The 9 Best Indoor and Outdoor Summer Activities for Kids
Summer is a time when children make memories. Vacations, day trips, picnics, and other activities can bring back fond memories for children. But it won't be the only thing they recall. The bad will stick with them (e.g., being bored at home, fights with siblings). As parents, we want to assist them in making every day of summer one to remember.
Although these ubiquitous summer activities may not conjure up idyllic childhood summer memories, they will happily occupy those long summer days spent at home. Work-at-home parents, in particular, are searching for fun summer events that their school-aged children can do individually.
Outside Time
Playing outside is certainly not the first thing that comes to mind when you're working from home. It can take time away from your workday to supervise outdoor play. However, children who are cooped up indoors all day become increasingly raunchy. Spending some time outside with them will allow them to let off steam and then nap later. You may be able to keep an eye on them from a window as they play outside when they're a little older.
Art Projects
Art, like going outside, may feel like a waste of time when it comes to getting things done. It's a messy process that can necessitate supervision. Setting up an art area with paper, coloring books, glue, scissors, colored pencils, and crayons can inspire kids to incorporate art into their everyday routine while also making cleanup easier.
Toys
Kids usually get new toys during the holidays, right in the middle of the school year, because they don't have much time to play with them. They are forgotten or, worse, destroyed by the time summer arrives. This does not have to be the case if you pick your children's toys carefully. Toys will provide hours of fun all summer long.
Games
As you practice, keep the kids occupied with old-fashioned board games and cards. Of course, you'll need more than one child in the house to play any games. However, there are some one-child games and brainteasers that can keep one child entertained, and you'd be shocked by how much a deck of cards can do.
If your children are old enough to play outside unattended, consider activities such as shooting HORSE at the driveway basketball hoop or sending them outside to play tag.
Books
Reading for fun every day is a wonderful practice to instill in your children. Summer is the ideal time to instill the reading bug because there is no homework or school events to distract you. Summer reading is a fun activity for one or more children.
Join the summer reading club at your local library. For new or struggling readers, try wordless books. Purchase comic books or magazines for your children. Setting aside a set time per day for reading allows children to develop the habit.
Audiobooks and Podcasts
Audiobooks and podcasts aren't just for road trips. Audiobooks encourage a love of literature while keeping children occupied for hours, and for some children, it is more convenient than reading a novel.
Downloading books to a phone, tablet, or computer is simpler than ever, but you can still do it the old-fashioned way by bringing CDs home from the library. Also, don't ignore podcasts, which can be much more useful than audiobooks.
Journaling
Spending 15 minutes a day writing (or drawing) in a journal will give your child a head start on answering the age-old back-to-school question: "What did you do over the summer?" Although keeping a child busy for long periods of time while you work is unlikely, writing in a journal is a good way to start the day or move from one task to another.
Puzzles
Get a jigsaw puzzle going somewhere in the house all summer. Also, have a few puzzle books on hand. Children profit from puzzles because they keep their minds busy. Some children like puzzles more than others. Expect them to spend just a few hours a day working on puzzles. Kids would not get bored with a big puzzle if they only do a small portion of it each day or if they complete a 100-piece puzzle all at once.
Of course, there are puzzle apps and video games, but, as with all technology, parents must keep an eye on the clock to ensure that their children do not spend too much time in front of the device.
Summer Homework
If your child's school assigns summer homework or reading, allow him or her to complete it over the summer. When you're running around getting ready for back to school at the end of the summer, you'll both be glad it's over. Keep an eye on your child's development, but refrain from providing excessive homework assistance.
Your child can learn how to plan long-term tasks by working on it a little each day. Instead of being a monumental end-of-summer mission, homework becomes a regular summer activity. Summer homework is supposed to keep kids' skills sharp, so waiting until the end of the summer could mean having to re-learn forgotten skills. Early in the summer, make a schedule for summer homework and stick to it.
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