Trying to keep your kids busy during the summer is no easy feat. Regardless of their ages, kids always need some structured fun-in-the-sun time. Planning activities that you and your kids can do doesn’t have to be super involved – or expensive, for that matter.
From walks to the library to adventures camping in the wild outdoors, there are ways to keep your kids engaged while they aren’t in school. Here are four fun summer ideas to keep your kids busy.
Take an Arts and Crafts Class
Don’t let the well of creativity dry up over the summer. Keep your kids creating their own unique masterpieces by enrolling them in an arts and crafts class. Community centers, schools, and even local crafting stores often offer classes for kids during the summer for reasonable prices – even free. Check around with your local crafting sources and see what kinds of classes are coming up for kids this summer.
Have a Neighborhood Games Night
Parents, come together and host a neighborhood games night for the whole block. Don’t just rely on board games, though – break out all those lawn games! Also, you can put together a fun scavenger hunt for kids of all ages to participate in, do face-painting, and – if you can spring for it with the other parents – rent a bounce house for the kids to hop around in until they wear themselves out.
Make DIY Chalk Bombs
Another creative concept is to make DIY chalk bombs. Just fill up some water balloons using a clean soap-dispenser pump containing a washable chalk-paint mixture. This mixture will include 1 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, and a couple of drops of food coloring for effect.
Have your kids draw some targets on the ground to aim for, then make those balloons go splat! The effect can look really cool, and your kids can have fun getting a tad messy outdoors.
Enroll in Summer Camp
Summer camps like Galileo Learning can be a great way to keep your kids busy and entertained. These can be a great way to help your kids make new friends while also learning a new skill or try new activities. Some summer camps are based on exercise or sports like basketball while some camps are based on crafts, learning STEAM skills, or other things like astronomy and science. Not only will your child stay busy, but they will also likely learn something new as well.
Camp Out In The Backyard
While enrolling in summer camp is a great idea, camp doesn’t last all summer. You can prepare your kids for camp by setting up a tent in your own yard and holding a bonfire over which you roast marshmallows and tell ‘scary’ stories. Get your kids involved in learning the constellations overhead at night, and maybe even do some bug-catching or go birding after you get them up in the morning.
Summer always seems to fly by so quickly – especially while you are having fun. Try some of these creative ideas to get your kids busy during the summer. There won’t be a dull moment, but there will be plenty of memories to share for years to come.
