Summer is here and, if you are like me, it has left you in a state of panic. How do I entertain two kids who seem to have endless energy while preserving my own sanity and getting work done at the same time? It seems like only a few seconds of peace before I hear,"Mom, play with me" or "Mom, I have nothing to do" (despite years of toys piled in the floor of my oldest child's room) or "Mom, you coming?" I dream of the day when I will have five minutes to myself.
Drastic times call for drastic measures. Here is my solution. An ultimate list of activities to keep my little people busy throughout the summer. There are also some that I find myself actually looking forward to doing.
Go Outside
We all need fresh air and we really do not want our kids turning into that white, pasty, sickly color, so getting them outside is a great solution. Besides, it wears them out for a mandated afternoon rest time ... but that is a whole different article. Things to do outside include building a fort in your backyard, chasing butterflies, collecting rocks, leaves or feathers, collecting sticks to build your own bird nest, finding an ant colony and spilling some soda to watch what happens or finding bugs and starting a collection. My most favorite is just lay in the grass and find shapes in the clouds. You will be surprised to see what your kids come up with.
Go On a Treaure Hunt
Have your children draw a map of their bedroom, house, neighborhood, etc. Then you mark the spot for them to find treasure. Dress up like pirates and explore. The treaure does not have to be extravagant. It could even be a letter of love or the next activity for the day!
Do Something In The Kitchen
Kids love helping you, especially when it means something sweet in return. Put on aprons and get to work. Bake a cake or batch of cookies. Paint with pudding. Make food sculptures out of pretzels, gumdrops, string licorice, cream cheese, peanuts, peanut butter, etc. then eat the creations for snack. Make homemade ice cream or go for a snow cone. Make homemade lemonade and, if you are brave, let your children run an old fashioned lemonade stand to learn about money. Paint a picture with lemon juice on white paper and hang it in a sunny window and see what happens after a few days. Make necklaces out of noodles or cereal.
Keep Learning
Visit your local library for story times, events and fun. Check out a science book and try some experiments.Plan an imaginary trip to the moon. Look online to find out facts about the moon, make costumes, visit the dollar store and buy sponges to fix to the bottom of your shoes so you have moon shoes. Plant a garden. Use binoculars, magnifying glass or telescope to study the world around you. Create a symphony with bottles and pans and rubber bands. Make bookmarks. Make up stories by drawing pictures. Keep a summer journal. Make sock puppets and act out a popular play or story.
Spend time with the Family
Build a campfire and camp out in your backyard. Play flashlight tag. Run relay races as a family. Volunteer together. Visit the zoo. Decorate your bikes and have a family parade. Look at old family photos. Go to the beach and build sandcastles. Go to the museum. Make paper airplanes and have airplane races. Cuddle on the couch and watch a movie.
As you can see, the ideas are endless. The best advice I can give is to sit down with your family and come up with your own list. Pick the ideas you like from above. Make a list of things your family wants to do together before the end of summer and post them on the refrigerator ... then do them! Happy Summer!
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