TUCKER, Ga. -- Summer can be crucial for keeping your kids sharp both mentally and physically.

The National Summer Learning Association has created a healthy summer campaign to encourage parents to take advantage of the summer to improve things for schools.

"When school doors close for the summer months, many children and families living in poverty face multiple, interrelated challenges. Learning loss, safety concerns, risk for obesity, and food insecurity all set children back developmentally and academically," according to the National Summer Learning Association.

There's a new workbook that can help parents in both those areas.

It's called "The Summer Fit: Exercises for the Brain and Body While Away From School."

ATLANTA -- This month, millions of kids begin their summer breaks, looking forward to vacations, pool time and carefree days. But studies and experience show a lack of mental stimulation causes them to unlearn much of what they were taught over the school year.  Boys & Girls Clubs across the country offer young people a safe, exciting place to spend their summer months, with staff and resources to fight the effects of this “Summer Brain Drain.”

The reality for today’s kids is that many will find themselves with few structured activities, caregivers who are working all day, and too much unsupervised television, video game and computer time.

President Touts Concerns Over Summer Learning

Also known as “summer learning loss” or the “summer slide,” this issue is a growing problem for American children.  In 2010, President Obama noted, “Students are losing a lot of what they learn during the school year during the summer.”