The summer break is finally here!
The kids act like they have ants in their pants and need some
fresh ideas to keep them occupied. TV is a bad babysitter, and
after a half hour, the kids are telling you they are "Bored,
Bored, Bored!" Now what?
Well, don't fret..... We have some really old, but cool ideas.
WATER WORKS
Water Paint. You'll need a bucket of water and some clean
paint brushes.
Let the kids paint the house, the garage, bicycles, the fence,
etc.
Kids will love the idea of painting everything. And you won't
mind because it is just water.
WATER BALLOON TOSS
You'll need some water balloons and a
bucket. See how many water balloons you can throw into the
bucket. If they break easy, see who can fill the bucket up
first by throwing them really hard into the bucket.
WATER HOSE RAINBOW
Take the water hose and spray water up
into the air in different directions. If the you're lucky,
which you will be often, you'll get a pretty site of a homemade
rainbow. At the same time, the kids can run through the water
and cool off.
DIRT WORKS
Remember the fun you had playing in the dirt when you were
young? Does your Grandma still have that mud pie you made her?
Dirt is the cheapest and fun summer joy for kids. Though
messy, we have some tips to get you started before you start.
First, dress the kids in play-clothes. Then make sure you have
a water hose on hand for a quick, cool wash up. You can also
supply your kids with gardening gloves.
Here are some creative ways the kids can have fun in the dirt:
MUD PIES
Make some mud pies! It would be great if you had
one of those really old steal strainers. They sift out the
rocks and chunks really well. If not, that's ok. Just mix the
dirt with water and let your child's imagination take over.
WORM HUNTS
Tell the kids to go on a worm hunt. Ask them to
count how many there are. You may need to provide them with
sticks or small shovels for digging. If you would like to go
fishing, have the kids put the worms into a bucket of dirt.
DISCOVERY TIME
Go around the yard with your kids, or in the
woods, and go on a discovery hunt. Notice all the wonders of
nature. Dig in different areas of the woods to see what you
might find.
BURIED TREASURE
Bury some old toys (Like McDonald figurines)
in the sand or dirt. Give your children something to dig with
like a shovel or stick. Have them find the treasure as if you
were on a Treasure Hunt for lost Pirates Gold.
YOUR PLANET
Create your very own planet. Gather some dirt,
grass, sticks, rocks, etc. Place them in a box outside. Be
creative as you design your planet. You can use old figurines
as creatures who may live there, like Barbie and Godzilla
figurines. Give your planet a name and leave this box
outside. Every day, go outside and see if there are any
visitors from Earth to your planet. Look at everything and see
if there are any changes. Watch your planet daily and you
might see some changes. This is very fun for kids. Especially
as an afternoon discovery.
SCAVENGER HUNT
Write up a list of things you want your
children to hunt for outside. These could be anything like a
rock, dandelion, worm, ball, leaf, stick, an old toy, etc.
Give each of the kids a bag or box to collect the items in.
The kids can share the same box or bag. Reward the kids with
ice cream after they find all of the items on the list.
COVER WORKS
Tree House Fun. Build a tree house with the kids. You don't
have to be fancy. Use whatever boards you already have and
some nails. Let the kids paint it their style.
BOX HOUSE
Don't have wood? No problem. Go to your local
appliance store and ask for some of their refrigerator boxes.
Bring them home and let the kids color on them with markers and
crayons. Cut a few windows out for them. Now they have their
own Box House!
© 2002 CJ Krebs
All Rights Reserved
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About The Author
CJ Krebs, proud mother of four children, who writes short
parenting articles and bible studies for Sheeze.com. She also helps
maintain and moderate The Parenting World
board.
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