The PBS KIDS summertime theme weeks continue with “Monkey Business Week”. Curious George is the star of this week’s theme. Tune in to GPB’s kids’ programming at 2pm today for ”Night of the Weiner Dog.” Hundley, the doorman's dachshund, stays the night, and George goes all out to make him feel at home. Then, for Nature Week, he sets out to take a photograph of a duck-billed dinosaur that he believes is on the loose.

The show is sure to get the kids’ imaginations humming. Follow up this great programming and keep your child’s mind active with activities related to the program. You can have a “slumber party” for your stuffed animals like George did with Hundley, making beds out of boxes and tie in some talk about the importance of recycling and being a good friend, too. Or, go on a photo scavenger hunt. You and your child can make a scavenger hunt list by cutting out pictures from old magazines (more recycling!) and going on a nature walk to find the items you cut out.

Both of those activities are free and take practically no planning, but provide great opportunities for conversations with your children. The goal of PBS KIDS’ summer theme schedule is to keep kids interested in learning to prevent summer brain drain, that learning loss that happens during summer break. Give your child the edge this school year, which is only about 5 weeks away, by keeping them curious this summer.