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Filed under: Activities: Babies, Going Green, Kids' Games, Activities: Toddlers & Preschoolers, Activities: Big Kids, Activities: Tweens, Activities: Teens, Activities: Family Time, Expert Advice: Family Time, Expert Advice: Home Base
Beat the summertime blues with some fresh ideas. Credit: Getty Images
Ah, summertime. Those long, lazy days of sleeping in, lounging around and generally taking it easy. Who doesn't look forward to the end of the school year and the beginning of day upon day of doing absolutely nothing?
But as much as we enjoy the summer months, they can sometimes find us woefully unprepared for the inevitable moment when the sweet taste of freedom takes on the bitter taste of boredom. All those unstructured hours stretching out ahead can incite panic in a parent without a plan.
Don't let this happen to you. Once the novelty of wearing pajamas all day has worn off, be prepared with our list of 10 things you never thought of to combat summer boredom. Whether you're staying home or traveling far and wide, keep this list handy and you just might make it to fall with your sanity intact.
1. Slow Food: Just as school mornings can be hectic and rushed, summer mornings can be slow and relaxed. Take advantage of the freedom to dawdle and make the first meal of the day a culinary experience. Go online or ask around for tasty, kid-friendly breakfast recipes and choose one morning each week to make a big deal out of the most important meal of the day. Set the table, use the good china and expose your cereal-and-eggs kids to some delicious new foods.
2. Movie Night: If you've been a drill sergeant strictly enforcing bedtimes for the past nine months, now is a good time to ease up just a bit. Instead of insisting on lights out by 8 p.m., choose one night a week to let everyone stay up late watching movies together. For help in picking appropriate flicks, check out Common Sense Media for reviews and ratings written with families in mind.
3. Audio Books: Not just for long trips anymore, an exciting audio book can be popped into the CD player whenever you're in the car. The trick is to never, ever bring the audio book into the house. Once the kids have gotten interested in the story, they will beg to run errands with you!
4. Car Games: Add some new games to your bag of car tricks before you hit the road. Here's one to help pass the time and exercise their brains: In turn, ask each child an age-appropriate question that requires a little bit of thinking. For example, ask an elementary school-aged child to name a famous explorer. Set a point goal and award the winner the honor or choosing where to stop for lunch. If there's just one child in the car, promise an ice cream stop when the goal has been reached. For more great ways to pass the time in the car, check out Mom's Minivan.
5. Star Struck: Even the youngest child can peer through a telescope and stare at the stars. To start a summer star-gazing tradition with your family, purchase a kid-friendly astronomy guide and an inexpensive telescope and head outside once the sun goes down. You will be making beautiful family memories and the kids might even learn something.
6. Summer School: Whether your kids are into dinosaurs, princesses or bugs, summer is the perfect time to delve deeper into their interests. Choose a topic and dedicate your summer to learning more about it through museums, books and movies.
7. Family Trivia: If a big family reunion is on the calendar this summer, get your kids excited about meeting strange relatives by creating your own family trivia game. Have the kids help you paste photos of family members on index cards. On the back of the cards, write each person's name, age, how they are related and where they live. Flash the photos and see who can correctly identify each relative and their vital statistics.
8. Neighborhood Co-op: Together, with a group of like-minded parents, create a summertime kid co-op with each family taking turns hosting a weekly get-together for the neighborhood kids. With lots of exciting activities and yummy snacks, it's like a party that lasts all summer long.
9. Book It: Give each child a brand new journal and have them spend some daily quiet time jotting down whatever comes to mind. Give them magazines and photos to paste into their books and, in the end, you will not only have a busy kid, you'll have a special memory book to hold on to forever.
10. Summer Sitter: With the kids on a break, chances are good that you are going to need a break yourself. Check out the local high school, Red Cross center or just ask your friends to recommend a qualified sitter who can show your kids a good time at home while you have a good time elsewhere.
Related: ParentDish's Top 25 Summer-Themed Movies for Kids to Teens
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ReaderComments (Page 2 of 2)
7-19-2010 @ 12:50AM
ByTheNite73 said...Sky, great idea! :D
7-19-2010 @ 1:01AM
SkyBlue said...You're right, Elizabeth, I don't have kids, and darn thankful for it. Some people shouldn't be parents. I'm one of them, and at least I know it and didn't have any. As to being a child, only at heart, unlike yourself, with your childish and humorless comment.
7-18-2010 @ 11:34PM
ELIZABETH said...Huummmm, sound like you were raised by one of "those" barbarians. I'm really sorry for you.
Reply
7-19-2010 @ 1:11AM
Jeremy said...I am seriously convinced that the person who thinks of this crap does not have kids!!!!! This is just stupid! My kids are to smart for these games and get bored quickly. I have 4 kids, and not one of these ideas is even close to entertaining!
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7-19-2010 @ 2:47AM
Brianna said...um...how old are your kids exacly? im 12 years old, and lots of theseideas are making me wish i can do them. my mom's ideal of summer isher sleeping in while my dad goes to work, while im on the computer(which gets boring) or at a friends house, while my brother is eitherwith is friends skateboarding or playing video games.its realy boring doing this, and we rarley ever go out. and most of thetime, my dad complains because hes tired or its to expensive to doanything.
7-19-2010 @ 12:03AM
BC said...Right on! It only took once for one of my sibling to tell our mother he was bored. He got more chores to do! Why isn't doing chores number 1 on the list? Don't these morons masquerading as experts know that chores are a wonderful builder of character and takes some of the load of household drudgery off of mom and dad? My mother didn't have to mow the lawn, hoe and weed the garden, or clean house until we were all grown and gone.
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7-19-2010 @ 8:51PM
Brianna said...jeese. you're a boring parent.
Chores suck, kids hate doing chores and it dosent entertain us.
7-19-2010 @ 12:06AM
KT said...OH, GOD NO!!!!!!!
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7-19-2010 @ 12:14AM
KT said...ELIZABETH......ARE YOU TALKING TO ME???? SURELY YOU JEST. I HAVE HAD KIDS OUT THE WAZOO AND UP TO HERE. YOU KNOW NOT OF WHAT YOU SPEAK. NITWIT.
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7-19-2010 @ 12:43AM
lbabbdacook said...Instead of buying a telescope, look for a local amateur astronomers association, club, ... Generally with a family membership, they'll loan you a pretty good telescope and often will teach your child (and you too) to use it.
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7-19-2010 @ 1:35AM
Terri said...Parks, camps, picnics, museums, carnivals, staring at the clouds... Those are all great ideas if you can afford to hire a maid, a chef, a gardener, and any other staff members necessary to keep your house in order. I am a stay-at-home Mom of 2 boys - ages 7 and 3 - and there's not much time for stargazing, nor much room in the budget for a slate of entertainment. My kids are sometimes told to go FIND something to do...and they do. That's the way most people I know were raised and we are no worse for the wear from it. Oh, did I mention it's 97 degrees in the shade down here in the summer?
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7-19-2010 @ 1:14AM
Marguerite said...I have a family child care my kids love to dig for worms, plant seeds in the garden, learn how to build things out of wood.when they get bored bring ouf refesher books
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7-19-2010 @ 1:27AM
mel said...My children go back to school in a month. This would have been helpful at the begining of June.
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7-19-2010 @ 4:12AM
Jeri Johnson said...How about "The ABC's of Summer" - Pick a letter of the alphabet and see how many things you can eat, do, talk about that begin with that letter. i.e.: for the "A" day:
Eat: Apple pancakes, Apples, Asparagus , Angel food cake, Alphabet soup, Animal crackers
Go: Aquarium, Aerospace museum, Automotive museum, Airport, Airplanes, Ants, Animals, Art museum or gallery, Auto show,
Art crafts
Watch a DVD: Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin
Talk about: Ancestors, Artists, Anger
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7-19-2010 @ 4:39AM
suzy said...I frequently have the grandchildren at my house.....girls ages 6, 8, 8 1/2, twins 13...little boy 2 years....yep, that's 5 girls and one little fellow. While we are fortunate to live on a small lake and have swimming and fishing available, we do lots of other things. A sprinkler is great....cooling & fun. A slip and slide adds to the fun too....or a small wading pool. I help them make tents out of old sheets and blankets....give them plastics cups, plates, bowls, etc. to play with....they play house, play store. One day they took a tub of old silk flowers and got a bunch of containers and made a flower shop. They created darling arrangements, made paper money, had a ball. They all love to cook...even the little guy. They love art projects...They can make refrigerator magnets. .sometimes I let them paint....outside, with water nearby. Everyone strips to panties and puts on old t-shirts....they love it. I can put out glue sticks, scissors, markers, crayons, assorted paper and they stay busy. I pulled out an old sewing machine, a box of fabric, Velcro, needles, thread, etc......they got their Barbie dolls out and spent over 4 hours designing and sewing garments. Drew the designs first on paper, then went to work on the garment....just like on Runway. There are free concerts at our park on Thursday nights....packing a supper/drinks makes it a cheap night out and we all have fun. The kids dance and have a ball. My daughter brought bubbles and I sat by my grandson and another small kid and blew bubbles for 20 minutes....they never tired of it. Dress up is great....old jewelry, clothes... they can do a style show. Sometimes it just takes a suggestion and then their imaginations kick in. For the 2 year old...I'll fix up ramps with boxes, pipe, whatever I can find and it gives him a neat place to play with his trucks and cars. He likes to draw too and all he needs is paper and crayons. Fix a tent...a sheet over 2 chairs....add blocks, trucks, farm/zoo animals, dinosaurs. He loves music....turn on classic rock, give him some pots and wooden spoons....he'll be a drummer one day. For all...play ball outside, play horseshoes. Inside...there are lots of board games....even small kids can play. Granted some you have to play with them, but get them to help with clean up/putting stuff away, setting the table, helping with food prep....the more you get them to help, the more independent they will be as they get older, the more able to do things on their own. My 2 year old grandson knows where is life jacket has to go when I take it off of him....I don't go hang it up for him, I have him do that. I do get "I'm bored" sometimes...but I just try to suggest things. My granddaughters do play on the computer and love it but I just limit time. Another thing...teach them something you know....sing, make up stories.....I make up stories with them as the characters in it. We've built a tree house, gone on hikes, gone on camping trips......and more. The kids even participate in the story. I love things that bring out the creativity in children.....we went to see "Annie" at the local theatre (live play not a movie).....the kids came home and made up plays and acted in them. Get some old movies....National Velvet, some of the classics.....or more recent that the kids might not have seen....Dreamer with Dakota Fanning and Kurt Russell is excellent; for girls "Pancho Barnes" with Valerie Bertinelli if you can find it is an awesome true story about a woman pilot...competed against Amelia Earhart and helped train pilots for WWII. Some older movies they would not choose but could really enjoy. Pop some popcorn to enjoy. Make jewelry.....buy beads when on sale at Hobby Lobby.... All this does require some patience on the adult's part.....but it's worth it. My grandkids and I love doing things together. Hope this gives some ideas....just encourage them to be creative.....and help with clean up!!
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7-21-2010 @ 11:22PM
Stacey said...Thanks for all these wonderful ideas...i can honestly say that not all these ideas will work with my nieces and nephews but i guess it's better than nothing. Teaching them how to do things are good if you have the time or somebody is available to teach them.Yes, there are a lot of things to consider including budget but if we are creative and we talk to these kids, we can easily adapt these ideas to the situation at hand. What is important is that we are able to show them how to enjoy the summer and learn at the same time. Keep them cool and comfortable in t-shirts, and have it available for them so they can be refreshed in this warm weather. We can only make the summer a success if we are really interested to make it one. I may not have kids yet but I can still remember being one and the summers are more memorable when its fun and when you learn something new.
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7-24-2010 @ 1:55PM
Toby said...aurora,
While my child had a wonderful month in camp, please do not assume that I would leave parenting to outside sources. I am an involved mom not only with my child, but with our community as well.
I believe that what my child benefits from is parents allowing him the opportunity to explore while having parents at home as an anchor( I wrote to my son every day). As a former teacher, it is my responsibility to have a happy and self-reliant child; camp offers self-reliance. I have enriched his life; not shrugged my responsibility; he is most fortunate that we can provide a rich life for him. So sorry you feel entitled to assume that all parents want to outsource their jobs. You sound angy and that may be from too much time with your children and not enough time for yourself.
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