The kids are out of school and have no homework now, so, what are you to do? There are several summertime activities that can provide a less-structured learning experience for your kids, while never hearing the phrase “I’m bored.” You can give your kids the best summer ever and keep your cool – all it takes is a little planning and creativity.
“Mom, I’m bored,” is a phrase we as parents have heard – and said - a hundred times before. But, instead of giving your kids a bucket of water and a sponge to wipe down baseboards (they’ll never say they are bored again – wrong!), why not take some time to plan out the summer months so everyone wins?
Planning the summer schedule
Summertime is near, or already here in some cases, and the kids are on the loose. Your 7-9-year-old wants a piece of the action, a slice of life, or just plain something to do. Now is the time to plan just exactly what you can offer them and yourself (peace of mind being the biggest benefit) before the summer escapes you.
This takes a little research. If you are very aware of what your town and surrounding communities have to offer your family, then good for you! But it still never hurts to do an internet or newspaper search regarding different camps and activities that will be going on while the kids are home.
Visit your local newspaper Web site or actually sit down and give the paper version a good read. Under community (or something similar) you will find several listings for different activities each month. Cut it out or take notes on the activities that are most interesting to your kids and yourself.
Then, get the exact schedules of local zoos, museums, water parks, state parks, libraries, pools and other “kid hot spots”, cut and paste that information into a document and save for later.
Also, think about what you as a parent want to accomplish this summer. Want to do some landscaping? Clean out the attic? Detail your car? Make your list and set that aside too.
Not done yet. Remember – we don’t want our kids to be bored, so we must provide a wide variety of activities in order for them to work their brains – and their bodies – so they feel satisfied and won’t fight going to bed at the end of the day. Focus on a few of your children’s hobbies – do they enjoy flying paper airplanes, collecting stamps or coins or making bird houses? Write down a few of these hobbies, and then visit a few arts and crafts Web sites for ideas that can be done without leaving the home.