1. Create a garden. Whether it is a plot
in the backyard or a container herb garden, your kids will learn
responsibility and enjoy tending to God's creation.
2. Head to the park for a picnic or to feed the ducks. Make sure to run
around with your kids. You may have forgotten how much fun a swing can
be.
3. Create relay races with your kids either indoor our outdoor. Eggs on
spoons, tying shoes, a basketball in the hoop are all easy ideas for
active fun.
4. Wash the car as a family. Soap and water are
perfect for a hot summer day.
5. Create a family story. Add to your story each day and type it up as a
keepsake.
6. Make a treasure hunt with clues to follow. The treasure doesn't have to be
costly. Older kids will enjoy creating hunts for younger ones.
7. Try new recipes. Create theme dinners or let kids pick out recipes they have
been wanting to try. Make sure that the kiddos clean the kitchen afterward!
8. Head to the library and let the kids try new styles or series of books.
Establish a quiet reading time. Make sure to participate in any reading
incentive programs that the library offers. Many bookstores offer incentives as
well.
9. Allow the kids to create masterpieces out of sidewalk chalk on the driveway.
10. Pull out old photos and allow kids to create scrapbooks with extra paper and
embellishments.
11. Provide materials so that the kids can create models. Whether it is a
shoebox diorama, a styrofoam solar system or a traditional airplane, most
materials can be easily gathered at the local craft store.
12. Go roller skating. It is good exercise and it is air conditioned!
13. Teach the kids croquet. They can spend time outdoors practicing their
sportsmanship skills.
14. Take the kids to the museums in your area. Many of them offer free days.
15. Gather up the supplies and spend some time in the kitchen or outdoors doing
science experiments. There are many books and websites that provide experiments
that kids can do on their own with safe materials.
16. Put on some music that the kids have never heard before, like golden oldies
or jazz. Teach them where the music came from and have an impromptu dance party.
17. Take advantage of the summer movie series for children at your local
theater. Many offer weekly movies at heavily discounted rates.
18. Provide blankets and pillows and let the kids make house tents using chairs
and other furniture.
19. Make homemade ice-cream. You can do this using an old coffee can that the
kids shake or you can make it easier by using an electric version. There are
even recipes that are stir and freeze with no shaking required.
20. Allow the kids to pick a new hobby to try for the summer. Let them research
what they need and then purchase their supplies from a hobby store.
21. Create a family recycling program and clean up litter from your neighborhood
or other public space.
22. Have fun with balloons. Teach kids how to blow them up and together learn to
make balloon animals. Fill them will water for outdoor battles.
23. Start a journal tradition. Write something nice about your child in a small
journal and place it under their pillow. They then write something nice about
another family member and put it under that person's pillow. Keep it going all
summer long.
24. Pull out those dusty board games or purchase some new ones. Games are great
to keep kids using their brains through vacation months.
25. Recreate favorite game shows live in your home. Some easy ones are Name that
Tune and Jeopardy.
26. Collect all your family junk and give it away or have a garage sale. It is
helpful for kids to see how much stuff they really have! Let the kids have the
money from their items.
27. Allow the kids to create or help them create an obstacle course. You can use
slides, hula hoops, balls, stairs, the pool. Let your imagination go wild while
burning some calories.
28. Establish and old fashioned lemonade stand. Make flyers to give to trusted
neighbors ahead of time so that it stays safe and the kids actually get some
customers.
29. Encourage the kids to create a family newspaper or news report that you can
record on film.
30. Teach your kids some old fashioned games like, jacks, pick up sticks, Old
Maid etc
31. Have family movie nights. Take turns picking out the movie. Pop some popcorn
and settle in for some snuggle time before bed.
