Keeping Kids Busy
Activities For Summer And More
What do your kids do all summer long? How are you keeping kids
busy? With the lack of
structured school days, and school activities, it is very easy for kids
to wind up with to much time on their hands. They say idle hands
belong to the devil, when it comes to your teenagers, it could easily be
true.
The first advice is to always know where your children are. They can tell you anything, it is your job to know for sure. This means a certain amount of checking up on them is in order. You need to know at all times that they are telling you the truth. The best way to have this kind of trust is to check out their story from time to time. They never even have to know they are being checked, as long as they are where they are supposed to be.
Summer camps are at the top of my list for productive summertime activities for children, for keeping kids busy. Maybe it's a camp for gifted children, band camp, cheer camp or two weeks of horseback riding. Every child has an interest and finding a camp suited to those interests should be an important part of every summer. I spent a lot of my summers at boy scout camp and church camp. While camps can be a lot of fun, most of them try to mix in a good amount of learning. Their are school camps, discovery camps, science camps, technology camps, acting and dance camps and far to many more to list. Summer camps can be out of town or down the block. Day camps have become very popular in many towns and are an excellent way for working parents to know that their kids are in a save, structured environment.
Part time jobs are another productive way for a teenager to spend the summer. They don't even have to be paying jobs, volunteer work can be rewarding in ways far more important than money. I have always had a deal with my kids. If they stayed active in school, got good grades, stayed out of trouble and participated in extra curricular activities I would pay their way and provide a vehicle. They have all taken me up on that, stayed busy and kept their grades up. Part time summer jobs were important to them, even with me paying for most of their expenses. The money they saved during the summer allowed for extra pocket money all winter long.
Grandparents can be an important part of summer for some children, it
was for me. Two weeks at the farm was a summer ritual I always
looked forward to, even though it meant some hard work. My parents
love planning activities for all the grandkids and helping their busy
parents with transportation and scheduling. Grandparents can be an
excellent way for keeping kids busy.
Does your school offer a summer school program? Summer school is not just for students that fail classes you know. This time can be used to get ahead in credits giving your child more options for their senior year. Many seniors go to high school half a day and then attend college classes in the afternoons while others graduate mid-term and start college early. Other programs allow students to leave school early and work at a job in their field of interest. Getting ahead on school credits could have many benefits that you could look into. Taking high school classes for college credits is another good reason to look into summer school.
Maybe your child has had enough of the real school but would gladly take an online class or two. Many high schools and colleges have online classes that can be taken over the summer months for credits. The kids would love it, they could go to school in their jams.
Keeping your kids active and involved in the community in productive ways will reduce the chances of them falling into that summertime teenage rut. Left at home with no rules many teens would just as soon stay up late, sleep till afternoon, sit in front of the tube and eat with one hand and text with the other and then complain because there is nothing to do. Sound like anyone you know?
Other ways for keeping kids busy? Here is what Di does from time to time.
Take Your Kids Camping by Di McDonald
In your backyard. This is a great activity which is low cost and great
fun as long as you get the kids involved with planning everything. I
have great memories of camping in the backyard and getting really cold
in the middle of the night and running inside into my bed. My mum and
Dad were not interested in camping with us but as a parent I can say
that its such a fun activity to do with your kids.
Just trying to put a tent up together is crazy, your neighbors will hear the laughing all the way down the street. Let the kids drag all the sleeping bags and pillows out. Make it their job to set up all the bedding inside the tent. Start when its still light outside and make dinner on a Grill. Once you are all set up for the night. Let the kids stay up much later than usual. They will anyway because they will be so excited. Play games with them, sing and tell stories together. Make sure you have plenty of marshmallows and other treats.
Get all snuggled up in the tent and enjoy very close sleeping quarters. Get the kids to tell the parents stories. There is nothing like turning the tables for a laugh. Make sure you have plenty of flashlights. Make sure you have a fly on the tent just in case it rains during the night. While it is still light, don't forget to get out the camera and take pictures as this will be a night that the kids will remember and will want to look back on when they are older.
In the morning you can choose to leave the tent up all day and have the kids play outside. They can maybe have their friends over to play camping with them.I bet they decide they wantto go camping for real next time.
Di has been writing articles for more than 2 years. Her latest interest is camping. So come visit her latest website Portable Gas Grills which helps people find the very best portable gas grills.
Nicole has more tips for keeping kids busy.
A Month of Fun with Children: Making Memories on a Budget by Nicole Dean
What childhood memories do you hold dear? For me, it was all the times "life happened". The little things like playing outside, riding my bike, playing at the park, swimming in the lakes, laughing with friends. None of those moments cost a cent, yet they are some of my most treasured memories. Making memories on a budget is very easy to do. Choose any of the ideas below and you'll have a fun-filled time without breaking the bank!
1. Garden - Plant flowers, fruit trees, herbs, or vegetables. Your child will learn science, responsibility and have fun!
2. Snip-it - Give your child some old toy catalogs or magazines and safe scissors. Watch them cut all day.
3. Diggin' It - Send your child outside with a bucket and small shovel. Shoveling snow, sand, dirt or rocks -- it's all good fun.
4. Sing - Turn up the radio and sing! Teach your child the music of the 70s, 80s, or 90s.
5.
Play Catch - Throw different items (balloons, tennis balls) to your
child. Roll balls to young children.
6. Sidewalk Chalk - Lay on the sidewalk and take turns outlining each other. Decorate your flat selves.
7. Cardboard Boxes - Make towers, play houses, airplanes, trains, forts and more!
8. Bubbles - Go outside and Blow Bubbles. Take turns chasing and popping them.
9. Masks - Make Masks from Paper bags, paper plates, foam, or anything on hand.
10. Cards - Teach your child all the classic games -- UNO, Crazy 8, Go Fish, Old Maid, Memory Match.
11. Scavenger Hunt - Give your child a list of clues and send him out to find them. Clues can be simple (find a rock) or very advanced (find a piece of granite).
12. Throw Rocks - Go to a pond, creek, or lake and throw rocks. Try to skip them or aim for different targets.
13. Bath Time - Bring kitchen utensils into the bath tub. Bubbles and water can become a gourmet dinner.
14. Office - Give your child Junk Mail, stickers, a calculator and pen. They will play office for hours.
15. Photography - Let your child use a disposable camera or a digital camera and witness their creativity. They may surprise you!
16. Picnic - Make some sandwiches and eat them outside.
17. Cooking - Find age-appropriate recipes and let your child help in the kitchen.
18. Tag - How many versions of tag do you remember from your childhood? Teach the oldies to your children (freeze tag, TV tag, etc.)
19. Write a Story - Younger children can write wiggle-worm sentences (much scribbling and pictures). Encourage older children to write chapter books -- your child could write the next Harry Potter or Magic Tree house.
20. Charades - Toddlers can act out or guess their favorite animals. Older children will enjoy acting out movie titles.
21. Flashlight - Turn off the lights & make shadow puppets. Or get two flashlights and chase the light beams.
22. Wildlife - Feed the ducks, squirrels, birds, turtles or fish near you.
23. Abundance - Every day, have your children tell you what they are thankful for.
24. Dress Up -
Let your children dress in your clothes.
25. Treats - Make cookies and decorate them.
26. Dance - Turn up the music and Dance!
27. Play Games - Teach your child all your favorite board games.
28. Journal - Get a notebook or diary and encourage your child to express their feelings with pictures and words.
29. Tea Party - Grab the stuffed animals and treat them to a delicious cup of imaginary tea.
30. Keep in Touch - Write a letter to Grandparents, Aunts or Uncles. Teach the importance of family.
31. I Spy - Come up with age-appropriate clues and let you child guess what you are thinking.
Be sure to print out this list and keep it handy for the next time your children say "MOMMMMMM -- we're bored!"
Nicole Dean is the owner of Show Mom the Money ( http://www.showmomthemoney.com ) -- a fun and exciting site for Moms.
Keeping kids busy is not always easy, but it is important. We hope this page has helped.
Other related pages at Parenting Magic
Magazines For Children :
Reading And Children :
Preschool Games
Bath Time Magic :
Summer Camp :
Summer Fun For Kids
Activities On A Budget :
Children And Sports :
Motivate Your Child
