July 13, 2020

Keeping Children Busy in Summertime

Due to Covid-19 we haven’t been able to do as many things as we would have liked this summer. Here are some ideas of what you can still with your kids to keep them busy this summer:

Summer vacation. Some parents find this time a blessing, others a curse. Today's technology should block out that "boredom" word altogether. In many cases, parents find themselves dealing with children who are so used to modern conveniences, they have exhausted these fun things and once again are bored. 

Many parents make the mistake of allowing their child to loaf while on summer vacation. They the very common excuse: "they have worked so hard all year, they need to relax." Allowing children to lay around and play video games, watch television, and sleep all day does not make for very good memories, nor is it good for their health. Children need stimulation. Many activities are inexpensive, easy, and fun. 





Let them walk

Taking a walk is a great way to get your child out of the house and allow them to have a breath of fresh air. Make a fun day out of it. Walk with them to the park or to the local ice cream stand. Taking a walk on a summer day is a great way to kill time and allow for exercise. Walking will help you both feel better as well. Children with active parents who encourage their children to be active will likely grow up to be healthier adults.

Play a game together

On those rainy summer days, pulling out some of those old, forgotten about board games can be a long-lasting fond memory to a child. Remember when you were young, playing board games was likely a great time for you. Make those memories with your child. Pop some popcorn and sit around the table or on the living room floor. This time will also allow you to catch up on your child's life and allow him to catch up on yours.




Take them GeoCaching

Many folks ask, "what in the world is this"?  Geocaching is a treasure hunt, for adults as well as children, where you look for coordinates on the website, and use either GPS or a compass and find a treasure of some sort.  GeoCaching is free for anyone and kills a great deal of time. Treasures can range from restaurant tickets, teddy bears, toys, jewelry, etc. 

Teach them useful life skills such as cooking, sewing, building, etc. Boys and girls alike, rip their clothes eventually. Every child will benefit from knowing basic life skills. Who better to teach them than their parent. Again, this allows for important bonding time but also can be a great deal of fun.

Assign them a chore

Once children are old enough, let them help you around the house. If you have more than one child, make a chore chart and hang it on the refrigerator. Feeding the dog is a great starter chore as well as: unloading the dishwasher, cleaning their room, dusting, clearing the table, etc. You can even give them an allowance for performing these chores. You can teach them the value of earning for working, but that is a whole other article we will get into later.

There are a great many things you can do to help your child manage his time. Remember to make a life learning experience for your child. While resting and loafing is good sometimes, encouraging it all the time can lead to habits of it later on in life, and that is dangerous. Most importantly, whatever you choose to do, have fun while you are doing it. Fun creates smiles and laughter. Smiles and laughter make memories.