Summer is here and with it comes the boredom. While summer camps may keep
your students busy for a while, there are the inevitable complaints that
there is nothing to do. If your students are spending too much time indoors
watching TV or on the computer, there are some great ways to get them
outside. Outside activitiesencourage healthy exercise and socialising
with friends.
Camping
You don’t need to head out to the woods to experience the great outdoors!
Get your students to set up a campsite in your backyard. They can have
some friends over and learn outdoor essentials like putting up a tent
and tying knots. Get some great books for them to read, tell stories,
stargaze and play games outside. If you have a fire pit, make a fire,
roast some marshmallows and tell ghost stories. Backyard camping is a
fun activity for the whole family.
Birding
Set up a bird feeder and bird bath in your backyard. Arm your student with
a field guide to birds, a set of binoculars, and a mission to find as
many local birds as possible. Join a
citizen scientist or
nest watch program so that your students can record bird sightings and contribute
to national record keeping and conservation projects.
You can also create a woodworking project where you build a birdhouse and
then decorate it and hang it in your garden. Get plans for a simple birdhouse
here.
Junior Photographers
One of the best ways to get students outside is through photography. Get
your student a good camera or let them construct their own
pinhole cameras and give them a photo assignment. This can be a scavenger hunt where you
set a list of items that they have to find and photograph or you can ask
them to take pictures of nature, the beach, birds, clouds etc. Once complete,
your student can compile their pictures into a slideshow, a book or a
video that they can show to family and friends.
Explorers
Rekindle the simple joy of exploring. You can explore your city by getting
your kids to pick a neighborhood or subway stop they haven’t been
to. Each student then explores what activities you can do in that neighborhood
like nature trails, interesting museums, picturesque bike rides, fun shops,
new restaurants and unique activities. They plan a family outing for a
day. Getting student involved in the planning will create a fun activity
on the art of organization and you will get to explore your town, city
or neighborhood. You will discover new things, meet new people and your
students will learn valuable lessons on how to navigate in a strange neighborhood
and how to organize events.
Getting your students outside this summer is a great way to get them moving,
socializing and discovering new things. Get them to make their own suggestions
and plan their own activities so that they will be more enthusiastic and
participate more. Whatever you do this summer, make it fun, outdoors so
you can create great family memories.
