Ideas to Keep Your Kids from Getting Bored this Summer
Question: Any ideas on how to keep my kids from getting bored this summer?
Answer: Lots of parents try to schedule a ton of activities for their children during the summer months in order to ward off boredom. But learning to entertain oneself is an important skill for your kids to learn as well. Specialists often warn us of the negative effects of too many scheduled activities for kids or adults. Lisa Khoury, a psychologist at Parcells Middle School and chair of our Youth Programming Committee, referred me to a great blog that offers a host of information for parents:
This blog has ideas on how to live a simpler life, things families can do together, cooking ideas, and even offers a free newsletter. It is written by Deborah Taylor-Hough who is a wife and mother of three as well as a free-lance writer, author of a bestselling book Frozen Assets: How to Cook for a Day and Eat for a Month and the recently released Frugal Living For Dummies(r) (Wiley, 2003).
Here are some ideas:
Blow bubbles; have an old fashioned hose fight; run through the sprinkler: jump rope: make homemade play dough; press flowers from your garden; write a letter to a relative friend or pen pal; draw, color or paint; write a story, a play, or journal; use binoculars, a microscope or a magnifying glass; go bird watching; act out a play or perform in a circus; make art on the walkway or driveway; start a collection of rocks, baseball cards, or anything of interest; play catch, badminton, Frisbee, or a new sport; redecorate your room, move the furniture around for a different look; organize your closet, a drawer, under your bed; surprise your neighbor with a good deed; make lunch or dinner or a snack for someone; have a teddy-bear picnic; hunt for four-leaf clover; put on a magic show or a talent show; help with some chores: water the garden, pull some weeds, sweep the patio, vacuum or brush out a parent's car; play kick the can; play some of your parents old vinyl albums; wash the car or your bike; string dry noodles or cheerios into a necklace; make a treasure map; plan a special activity for the family; have a spelling bee or other contest with friends; finger paint with shaving cream; write newspaper articles for a pretend newspaper or start a family newspaper; write review of movies or plays or TV shows; bake a cake or some cookies; make paper airplanes; make an obstacle course in your backyard; make a hideout or clubhouse; plant a garden or just one plant; take a nap on the lawn.
I remember when people told me "enjoy these years - they go too fast". I can say from experience that, unfortunately, they do!! Enjoy!!
Please email your questions to:
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