Summer boredom can really suck the life out of children. As a parent, it’s easy to assume that a grand vacation trip is enough to suffice for summer entertainment. However, children wake up every day with the heart for a new adventure. Knowing this, consider these four great ways that you can keep your children entertained and productive.
Reading
It’s really easy for children to sit in front of the television or scroll through their phones for hours. Instead, make sure their brains don’t turn to mush by encouraging the practice of reading. Most children tend to have summer reading lists. Make sure they’re actively working through that list.
Arts and Crafts Hour
Most children love to work with their hands. This is why arts and crafts are perfect for any season. During the summer months, create an hour (or a few hours) where your children can focus on different crafts. Slime always tends to be a big hit with children. Consider using a slime recipe without borax. Other craft project ideas include paper mâché figurines, shrinky dinks and watercolor painting.
Daily Field Trip
If you’ve been stuck in the house all day, it can get a little depressing. This is why it’s great to get out of the house to get some fresh air on a daily basis. Try to plan a field trip for each day. Check out the local paper or apps to find out about interesting kid-friendly events in your area. Try to mix up the schedule. Take the kids out for ice cream on Monday. Go see a movie on Tuesday. Visit the library on Wednesday. Take a trip to the local children’s museum on Thursday. Set up a picnic in the park on Friday.
Personal Hobby
It’s really wise to treat your children like individuals and celebrate their differences. While you might want all of the children to become lovers of music, one might prefer to build trains. Encourage each child to find a summer hobby that they spend time cultivating over the summer. They can choose to spend twenty minutes or an hour on that one hobby. If they love gymnastics, purchase a few mats so they can practice their technique. If one loves to build robots, purchase an age-appropriate robotics kit. Make sure it’s a hobby they actually enjoy.
The key to a fun summer activity involves the attitude you have about. If you try to make each summer activity feel like a grand experience, the children will enjoy it. Also, don’t forget the beauty of quiet time. After lunch, make sure the children go down for a nap for an hour. By the way, you can take a nap too. After all, you deserve it!