May.31, 2011 in Keeping Your Kids Busy During Summer Vacation
By: Mp Nursing
Summer is fun-filled. Summer is relaxing. Summer is…”I’m boooored”? Uh-oh, those dreaded words no parent ever wants to hear. So how do you keep the kids busy during summer vacation? How do you fill seven days a week with activities for the kids over summer vacation without overrunning your budget?
First of all, put the kids to work!
•They can run a lemonade stand. Lemonade stands teach finance, sales and customer service lessons!
•Planting a garden is something you can do together with either flowers or vegetables. Periodic watering and weeding reinforces responsibility.
•A sponge, soap and hose make the perfect car wash. This allows them to have fun on those hot summer days with the other kids on the block, while helping the neighborhood parents cross something off the honey-do list.
•Letting the kids paint the fence may seem like a bad idea (depending on their age), but not if they’re using a brush and bucket of water (or a hose). You might end up with a clean fence, and they’ll definitely have fun helping you out!
•There are always plenty of chores around the house: have them help clean out the garage, their rooms, the game closet…the list goes on. If you hide some goodies in the area to be cleaned, it can even become a treasure hunt.
Secondly, keep them thinking!
•The local library may have kid-centric reading programs planned for the summer. Whether or not they do, though, try to fill at least a good portion of one day a week with books. It’s important to keep them sharp for September.
•Nature walks will give them plenty of exercise, and kids always find cool stuff along the way. Let them collect interesting leaves, acorns or other natural flora, which you can help them learn more about on the internet.
•Museums and zoos offer great learning opportunities (as well as tons of energy-sapping exercise), and many offer ‘kids-are-free’ days. Identify your kids’ interests…do they like music? How about a tour of that local guitar manufacturer? Do they like airplanes? A trip to the airport will prove exciting for them! Be creative.
Lastly, let them have fun!
•Look around the house for things that would make a good obstacle course in the yard. Have the kids help design it, then turn them loose and let them compete!
•Summer means swimming. If you, the neighbors, family or friends don’t have a pool, check to see if local community pools are available. Or buy a Slip & Slide for the backyard and hook up the hose!
•Movies are a nice break from the heat, and during the summer lots of theatres run money-saving specials for the kids.
•Organized sports like baseball teach good sportsmanship and offer the kids tons of opportunities to make new friends. Local communities offer teams over some of the summer months.
Remember the main objective is to keep them busy and let them have fun. But also remember the side objective…to tire them out so they sleep as soundly as you long to! Rotate activity days with other parents so you can even steal a few hours of precious time for yourself.
What are your favorite inexpensive summer activities for kids?
