Steve, host dad from New Jersey

Turn Summer Into a Season of Growth

While the summer slide is a real challenge for many families, it doesn’t have to be inevitable. With the support of an au pair, your child can enjoy a summer full of fun, enrichment, and educational exploration—and start the new school year stronger than ever.

Interested in learning more? Contact us today to find out how AuPairCare can help you match with an au pair who’s ready to support your child’s learning and your family’s summer schedule.

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