“I’m bored!” Does this sound familiar? The summer starts
feeling really long when you have bored children at home. That’s
why we’ve whipped up a list of activities for you to enjoy that
are educational, cheap and help to get your kids out of the house and
moving. Have a happy, healthy summer with these great ideas on how to
keep your kids occupied.
Get moving
Making physical activity part of your child’s daily regimen helps
them to stay healthy and gets them interacting with their peers. Instilling
an appreciation for nature is also a wonderful gift to give your children.
Studies show a direct correlation with the number of times children are
exposed to nature when they are young and their appreciation for the great
outdoors as adults.
Walking is a great way to get moving. You can set up a scavenger hunt around
your neighborhood or in your local park. Walking in nature reserves is
even better! Most nature reserves have free summer programs where children
can learn about wildlife and plants.
Public swimming pools also provide a welcome reprieve from the summer heat
and a chance to meet new friends from your neighborhood.
Get some fresh air
Backyard camping or camping trips are a great way to teach kids basic survival
skills. Learning to make a fire, cook food, put up a tent and identify
birds, plants, wildlife and stars are all fun activities.
Work together with your family to make some bird houses (get instructions here), bird feeders (instructions here) and a bird bath (instructions here). Then sit quietly in the backyard to watch the different kinds of birds
that come to your new bird station. You can use a bird call app (download it
here) to attract birds to your garden. Identify different species of birds
using the
bird app here.
Volunteering
This is a great way for students to spend their free time in the summer.
No matter what their interests, they can find a charity that needs help.
From exercising horses to environmental clean ups, being civic-minded
is a great way to teach values.
Academics
If your child got a bad report card, or if they want to improve their grades
in the coming academic year, just a couple of hours a week in the summer
can really jump start their new academic year. Start by getting the curriculum
for the coming year so your student can read prescribed books and ensure
that they have no gaps in their knowledge base that would prevent them
from grasping new materials.
If your child is moving to a different school or starting school, ensure
that they have all the skills they need for dealing with higher grades,
more independence and increased responsibility. Teaching them study, organizational
and language and math skills will give them an enormous advantage in the
coming year.
Consider getting an
in-home tutor, even for just one or two sessions a week, to make a profound difference
in your child’s grades and confidence.
Pic by Alex Miranda
