Our kids are home from school, which means you will hear those infamous words from your child’s mouth sooner or later: “I am bored!” After all, how long can a child stay occupied on their own? The good news is that we are all in the same boat, and some of us are better prepared than others. While I don’t intend to structure every minute of every day, I have some cool ideas to consider as you contemplate and plan your child’s summer days.
1. Outside play
This activity is obvious, but consider starting the day with outdoor play. Remember, it is summer, and the heat will keep your kids from going out any earlier than 5 or 6 pm. That leaves you with at least 8 hours inside the home. I love having the kids home and have plenty planned out for them, but I can already feel my brain melting thinking about all the bickering I will be listening to, so let’s make this easy on us. Outdoor play keeps them physically active, improves their mood, and social skills. Remember to apply sunscreen and keep them hydrated to ensure their safety and well-being.
Make them run, bike, or do any activity to exert themselves. Once they finish this, they will be ready for some quiet activities indoors. If your child is not into running or biking, you can suggest other outdoor activities such as soccer, volleyball, basketball, etc. The key is finding something they enjoy which keeps them active.
2. Art & Crafts
Invest in simple how-to-draw books with step-by-step instructions for drawing various objects or characters. I have found that once my child starts with one of them, they want to keep going. It is a fun activity and a great way to teach them how to draw and follow step-by-step instructions. Here are a few we love.
Want to take it a step further? Buy some Paper Sloyd books, origami instructions, and paper airplane guides. My boys love paper airplanes, and once we make them, they play with them for hours afterward. It is a two-in-one activity. Origami, on the other hand, is a hobby I had as a child, a great way to teach kids to focus, follow instructions, and understand the art of engineering. The joy of learning through these creative activities will surely keep your children engaged and excited.
- Paper Sloyd – This is a classic art intended to stimulate intellectual development
- Origami – Start with something simple like this. You can also place origami instruction books on hold in the library.
- Paper Airplane – We love this book and have tried several of their airplanes. The best part is it includes the papers with fold marks.
3. Knitting, crocheting, Stitching, Jewelry Making
It is such a great hobby, and summer is the perfect time to try them out. You can purchase premade kits from Amazon and watch YouTube videos to learn all about it. I recently purchased a few crotchet kits from Wobbles for my 10-year-old, and we will be trying them out together this summer. My daughter loves jewelry making and can spend hours making bracelets and earrings. Find what your kids love to do and help them conquer those hobbies.
4. Reading
I can’t stress enough that reading has to be on your list. I highly recommend setting up a dedicated reading time. After lunch is the best because it works for toddler naps and maintains a quiet home for everyone. A little peace will go a long way. Reading enhances their vocabulary and comprehension skills and stimulates their imagination and creativity. I have two blogs with some great ideas to make summer reading fun. Make sure to check them out. By prioritizing reading, you’re setting your child up for academic success and fostering a lifelong love for learning. Check out my blog with five summer reading programs you can participate including our very own Summer Reading Bingo.
5. Learning at home
This is an easy activity for a homeschool mom because they have plenty of curriculum to get started on. But if you are not a homeschooling family, search my website for various programs we have used in the past. I highly encourage some form of learning so your child keeps their learning momentum, a very common outcome of lack of instruction. It is called Summer learning loss and refers to the loss of academic skills and knowledge over the summer break. It is real, and children tend to test lower after summer break due to this. The activities I recommend, such as reading, workbooks, etc., are designed to prevent this learning loss by keeping your child’s mind active and engaged during the summer break.
- Singapore math- a solid program and I will never recommend anything else.
- Math trivia & logic books
- Humble math if you are looking to improve a certain math concept
- Evan Moore workbooks
6. Life Skills and chores
Summer is a great time to dedicate some extra time to life skills. Teach your older elementary and middle schoolers to boil eggs, make pasta, use the oven and air fryer, bake something, and use the stove if they are ready. Give your children assigned chores to complete daily and weekly. This is another excellent way for them to be involved in home management. Simple tasks such as unloading the dishwasher, putting away laundry, sorting the laundry, vacuuming, tidying up after dinner, and tidying up after themselves are some basic chores you can add to the list. Our kids do laundry, dishwasher, and dinner table duty every week and it has truly transformed my ability to focus energy elsewhere.
7. Board games, Puzzles, Card games
Invest in board games because they are a great way to bond as a family, and most board games build different types of skills. You do not have to play every board game with your child as there are so many great games for 2-4 players that your child can play independently. Some board games can keep them busy for a long time, too. You can read my blog for more ideas on Board games we enjoy as a family.
8. Water Play
When your kids are bored, switch on the sprinkler and let them jump around in the puddles. It is a fun and refreshing activity that can keep them entertained for hours. Gather some neighborhood friends along with some water guns, and let them have a blast. Sometimes, we need to remember that the simplest things are already available for free in our homes. Water play also helps children cool down in the summer heat and tires them enough for a good sleep.
9. Wash the car
Grab some buckets of soapy water (all you need is dish soap), give your kids some wash clothes, and let them wash your car every week. You’ll get a free car cleaning service, and your kids will get to play with water, which is all they want to do anyway.
10. Work outside the home
Get your children to come up with fun ways to support your neighborhood – pull weeds, host a lemonade stand every week, babysit if your child is older, wash cars, and sell handmade things. These activities keep them busy and teach them about responsibility, entrepreneurship, and community involvement.
I hope that some of these suggestions will appeal to your household. Now go conquer your summer with kids and make it memorable.
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