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The Kids & You: Summer Activities
the kids and you! SUMMERUMMER ACTiViTiESCTiViTiES
Kids look forward to summer vacation every year. The last day of school gives way to less structured days when kids can spend more time outdoors and less time hitting the books. Try these cool summer activities to keep your kids occupied and bring the family together during the long days of summer!
• DAY CAMP: Day camps provide much of the structure of school without all the homework or time spent indoors. Many parks and recreation departments run summer day camps for kids. Camps can be generalized or specialized. For example, some may o er an array of activities, including sports and nature walks, in a given day, while others may focus on a single activity, like musical lessons or science-based programs. Camps run by local parks and recreational departments do not typically last all summer long, which parents should keep in mind when enrolling youngsters.
• READING: When suggesting to children that they read more this summer, parents can note the many ways that reading for pleasure di ers from reading for school. Point out that kids won’t have to submit book reports and emphasize that they can choose their own books. Depending on children’s ages, introduce kids to a series like Harry Potter, which has helped millions of young people across the globe discover and develop a fondness for reading. Weekly visits to the library, where kids can pick from hundreds of books, can get youngsters even more excited about reading. And don’t underestimate the bene ts of ageappropriate comic books (or graphic novels). One of the best and most obvious bene ts of comic books is that they can be more fun and easier to read than regular books. They can be a great alternative for children that struggle with reading.
• FIND SOMETHING FREE: Perhaps in recognition of the need for a ordable, family-friendly fare, many communities now host free events for kids and their parents each week. Weekly movie nights under the stars and concerts in community squares are popular in many communities, but those same towns also may host events speci cally for kids during the daytime. A simple internet search of “free events near me” may unveil a host of activities that can keep kids happy and occupied on summer days when their schedules are open. Local libraries can be great resources for free events as well.
• WATER BALLOONS: Have a water balloon baseball game. Use a plastic bat, a bucket of water balloons and old towels as bases, and you are all set! • OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT: Rent or borrow a movie projector and show a movie on a white sheet draped across a PVC pipe in the backyard. Or, use the side of your house as the screen. Bring sleeping bags, air mattresses and pool rafts out as the seating and enjoy the show (with popcorn, of course).
• BUG HUNT: Give your kids a magnifying glass and send them on a bug hunt! Have them make a bug journal as they go. There are a ton of creepy crawlies all around. To make things educational, go to the library and borrow a book or two about bugs. They can do the same with plants.
• ROCK MOSAIC: This one is two times fun! First, gather the rocks. If you don’t live in an area with rocks, you can always nd them at dollar stores or gardening stores. Then, let the kids create artistic masterpieces with rocks they’ve collected. You can even paint the rocks to make it more fun.
• BUILD A BIRDHOUSE:
Birdhouses or bird feeders can be made from scraps of material found around the house. Scavenge for spare lumber or other supplies in the shed or garage. Use wood glue to make it easy and kid-friendly. You can also purchase inexpensive birdhouses from the store and let the kids paint or color them with markers. When they are nished, spray them with a clear acrylic sealer and display them outside.
