HP And Highlights Magazine Team Up For ‘Bite Sized Lessons’ To Combat Summer Learning Loss

HP is tackling “summer brain drain” with a playful new initiative designed to transform mealtime into a moment of connection and curiosity for kids.

The company has partnered with Highlights for Children, the beloved kids’ magazine, and Harvard Universitys Dr. Elizabeth Bonawitz to create Bite Sized Lessons — a collection of free printable placemats aimed at sparking imagination and critical thinking in children ages 5 to 10.

The 20 placemats, released July 23, combine educational science with kid-friendly visuals to combat what researchers call the summer slide, when students lose up to a third of their math skills gained during the school year. The activities feature topics ranging from music and sports to nature and animals and are rooted in evidence-based principles that turn learning into an adventure rather than a chore.

Bonawitz, an associate professor of Learning Sciences at Harvard University, is widely recognized for her research on how children learn through exploration, curiosity and explanation-based thinking in everyday environments. Her collaboration with HP and Highlights brings those findings into homes nationwide in a format designed to feel more like an adventure than homework.

The placemats are designed to encourage families to share discovery and conversation at the dinner table, an approach linked to stronger academic outcomes and better retention. In an era where attention spans are shrinking and screen time is on the rise, the initiative leans on print as a proven way to keep kids engaged in meaningful dialogue.

HP describes Bite Sized Lessons as “a fresh take on creative learning” that merges educational science with playful prompts to inspire curiosity and family connection. The materials are now available for free on HPs Learning Hub, just in time for families preparing for the upcoming school year.