Once the kids are out of school for the summer, they have plenty of free time on their hands. What better way to keep kids busy and prevent them from complaining about how bored they are than by coming up with a bunch of fun summer activities? Happy kids are busy kids. Even though most kids would be happy to spend a lot of their time in front of the TV or playing video games, there are plenty of alternatives that kids can do in the summer, from swimming to art projects. When the kids need a little guidance during the summer to avoid becoming couch potatoes, you need to find creative things for them to participate in. The obvious choice is to get the kids outside to enjoy summer activities. This may mean spending time at the pool or beach, blowing bubbles, making chalk art, riding bikes, taking a nature walk, gardening, flashlight tag, creating an obstacle course, playing Frisbee, making a kite, searching for items in nature and more. When the kids are burnt out on the summer sun, there are plenty of indoor activities to keep them busy. Some choices include: play-dough, silly putty, simple crafts, homemade paint, assembling a birdhouse, painting plant pots or creating things out of Popsicle sticks. The nice thing about crafts is that they don’t have to cost a lot of money. In fact, you can pull together a variety of projects for free using recycled materials or homemade products made from common household ingredients. It’s easy to make homemade paints and chalk, make animal crafts out of recycled milk containers and use egg cartons for a variety of crafts. All it takes is a little creativity. Of course, there are the lazy rainy days of summer that lend themselves well to reading, making a fort, playing board games, assembling puzzles, playing with puppets and library visits. Gloomy weather doesn’t have to mean that the whole day is a wash. Local attractions are also a fun way to spend the summer. Visiting museums, parks, water-parks, theme parks, aquariums, nature centers, farms, zoos, bowling centers, movie theaters, county fairs and local art fairs, and camp grounds are all fun locations for summer activities for kids. With a little innovation and positive attitudes all around, you can enjoy a great summer entertaining the kids without breaking the bank, whether it’s indoors or outdoors.
