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Activities to Grow On: Ideas for Enjoying Summertime with your Children
by Kristi Grigsby
School’s out and summer’s here! The kids are home….ah, yes, the kids are home. But as many parents know, this “honeymoon” can end much too quickly - and before you know it, you may find yourself counting down the days till September!
So what can you do with all that time together? Of course, there are the usual summertime activities: swimming, vacations, picnics, family reunions, playing in the sprinklers, etc. But in addition to these favorite standbys, the folks at Sunsational Kids (http://www.SunsationalKids.com) have been busy collecting lots of free activities and ideas to fill your summer with fun!
Arts and Crafts are always a fun way to enjoy the cooler indoors with your little ones. One of our favorites is hand print art. This is fun for kids of all ages and the finished products make great gifts for loved ones, and lasting memories of these cherished times. Stock up on some fabric paints and/or markers (available at craft stores), paper plates, lots of wipes - and let the fun begin! Choose an item to paint such as a white T-shirt, canvas tote bag, beach bag, tablecloth, etc. (Incidentally, a decorated tablecloth or sheet is great to use for a picnic!)
Spread the paint around a paper plate, then dip your child’s hand in and rub around until it’s fully covered. Gently keep hold of your child’s hand and press firmly down on the fabric. Still holding their hand, lift and wipe hand immediately. Don’t expect perfection – your shirt may have smudges and smears, but that’s OK. The flaws add character to the finished product! Repeat this process for each new color. Don’t forget to add your child’s name, age and date to their creation with scribble paints or a fabric marker. If your child is too young for this activity, or you’re uncomfortable using paints, use fabric markers and trace around their little hands. The effect is the same – lasting memories of those sweet, tiny hands!
If you really need to cool off, your kids will love helping out with this five-minute ice cream recipe. Items needed include: 1 gallon-sized ziploc bag; 1 quart-sized ziploc bag; milk; sugar; vanilla; salt; ice.
· STEP 1: In the 1 quart-sized bag, put 1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla.
· STEP 2: In the gallon-sized bag, put 1/3 cup salt and ¾ of the bag filled with ice cubes.
· STEP 3: Place the smaller bag inside the larger bag (make sure the seal is tight!). Shake vigorously for 5 minutes. ENJOY!
Another great idea to break up the monotony is to let your child be “boss for the day.” Now, we’ve collected lots of great ideas that my four-year-old daughter and I have both enjoyed trying. But, when I read this idea to her, her eyes lit up and she excitedly said with a smile, “yeah, mommy, lets try that one!” If we attempt to put ourselves into their little shoes, we can imagine that it must get pretty tiring listening to things like, “clean up your room,” “put your shoes on, we’re going to the store,” or “no, you don’t need dessert tonight” day after day after day. While we firmly believe parents should maintain an upper hand on schedules, routines and discipline, we also have seen from experience what a difference this idea can make.
Once in awhile, you may enjoy letting your child be the boss, or as well call it, “Queen/King for the Day.” Let them plan out their meals (within your guidelines), decide where you will go during the day, choose the activities, etc. An entire day may be too long for some children, so you may want to experiment with an afternoon. Make sure they’re old enough to understand, however, that this day will end and things will resume back to normal tomorrow!
Summertime is no time to place scholastics on hold. Even preschoolers can utilize this time together to build their knowledge.
· Trips to the library and reading adventures are great for kids of all ages.
· Take a hike through a forest (or even your neighborhood) and collect leaves, bugs, flowers, or other forms of nature. Work with your child to locate their “treasures” in an encyclopedia or on the internet to learn more about them. Younger children can bring home their treasures and glue them onto a piece of construction paper. Talk to your children about the dangers of poisonous plants and insects found in your area, and teach them to identify (and to stay away from) these species.
These ideas, along with many more, can be found in the “Fun (and Free!) Activities With Kids” section of http://www.sunsationalkids.com.
Kristi is focusing her efforts on her family, as well as www.SendAChildASmile.com. The Send A Child A Smile program was developed to bring a smile to the face of a child who may not be feeling too special - whether it be from an illness, from a loss, or from another life event. She writes as a hobby.
©2001 Kristi Grisby. All rights reserved. Article used by permission.
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