Turn Summer Holidays Into 11+ Learning – Without the Stress

Family days out, holidays, and exam prep? Yes, they can go together.

If your child is sitting the 11+ this September, summer can feel like a tug of war between sunshine and study. But here’s the good news: some of the best preparation doesn’t come from a workbook. It comes from curiosity, conversation, and creativity—things you’re probably already doing on your family days out.

In this post, I’ll show you how to turn beach walks, castle visits, and long car journeys into meaningful, low-pressure revision that builds the exact skills your child will need in the 11+ exam.

A family visit to a museum or stately home isn’t just fun—it’s packed with learning opportunities.

📌 Try this:
After your visit, ask your child to describe:

• What they learned

• What surprised them

• What they’d recommend to a friend

Then, challenge them to write:

• A diary entry from the day

• A museum review

• A letter to a friend describing the experience

Skills covered: Comprehension, inference, sequencing, and written expression—all key elements of 11+ English.

The great outdoors is a brilliant prompt for sensory description and creative writing.

📌 Try this:

• Ask your child to describe the scene using all five senses.

• Challenge them to find five powerful adjectives for the sea, the trees, or even the ice cream van.

• Later, get them to write a setting description or start a short story using that scene.

Bonus idea: Bring a notebook and let them sketch or jot down quick phrases as they explore.

Skills covered: Vocabulary building, figurative language, and sentence variety.

Whether you’re heading down the motorway or stuck in traffic, journeys are perfect for quick, brain-boosting games.

📌 Try this:

• Play word association or “odd one out” games.

• Spot synonyms or antonyms on signs and billboards.

• Create 3-letter or 4-letter word ladders.

• Do mental maths with prices, distances, or road signs.

Skills covered: Vocabulary, verbal reasoning, logic, and number fluency—all without opening a book.

Let your child take a few pictures during your day out, then turn them into story starters or diary entries later that week.

📌 Try this:

• Choose one photo and imagine what happened just before or just after.

• Write a short scene or character description based on the image.

• Turn the whole day into a “mini memoir” or pretend it was part of a mystery story.

Skills covered: Imagination, sentence structure, planning, and editing.

This kind of learning is powerful because it’s:

• Low pressure (no exam stress)

• Natural (woven into family time)

• Flexible (you can tailor it to your child’s interests)

It keeps the brain active, the skills ticking over, and your child’s confidence growing—all while they’re having fun.

It’s not a replacement for more structured revision (like practice papers or targeted tuition), but it’s a brilliant companion to it.

At TJ Tutors, we run summer revision programmes designed to:

• Support your child’s learning without overwhelming them

• Build confidence in comprehension, creative writing, verbal and non-verbal reasoning

• Work around your family plans

💻 Live online classes

✍️ Individual feedback

⏰ Flexible scheduling

📅 Explore the full programme here:
👉 https://www.tjtutors.co.uk/summer2025

Or book a free call to chat about your child’s needs:
📞 https://calendly.com/tj-tutors/consultation-call