How to Entertain Children in Summer

Down South, children have been out of school for about six weeks, but for some kids, summer is just getting underway. Here is how to keep them from being bored while not letting the TV be your babysitter.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 

   Start a hobby with your child. Hobbies that involve making things will keep your children entertained and develop creativity. Scrapbooking, jewelry making, and model assembly and painting, are relatively inexpensive and will give kids something to be proud of.

2. Give your kids an assignment. Give them a project like creating their own magazine. Staple together about twenty sheets of paper and add pictures, opinionated articles, and made-up advertisements. Have them include purposely funny things like outlandish horoscopes and crazy contests.

3. Call your parents. My favorite tween lives in the city but loves visiting her grandmother in the country, where she spends many of her days baking, playing with her grandmother's cats, and playing in water sprinklers in her grandmother's yard--things she can't do in the city.

4. 

   Take a small excursion every week or two. This can be something simple like a state park, an outdoor concert, or a festival. You can keep your child busy by having him plan a part of your next excursion, or you can plan the excursion, and give a clue about it each day to have your child guess what it will be.

5. Get a few neighborhood kids together for a splash party. Kids love to get wet, and playing in water is good exercise. Older kids can get together to wash their parents' cars. This is a bonus for you, but don't let the kids know that they are "working": have some sort of reward like a movie or pizza party; or a night free from normal chores.

6. 

   Turn your kids into the "Secret Service". Have them plan ways to do nice things for people without the people knowing who did it. I did this a few years ago, by going to different churches and doing things like sweeping their steps or cobwebs, or placing a pretty wreath on the door. Then I'd leave a note saying "You've been visited by A Chosen Generation (my code name). We did such and such. Hope you like it!" The secrecy is what will make it fun.

7. 

   Take advantage of the free Vacation Bible Schools in your area. This is much cheaper than going to a camp, and a lot less stress with just as much fun. Most VBS have themes, where kids can escape to an imaginary world.

Tips & Warnings

• Excursions don't have to be big and expensive; you could go to a production at the library.
• Older kids can also get together to wash cars for the public for "donation only", and split the earnings afterwards.
• Elderly people are best to perform kind acts for, because there are many things that they simply can't do themselves.
• When doing random acts of kindness for people, be aware of their personal space. For instance, some people won't like strangers washing their cars without their knowledge.

[momofour]

on 9/2/2008 Great article! Thanks for sharing.