Summer Fun
The birds are singing, the flowers are in bloom and school is out. It is official – summer is here and with it the words that send the fingers of dread dancing down every parent’s spine ~ “There’s nothing to do. I’m bored.”
Looking for ways this summer to avoid the infamous phrase without breaking the bank? Here are a few low budget and fun ideas.
1. Picnic and nature hunt.
Pack a picnic of favorite finger foods and bike, hike, or walk to a nearby location (park, meadow, river bank, etc). Below are three examples of various nature hunts for different ages.
-“It looks like nature” nature hunt. This is ideal for younger children. Before hand, gather pictures from old magazines and paste them in a small steno tablet. Give each child a table and pencil. Have them look for the object that matches the picture. I.e. a bird’s nest or a flower.
-“The ABC” nature hunt. This activity is geared for older children. Each child will need a small notebook or paper on a clipboard and pencil . The child must find an object that begins with the letter. Have them write their finding in the notebook or on the paper, for example: A – acorn, b – bee, etc. For the more uncommon letters of the alphabet have them locate objects that make the shape. For example, two stick’s crossing for an ‘x’.
-“A photo” nature hunt. If you have an older child that likes to take pictures this one will be a winner. Have them take pictures of things that begin with the letters of the alphabet. Then they can then make a slide show for the entire family to view.
* Remember to remind children to leave nature as is.
2. Once upon a time.
This is a great indoor rainy day activity.
-For younger children – make a Once Upon A Time collage. Pick a theme like If I could have a 100 dogs…(paste pictures of the types of dogs they would have).
– Make a dream scrap book. Materials needed: Old magazines, inexpensive small photo albums, scissors, and makers. Give each child a photo album. Tell them they are to make a dream book. Some ideas:
Dream vacation ~ where would they go and what would they do.
Story (When I visited Mars or the Day I saved the world)
Have them label the pictures and share their dream book with the family.
3. Cardboard Tree House.
This activity has no limits. Call a local appliance store and ask them to set aside a refrigerator, washer, or dryer box.
Tape the boxes together, cutting out holes in the top and on the sides for windows. Kids can decorate them with makers, paint, or crayons. Boxes can also be taped together to form one large room. We made a ship out of one for my son. He was a pirate for weeks. The boxes can be made into tunnels, castles, or space rockets – this activity truly has no limits.
4. Feed the birds.
Mix ½ cup peanut butter with 1 ½ cup bird seed. Have the kids mold it into different shapes. Make a hook out of a paperclip and hang them from trees. Younger children can track how many birds visit. For older ones check a bird book out of the library that features local birds. See how many they can identify.
5. Make your own fireworks.
Color a large piece of poster board or other heavy paper with bright color crayons (red, oranges, blues, etc.) The colors need to be heavy for this to work.
Then paint over with black poster paint. After the paint dries, have the kids lightly scratch off the paint to form a design.
Every firework display needs music. To make rattlers, fill old plastic butter bowls with a variety of small objects, i.e. pebbles, rocks, macaroni, etc. Tape lids securely and cover with paper. You can use either plain paper that the children decorate, the Sunday comics, or wrapping paper.
6. Local libraries
Local libraries offer wonderful summer programs. Ours has a traveling zoo and children’s flea market.
