You can’t help but love summer break. From weeknight barbeques to lounging by the pool to fireworks in July, there’s something special about the almost-three-month break between June and August. Your kids adore this time off, and you love being able to spend more of it with them. But just one question: How do we keep them busy…and from driving us crazy before we even reach August 1st? Oftentimes we don’t have options like summer camp or staying with grandparents, so here are four ways to keep your kids
1. Scavenger hunts. One fun idea is to create scavenger hunts (Pinterest has lots of ideas) to keep your kids busy when you have something to get done. Make it creative and fun for them and these hunts are bound to keep them busy for hours. Even better? Hand out prizes like extra allowance money or time off from chores.
2. Volunteer. While this this may not be the most fun job for your kids and is often for older children/teens, it will teach them life lessons that they sometimes just can’t get at school. Whether at animal shelters, hospitals, soup kitchens, libraries, churches, homeless shelters, parks, retirement homes, etc., there are plenty of places for your kids to spend their time. Another thing to think about: Many places that accept volunteers often turn those positions into paid work. Plus, any volunteer work looks great on a college resume.
3. Plan one exciting outing per month. Whether it’s visiting the local zoo, going on vacation to the beach, or taking a day trip to a water park, there are some awesome outdoor activities you can do in the summer that you can’t do any other time of year. Keep an eye out because places like Groupon or LivingSocial often have great deals. In addition to creating fun family memories, trips like these are a great way to find something to look forward to each month that your kids aren’t in school.
4. Have your kids make a summer to do list. For each kid, make some rules (like “at least twenty items” or “limited technology time”) and let them go to town. With ideas like writing a story, creating a new board game, or read five books, kids can feel responsible for achieving the tasks they deem important this summer.
While we all love summer, it can wind up boring or frustrating if our kids are left wondering what to do with their new found free time. With these four options, you’re bound to keep your kids busy for a good chunk of time.
What about you? How do you keep your kids busy during the summer? Tell us in the comments!
