If you are anything like me, you love summer! There are always fun community events popping up, the kids can spend hours playing outside, you get to make salads and lemonade, yardsales are in full swing, and it’s a great time to go for a swim. Unfortunately, the hotter it gets outside, the quicker I lose my cool! My kids start bugging me, swearing that they’re SO bored and SO thirsty and SO wide awake at night because the sun is still up at bedtime… it goes on and on. If you thought the cabin fever of winter was bad, summer can be ten times worse!
I’ve put together a few tips to help you to keep your cool. Hopefully these ideas can help you out!
When They Say, “I’m BORED!”:
*Create a scavenger hunt for them. Make it educational or make it purely for fun… but it’ll really mix things up! And to make it even more fun, take photos and video along the way.
*Make a commercial. Let the kids borrow a digital camera or video camera and have them make up some commercials for products they like or get several kids together to do mock interview-type shows. Add in a few instruments or a karaoke machine and they could have their own talk show! When they’re done, get everyone together to watch it. Older kids could also spend hours
editing it prior to the big reveal.
*Let them plan a trip or a staycation. For older children, have them figure out a route to take, approximately how much money would be required for food, gas, entertainment, and lodging. Consider actually taking the trip at some point in the summer if it is possible and see how accurate they were.
*Join the local library’s summer reading club.
*Get penpals OR find local friends with kids of similar ages. You can become local “pen pals” and drop off letters or boxes of goodies on a regular basis to each other. All kids love mail and packages.
*Engage in art! Have them take some free drawing lessons online.
*Create an obstacle course. This can be indoors or outdoors and can use just about anything! Jumpropes, cones, laundry baskets, 2 by 4s, mini trampolines, hula hoops, stools, cups, trees, tires, and more all make excellent additions to a fun course.
*Help them start a lemonade stand, babysitting service, or cleaning business!
When It’s TOO HOT To Go Outside:
*Have a movie day! Pop some popcorn, drink some soda, eat some candy, and enjoy a great movie. The bonus is that it costs practically nothing at home and you can always pause it for bathroom breaks!
*Create indoor forts! Use blankets, chairs, tables, pillows, sheets, etc and let the older kids help design it.
*Create an indoor field day! Three legged races, ring toss, jumping contests, and more are all totally doable indoors and totally fun!
*Paint! Fingerpaints or watercolors are a great option for younger kids. Older kids might enjoy experimenting with painting on inexpensive canvases or wooden plaques.
*Hold a competition! Indoor Olympics? Singing Competition? America’s Next Burping Champion? World’s Best Pet Tricks? Using a little imagination, this can be a BLAST!
*Have some fun in the kitchen! This is a FUN time to make fruit salads, crisp veggie dishes, smoothies, or yummy and refreshing beverages. Teach the kids or let ’em loose with some easy recipes.
Hopefully you can retain a little sanity this summer. What are your favorite ways to “survive summer”? 🙂 What is YOUR best sanity saver?
About the Author: Jenn is the blogger behind Jenn’s RAQ and loves coming up with creative and easy ways to entertain her 3 kids six and under! She can be found on Facebook and on Twitter. When Jenn isn’t killing time online, she loves to coordinate fun events for her local Moms Club chapter and is also involved in the homeschooling community.
Great ideas, thanks for sharing!
This should keep us busy!
Great suggestions ~ where were you when my boys were little??? =)