Things to Do With Your Kids Over the Summer
Summer is the best time for togetherness while the children are out of school. It can get costly taking them to amusement parks, even more so if you’re short on cash. If you happen to be in a similar situation as most Americans are, don’t worry, since there are lots of free activities you can do at home. These fun things to do are ideal for children under 10 years old. Many of these suggestions are centered around learning activities combined.
Using Household Items in Your Games
Everyday things from your home can be the props in the mock scenes you create. A fun thing to do at home is to imagine that you run an emergency room or doctor’s office. Have the children gather a stuffed toy or other toy and then use things from around your house that can be used as fake medical tools. Most houses are jam-packed with odd trinkets that can be fashioned into surgical kits. You can also do another variation of this game by pretending to run a television studio where the news is being reported. A stuffed toy or other toys can be used as part of the make-believe scenes that you and your child are reporting to the pretend viewers.
Create Quality Time and Get Active
Another low-cost, yet really active thing to do is to get out side for a ride on mountain bikes. If you have little ones, you can tote them along in a trailer attachment where they can be safe in a secure area. For shorter distances, some children might want to use their Razor scooter to get through the ride. To make it even more entertaining, take your time and suggest animals and things for them to find, like a treasure hunt. Things like lizards, airplanes, or dragonflies can all be great things for everyone to call out as they discover them. This game also works beautifully on a hike and can help kids learn about nature and their environment.
Go on a Make-Believe Safari
A game that is particularly entertaining is to create the illusion of being out in the wild, such as on a safari journey. Gather some large bed linens and tie the ends into chairs, the sofa, or to anything in the room that will hold steadily. Cover the bed linens so that the children feel like they are hidden by large forest trees or in the thick brush where the wild animals can’t see them. If you have a pair of binoculars, give them to the kids to make it feel more real. Have your kids get together all of the stuffed animals and creature figures they can find and set them up throughout the space, partly hidden so you can only see their heads, and then use the binoculars to discover them. Have the kids shout the names of the animals they find and then you can make the animal noise back at them. They always have the most laughs with this game!
Nighttime Family Fun
As evening comes, the fun doesn’t have to be finished! Set up a tent in the backyard for the kids and bring out the binoculars so they can look up at the stars. If you have a place where you can safely make a fire or a small charcoal barbeque, you can make a wood-burning fire for them. Have the kids find some tree branches for browning s’mores. If you have a few days open this summer, go camping at a local lake or beach and extend your time enjoying nature! These suggestions will surely give you and your kids a fun summer break full of imagination, activity, and learning.
