Avoiding the summer slide

We all know that over the summer, kids lose, on average, 30 percent of what they learned in the previous school year. Keeping their minds active and engaged while they’re on vacation will help them start the new school year ready to learn. Here are some great activities that will keep your children’s minds sharp.

“Hoakes Island: A Fiendish Puzzle Adventure”

by Helen Friel and Ian Friel, Laurence King Publishing

Written and designed by a father- daughter team, this book is an escape-the-room type mystery in which you follow clues, decipher codes, solve puzzles and analyze notes. The goal is to find Henry Hoakes, who’s gone missing, and save the marvelous amusement park that bears his name from being destroyed by dastardly developers. It’s smart, challenging, thought-provoking, collaborative, and, most of all, lots of fun. For ages 7 and older. $19.99 on amazon.com

Genius Kit

Osmo

Parents often complain their kids spend too much time in front of screens. While that’s a valid concern, the reality is screens aren’t going anywhere, so we need to figure out how to take advantage of the learning opportunities they offer without going overboard. Osmo has figured out the perfect way to blend the best of on-screen education with engaging hands-on, object-manipulation activities that can only be done off screen. Osmo turns an iPad into a learning laboratory with five games that stimulate visual thinking, problem-solving, creative thinking, art, reading, spelling and math. For iPad only (not for Android tablets). Ages 5-12. About $95. playosmo.com/en