Summer school or summer play?

To ensure their children have a truly meaningful summer, without being distracted from their studies, and to develop essential skills, many parents are seeking and implementing "learning through play, playing through learning" models.

Due to the nature of his job, Mr. Nguyen Minh Hien, residing in An Chau commune, shared that the long commute severely limits his time for caring for and transporting his children. During the summer break, his two children (the older one 10 years old, the younger one 5 years old) are often home. Both he and his wife work and cannot constantly be with their children, while leaving them home alone worries them of spending all day watching TV or using phones. “My wife and I want to find a suitable summer school, but we haven’t found one we like yet. Partly because of the pressure of transportation, and partly because we fear that if we continue to force our children to attend school throughout these months, we will inadvertently take away their space for play and their meaningful summer. Honestly, balancing learning and play for our children is a very difficult problem,” Mr. Hien confided.

Mr. Hien's plan is to take advantage of weekends or weekday afternoons to register his children for experiential activities and summer clubs at the Provincial Library. According to Mr. Hien, going to the library ensures his children have a safe and healthy space to play and read under the supervision of library staff, instead of being glued to their phone screens at home.

Balancing study and leisure time at the library is a popular choice for many high school students. Photo: Phuong Lan

Mr. Hien's proactive approach to summer vacation reflects the common mindset of many parents today who seek natural, relaxing experiences for their children. At the small house of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Huong in Binh Hoa commune, these summer days are filled with laughter in a very simple way because this year, her two city-dwelling grandchildren have been sent back to the countryside to play with her two daughters.

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Ms. Huong's parenting style is also very natural and effective. She shared: "In the countryside, there's plenty of space, so the children set up their play sets together. When they get tired of playing, they turn to each other to practice reading and writing, and then help me with housework like cleaning up toys and tidying clothes. I think letting children develop themselves in such an environment is great; they learn while playing, increase their independence, and don't feel pressured."

From a different perspective, focusing on holistic development in both physical and skills, Mr. Phan Tan Loc, residing in Binh Duc ward, has a plan for his son's summer vacation that incorporates sports activities. His son recently went through a stressful and demanding entrance exam for 10th grade. Therefore, as soon as the exam ended, he decided to let his son relax and rest completely for a while before starting to look for extra classes to prepare for high school with core subjects like Math and English. During these days, his son and his close friends often get together to improve their health through sports such as football and especially swimming. According to Mr. Loc, for now, he lets his son freely experience and practice important survival skills like swimming to improve his health and self-confidence.

Children from Mang Non Kindergarten, Long Xuyen Ward, participate in the closing ceremony - children happily welcome summer. Photo: PHUONG LAN

To address parents' concerns and provide students with a comprehensive summer activity environment, the Provincial Library is implementing a plan to organize summer activities in 2026. With the theme "A Fun Summer with Books - Discovering Knowledge, Developing Skills," the series of activities will take place from June to the end of August 2026 at both locations in Rach Gia Ward and Long Xuyen Ward.

This year, the Provincial Library is particularly targeting readers aged 7-15 with a new, diverse, and highly engaging program. The first in this series of activities is a thematic exchange program titled "From Books to Film and Theater," taking place in June 2026 at both locations. The guest speaker is writer Le Quang Trang, a member of the Vietnam Writers Association. This program will help middle school students understand the connection between literature and film and theater through vivid film excerpts and engaging interactive games. Following that, from June 22nd to 27th, those passionate about intellectual sports will be able to participate in the "Children's Chess Tournament." This is a thrilling intellectual competition aimed at discovering, encouraging, and rewarding young chess talents in the area.

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PHUONG LAN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/hoc-he-hay-choi-he-a489783.html