Kids have been waiting for summer break the whole year. Parents are less excited since the thought of entertaining children for three months is pretty frustrating. Summer is almost here, it means it’s time to think what you can do to keep your kids busy and stay mentally healthy.
Don’t make your kids watch television and play video games the entire summer. There are so many other things they can do. It is an opportunity to spend time with them and become their best friend. Check out the list of summer activities for your angels:
Go to the park
A working parent can also find some time to go to the park with their kids after working hours. Your children will love to go to natural playgrounds, play badminton, have a picnic and make new friends. Meanwhile, you can read a book, talk to other parents or play games with children.
Camping
If you have more time (let’s say on the weekend), you can go to the forest. Try to explain to your kids that being outside is better than staying in the house. If you want your children to be healthy and active, be an example to them.
You can go fishing and stay in a tent for the night. Quite probably, your kids will not remember videoes they watch on Youtube, but they will never forget camping with you. If you have vacation days coming up, feel free to rent RV and travel with your kids to the most beautiful places in the country.
Summer camps
If you can’t take days off and don’t have a lot of free time, enroll your children in a summer camp. In this case, you should ask kids if they want to go. There are a lot of camps based on interests. So, your kid can rest and learn something new at the same time.
Summer camps help younger children to make new friends and take a break from the Internet. More than that, 77% of parents report that their kids became more confident after spending holidays in the summer camp, according to a study conducted by Philliber Research Associates. Also, you can contact local schools to ask whether they have any summer classes available. Book a place for your kids as soon as possible so you will not miss the opportunity.
Teach them cooking
Your kids shouldn’t hear you saying “Don’t bother me”. To spend more time with them and get your job done, you can ask for help in the kitchen. Bring up the recipe, put some music and start cooking together. The most important thing is to avoid the temptation of doing everything by yourself, let your kids cook. Keep in mind that your meal or cake shouldn’t look and taste perfect. But what really matters is that you will have some quality time with your children.
Garage sale
A garage sale is always a great idea. It can help you and your kids get rid of useless stuff and make some cash. Also, it is a great way to entertain and teach your kids. First of all, they will finally clean their rooms. Secondly, they will learn about money and bargaining. To encourage them, you can tell that you will give them 40% of revenue. It will also motivate children to learn how to calculate percentages.
Make a short-movie
Nowadays kids are great with technologies! So, ask them to make any kind of short movie this summer. You can brainstorm ideas together, decide on the main characters and write down your basic story. All you need to give to your kid is an old camera or a cell phone. Let your kids have fun and help them with editing a movie afterward.
Homework
Kids will probably hate you saying this word but do it. During the summer break, they will have a lot of free time anyway. Why not spend a few hours reading or doing math? There is only one challenge – you will need to find the way how to motivate your kids. For example, you can tell that you will take them to the swimming pool if they solve a mathematical puzzle.
If you have time and like learning new things yourself, you can do some science experiments with your kids. For instance, you can make your own lava lamp, rainbow fizzies, or even hot ice. To do so, feel free to use things you will find in the house or buy science kits as a present.
Let them play
Don’t lock your kids in the house while you are at work. You can teach them how to use keys and let them play outside. They can ride the bikes in the neighborhood, meet their friends and even try some backyard camping.
