Cahiers de vacances

Les Cahiers de vacances translates to 'holiday workbooks', and that’s exactly what they are. That's right - for French school students, the homework doesn't stop once you leave school for the summer holidays. These workbooks aren’t your typical after-school learning materials, however. They are more like fun activity books that help students - particularly younger students at école élémentaire, or primary school - revise maths, literacy and other subjects in a more relaxed, informal manner than they may be used to at school. The cahiers, which are often colourful and cartoonish, are full of fun illustrations and activities that help turn learning and revision into something a little more exciting.

More than just a type of exercise book, the Cahiers de vacances are a French tradition that dates back nearly a century to the 1930s. The first Cahiers de vacances were created by Roger Magnard, a Parisian bookseller and publisher.

In France, school summer breaks are typically eight weeks. Magnard was concerned that French school students would forget much of what they had learned at school over the long break, so he devised a way of encouraging students to keep up their learning over the holidays in a way that wouldn't feel like school hadn't really come to an end. Éditions Magnard was the first publishing company to produce les cahiers de vacances, although there are now dozens of publishing houses that produce these fun little workbooks, including Nathan, Hatier and Hachette.

Les cahiers de vacances shot up in popularity after the Second World War. Recurring characters have become a mainstay in many of the books, such as Petit Nathan or Max et Lili, while popular children's shows and entertainment channels have brought out their own Cahiers de vacance featuring characters such as Tintin or even Disney characters.

Nowadays, it’s possible to find Les cahiers de vacances for older kids, and even adults who don’t want to let themselves relax too much over the summer. The cahiers for older kids may be geared towards specific exams, while the cahiers for adults are often more humorous in tone, and can be more challenging. Over four million Cahiers de vacances are sold every year in France now, and they have become a staple of French education. You can also find them in French-speaking regions of other countries, such as Belgium, Switzerland and Canada - and even celebrities like Rihanna have been known to introduce these fun workbooks to their children!