fbpx

Keep Piano Practice Going During the Summer Months with the Summer Quest

If students don’t take lessons over the long summer break it can be tough to get them to keep practicing. We don’t want all the hard work put in over the year to get erased by 2-3 months of not touching a piano…so send them on a summer quest!

Although many of my students do take summer lessons, the schedule isn’t as predictable as during the year. The usual routines are broken and piano practice can often just get forgotten. Plus it can be hard to go inside and play piano when all the other kids are outside playing!

Changing things up a bit during the summer can really help to keep students focussed and avoid the summer backslide. There are many things I do a little differently for summer students, but practice needs to be mixed up a little too.

The ‘Summer Quest‘ is a challenge to complete different kinds of activities, and keeps little fingers reaching for the piano keys during the break. Tasks include composing, polishing up old pieces and playing for friends and family. I’m not expecting them to “move forward”- just to cement the skills they learnt during the year…and stop them moving backwards!

Summer Quest

(Click on the image to download the pdf.)

I also did up a blank version so you can fill in your own summer tasks to complete. Write anything you would love to see when students return in September. You could even do a different one for each student!

Summer Quest2

(Click on the image to download the pdf.)

By the by, if you want to improve your students’ practice quality in general, you need to get your hands on these practice step stickers. This is the simplest and most practical resources around to improve student practice strategies.

What do you do to switch up summer lessons?

Do you have any special ways to keep students practicing? Does the lessons format change in your studio?

Do you have your own version of a summer quest? I’d love to hear how it works in your neck of the woods.

P.S. If you’re looking for more ways to make practice fun and engaging you might want to check out Playful Practice and Pensive Practice – the cards that challenge piano students to keep their minds on at the piano.

8 thoughts on “Keep Piano Practice Going During the Summer Months with the Summer Quest”

  1. Great idea. I just came across your site and love your ideas. Even though summer is almost done, I’m still going to do this. I’m modifying it for the summer olympics. Thank you for sharing your ideas.

    Reply
  2. Thank you so much for sharing this! Im happy to share with students knowing that they have a way to continue using their skills instead of letting the keys collect dust b/c we have a break from lessons:)

    Reply

Leave a comment

Item added to cart.
0 items -  0.00