How to Keep Kids Entertained

Kids do not need a lot to be entertained.

Busy parents sometimes find it hard to keep kids entertained during holidays and weekends. Kids are used to the schedule of school and once they are out, they may have a hard time finding activities for themselves. According to MSNBC's Today, this generation of children cannot go out and roam around their neighborhood like previous generations did. However, parents do not need to pay for expensive activities to compensate. To keep your kids entertained use simple inexpensive tricks besides turning on the TV and video games. You can help kids fight boredom and the entire family will be happy.

Things You'll Need

• Unopened presents
• Art and writing supplies
• Community calendars
• Swim suits
• Beach ball
• Sand toys
• Beach towels
• Bikes
• Scooters
• Packed lunch with drinks
• Sun hats
• Sunscreen
• Sheets
• Rope
• Blankets
• Pillows
• Marshmallows
• Paper towel roll
• Construction paper
• Dried Beans
• Foil
• Shoebox

Instructions

1. Keep a stash of unopened presents. If your kids receive lots of holiday and birthday presents, set some aside for special occasions such as rainy days on summer vacation. Play dough sets or building blocks are toys that can be set aside for a few months without worry that the children will outgrow them.

2. Offer your kids art and writing supplies, such as crayons and journals. You do not need a full art kit, just some simple tools for your kids to be creative. Let them use their imaginations and have them entertain themselves. Give them some suggestions, such as writing a musical. Afterward, your kids can design the sets and costumes to perform it.

3. Take your kids to the library for story time. If your kids are older, ask them to look for books and DVDs. Ask them to volunteer reading and tutoring younger siblings or other children. Read community calendars for other free events, such as a free family day at the museum.

4. Turn the bathtub into the beach. Dress the kids in their swimsuits and turn on beach music. Inflate a beach ball and add a plastic bucket and shovels. Bring out the beach blankets and let the kids lie on the bathroom floor.

5. Find the closest park or other outdoor recreational center. It doesn't have to be a national park. Any outdoor space will entertain children for many hours. Bring bikes and scooters to play with. If there is a playground with sand, then bring sand toys. Local swimming holes can also work for children. Bring a packed lunch and drinks to save money. Be sure to bring sun hats and sunscreen.

6. Camp outside in your backyard. Build a simple tent with sheets and a rope tied to trees, according to "Earthways: Simple Environmental Activities for Young Children." Bring blankets and pillows from inside. Once its dark, star gaze and roast marshmallows over a grill.

7. Play "I Spy" on long car trips. According to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Education, "I Spy" develops children's sensory adjectives and descriptive phrases. Kids spot patterns and colors on objects they see on the road and ask others in the car to guess what they see. You start the game by saying, "I spy with my little eye, something that is..." You don't need any extra equipment and younger children learn new vocabulary words from older players.

8. Collect materials from around the house to create a recycled craft project. Craft projects from household items work well for rainy days or other times when the family is suffering from cabin fever. Using an old paper towel roll, craft a rain stick musical instrument. Close one end with paper. Add dried beans and crumpled foil. Close the other end and decorate the exterior.

9. Help the kids clear out the closets and garage to set up a yard sale. The children will help spring clean and they will learn business math. Use an old shoebox for a cash box. Older children will sort out change and compute the sales.

Tips & Warnings

• Set up a drive-in movie in the backyard. Let the kids choose a movie and use a video projector to screen the movie. You can also take the TV set outdoors. Set up blankets and make popcorn.

• Help the kids create a bike parade with the neighborhood kids. All the children will decorate their bikes, scooters or tricycles and show them off.

• Adult supervision is needed for younger children when playing outdoors, especially near water.

References

• Destroy Debt: 90 Low Cost or No Cost Activities to Entertain Your Kids All Summer Long
• Today; 10 Free or Cheap Ways to Keep Kids Entertained, Laura T. Coffey, March 2009
• "Earthways: Simple Environmental Activities for Young Children"; Carol Petrash, 1992
• Learn NC: "I Spy": Using Adjectives and Descriptive Phrases, Elizabeth Hutchens
• Enchanted Learning: Rainstick

Resources

• AAP; The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development, Kenneth R. Ginsburg et al.