TIPS TO HELP YOUR FAMILY STAY ENTERTAINED THIS SUMMER
With the summer holidays fast approaching, the impending reality of your kid(s) being home full time can be a daunting one. Children are full of energy, and without being away at school for hours every day, they may become restless around the house. We want our children to have the best summer possible, but this can be difficult when working from home. How do we balance keeping our children busy and entertained while working full time? It is no easy feat. However, with the range of restrictions we have experienced in the last eighteen months or so, it is important to try to enjoy all the little things we may have missed out on.
While I could argue that free time can be just free time and it is not necessary to be constantly busy, we want little minds to be nurtured and challenged while also enjoying the break from routine, busy schedules, and of course, school. This does not mean that we need to recreate every Pinterest craft or spend copious amounts of money, but it can be an opportunity for the whole family to spend more time together and to build some memories. Think about your own childhood, your own summer memories, what are some highlights? Was it riding bikes with your friends, a family fun road trip or family barbecues? What could you not wait to tell your friends about when you returned to school in the fall?
Summer can be an opportunity to do all those things we do not always have time for. Get your kids and your family members involved; what do they want to do more of? Set realistic expectations for your family and see them as opportunities for a family fun time, not chores you must carry out. The list below is a compilation of fun summer activities to keep your family entertained over the coming months and offers suggestions for those going out into the world and those that may home-oriented activities this summer.
LEARN SOMETHING NEW
All this free time is an opportunity for you and your kids to spend some time together. Why not learn something while you are at it? This might look like taking the dusty chess set out of the attic and trying to teach your kids or using the time at the pool to teach your kid how to swim and some important water safety. Have they mentioned they want to play an instrument or learn to play a new sport? This is the perfect opportunity. If you can in any way be involved, even better. If you have a gallery or a museum that is accessible, why not spend the day seeing an exhibition? This can be a chance for everyone in the family to learn something new!
WEEKLY FAMILY NIGHT
Family nights are difficult to achieve during the busy school season between homework, extra-curricular activities, and the chaos of the day-to-day. Why not use the summer vacation as an opportunity to get into the habit of spending some quality family time? This may be something simple like a family game night or movie night. A great idea to keep everyone involved is to create a jar and fill it up with movie/game titles and have a family member draw a title each week; that way, everyone's idea will be heard. If there are family members with specific interests or talents, use this as an opportunity for everyone to learn a little more about their hobby.
EXPLORE NATURE
While a family hike or a camping trip are fantastic ways to get out into nature, there are some simple ways to get your family more familiar and comfortable with the outdoors. This can look like doing a scavenger hunt at a local park, who can spot certain flowers or plants, or if your kids are not squeamish, maybe a bug hunt: who can spot the most! Maybe give geocaching a shot; this is the ultimate treasure hunt. If you have a backyard, why not work on a family garden? Kids can learn some responsibility, learn to water the plants, take care of the soil, and see the blooms – you can even set up a small family veggie patch/herb garden!
SUBSCRIPTION BOX
The number of subscription boxes available nowadays makes finding resources to keep your children occupied and entertained so much easier, and there are kits for just about everything. A subscription box like KiwiCo provides fun, hands-on STEM-themed kits, if you have bookworms at home but not a lot of time to head to your local library, Literati Book Subscription or Amazon's Book Box deliver curated book bundles for your kids every month, or for those explorers, Little Global Citizens introduces your kid to a new country and culture every month. The resources and availability are endless, and there is something to suit both your kid and your needs and wants as a parent. Additionally, most subscription kits are available with instructions for grown-ups to be involved in the activities, which is a major bonus!
CHALLENGE YOUR KIDS
Kids can grow a lot over the summer. This can be an opportunity to teach your children a new practical skill or challenge them in a way that will enhance their development. This can also be an opportunity to put the skills they learned over the summer to use. If your kids learned to make simple meals this summer, why not teach them to how to grocery shop? Can they learn to budget and maybe prepare a meal for the whole family? Kids love to show off a new skill! If reading is their thing, maybe they can make a reading bucket list and follow up with a book review! Motivating your kids will keep them not only entertained but will lead to a more fulfilling summer break, and if you are by their side, it will make the experience that much better.
Learning how to make pizza
While these are a handful of ideas to keep your and your kiddos entertained over the coming months, the time you spend with your kids, whether it's reading, or riding bikes, or cooking, is the most important thing you will do this summer. We want our kid's minds to be challenged and for their talents to be nurtured, but most importantly, we want them to create memories and build bonds with those closest to them.
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