My son went to various sport camps last summer - swimming, tennis, basketball/football, soccer, fending, ice skating. He was not interested in academics back then so we focused on his physical development and attention. This summer, we have been trying to protect his 30 min reading time each day after the sports camps. So far, he actually reads more than 30 min each day because he wants to read. We bought about 30 books when the summer starts and I guess he will keep reading until he finishes all those books.
For math, I plan to teach him multiplication table and simple division during the last two weeks of August. I read from here that they need those skills in 3rd grade. His 2nd grade teacher also asked parents to work on telling time since they did not have enough time to cover this topic last school year.

As many other parents here, we are a little bit nervous about AAP because we don't know what to expect. Almost all kids have IQs above 130 and some are extremely bright, while my son has an IQ only at the 130 mark. IQ wise, he will be one of the lowest kids. So theoretically, we should focus more on academic development. However, we also feel that physical development somehow is more important for boys than academics. So we are trying to balance. Now his schedule is 8 hours sports and 1 hour reading each day. We plan to make it 7 hour sports and 2 hour academic in August.
Please share if there are certain skills they must know before the start of 3rd grade. Thanks

Those activities sound wonderful, OP. I wish we had the money for them. Your child is lucky.

volunteer on an Indian reservation
teach math to inner city youth
study French, in France - or take any other language instruction at Concordia language villages
Space Camp in Huntsville, AL was fun
the Acadia Oceanographic Institute in Maine is excellent.
There are several others
- DC is 12 and has visited 46 states - still 4 to go!
So many things to do.
This running around the neighborhood "exploring" business certainly is fine for kids up to about 7, but after that I should think some better type of enrichment would be preferable.

Anonymous wrote:Our DC is a rising 2nd grader (so AAP is not available yet) and she requested a 4 week academic camp at the school where she attends camp all summer. We attended a family event the week school let out and then they spent the week with grandparents last week while DH and I were out of town. Our rising 2nd grader will attend an academic camp (half day language arts; half day math) for 4 weeks, then a sports camp, then a cooking camp. The final two weeks of summer may be spent with a friend or a babysitter (still working out the details).

We looked through the camp options and she picked out the academic camp. We tried to pursuade her towards more sports camps but she was miserable last year so we went with it. I'm on the fence with how I feel about it because we would like her to be more well rounded, but I think she was so understimulated in 1st grade that this will actually be exciting for her.

Which academic camp? I've been ooking for combined half day language and math as well. Looks like most are either all day math for 1 week or all day Reading and writing for 1 week. Thanks

Today is a typical summer day. Wake up, help himself to croissant and milk, 20 minutes of reading & math, play with dog, watch tv, ride bike 4 miles with dad, hit golf balls with dad, meet mom for lunch, play with friend outside (inscribe name on Aspen tree, cut sap off tree with butter knife, water the lawn and his buddy), one hour of martial arts, eat dinner, 20 minutes of reading and math, watch tv, play with dog, go to sleep...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DC is a rising 2nd grader (so AAP is not available yet) and she requested a 4 week academic camp at the school where she attends camp all summer. We attended a family event the week school let out and then they spent the week with grandparents last week while DH and I were out of town. Our rising 2nd grader will attend an academic camp (half day language arts; half day math) for 4 weeks, then a sports camp, then a cooking camp. The final two weeks of summer may be spent with a friend or a babysitter (still working out the details).

We looked through the camp options and she picked out the academic camp. We tried to pursuade her towards more sports camps but she was miserable last year so we went with it. I'm on the fence with how I feel about it because we would like her to be more well rounded, but I think she was so understimulated in 1st grade that this will actually be exciting for her.

Curious why you responded since you have a non-AAP kid.

Why did you think that..l

Um, played, watched Sponge Bob or similar TV, went to the pool, ate junk food ... in other words, acted like kids. But they have old fashioned GT/AAP intelligence, not the forced kind.

Anonymous wrote:Our DC is a rising 2nd grader (so AAP is not available yet) and she requested a 4 week academic camp at the school where she attends camp all summer. We attended a family event the week school let out and then they spent the week with grandparents last week while DH and I were out of town. Our rising 2nd grader will attend an academic camp (half day language arts; half day math) for 4 weeks, then a sports camp, then a cooking camp. The final two weeks of summer may be spent with a friend or a babysitter (still working out the details).

We looked through the camp options and she picked out the academic camp. We tried to pursuade her towards more sports camps but she was miserable last year so we went with it. I'm on the fence with how I feel about it because we would like her to be more well rounded, but I think she was so understimulated in 1st grade that this will actually be exciting for her.

Curious why you responded since you have a non-AAP kid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here is a sample of my AAP's normal summer day when he was younger:

Wake up early around 8:00-ish, help himself to sweet cereal or pop tarts.
Turn on the TV. 1-2 hours of Phineas and Ferb, Ben 10, Pokémon, etc until mom rolls out of bed.
Video games or DS, 1-2 hours
Lunch (processed Lunchables, Cheetos, Funyuns, and pre-sweetened juice or chocolate milk)
Run around outside, 1 hour +/- depending on mosquitos
Legos or more video games, usually until dinner time
Dinner
Swimming pool
TV
Bed
Sneak books until around midnight when I catch him with a flashlight under the covers reading
Sleep.

This is pretty much us as well.

My sister calls that "Camp TV and Computer."

Anonymous wrote:Our DC is a rising 2nd grader (so AAP is not available yet) and she requested a 4 week academic camp at the school where she attends camp all summer. We attended a family event the week school let out and then they spent the week with grandparents last week while DH and I were out of town. Our rising 2nd grader will attend an academic camp (half day language arts; half day math) for 4 weeks, then a sports camp, then a cooking camp. The final two weeks of summer may be spent with a friend or a babysitter (still working out the details).

We looked through the camp options and she picked out the academic camp. We tried to pursuade her towards more sports camps but she was miserable last year so we went with it. I'm on the fence with how I feel about it because we would like her to be more well rounded, but I think she was so understimulated in 1st grade that this will actually be exciting for her.

What is the name of the 4 week academic camp?

Our DC is a rising 2nd grader (so AAP is not available yet) and she requested a 4 week academic camp at the school where she attends camp all summer. We attended a family event the week school let out and then they spent the week with grandparents last week while DH and I were out of town. Our rising 2nd grader will attend an academic camp (half day language arts; half day math) for 4 weeks, then a sports camp, then a cooking camp. The final two weeks of summer may be spent with a friend or a babysitter (still working out the details).

We looked through the camp options and she picked out the academic camp. We tried to pursuade her towards more sports camps but she was miserable last year so we went with it. I'm on the fence with how I feel about it because we would like her to be more well rounded, but I think she was so understimulated in 1st grade that this will actually be exciting for her.

Anonymous wrote:Most kids are doing something. Unstructured play is something. It is teaching people skills: conflict resolution and leadership.

In the long run, that may be more valuable then test prep camp. You know why? in 20 years, people skills matter more than AAP.

Yes.
Also, kids engaged in unstructured play learn how to come up with their own ideas, not simply do what they are told to do by others. As a side note, "unstructured play" does not mean "unsupervised" play. An adult is nearby and can intervene if play becomes inappropriate, but is not planning and directing play.

Anonymous wrote:^ just had to drop kid off at TIC summer camp. Terrific stuff. And you know what?, they work in groups so can learn "people skills," conflict resolution and leadership. That as well as animation, robotics, web design etc!

+1

Both of my AAP kids love TIC summer camp. They also do sports so it is not all technology.

^ just had to drop kid off at TIC summer camp. Terrific stuff. And you know what?, they work in groups so can learn "people skills," conflict resolution and leadership. That as well as animation, robotics, web design etc!

Most kids are doing something. Unstructured play is something. It is teaching people skills: conflict resolution and leadership.

In the long run, that may be more valuable then test prep camp. You know why? in 20 years, people skills matter more than AAP.