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| Summer Fun That Won’t Sizzle Your Wallet by Mary DeMent
Sidewalk chalk – Have your kids play hopscotch, practice letters and numbers, and write their names. Or they can have fun with freestyle art. Water fun day – Break out the sprinkler, bubbles, squirt guns, slip ’n’ slide and water balloons. Put on your bathing suit and join them for a while. Don’t forget the sunscreen! Plant a mini-garden – Allow each child to pick out a seed packet. Then let them plant seeds in a pot or the ground and care for them over the summer. They will be excited as they watch their plants grow. Library – Plan a trip to your local library every week or two. Check out books and videos, enjoy story time and take part in other summer activities provided for children. Art day – Provide paper and paints, buttons, yarn, etc., and let them be creative! Post their creations for the entire family to enjoy, or mail one or two to loved ones. Homemade play dough – Play dough is fun for both young and old. It assists in developing fine motor skills and promotes creativity! Here is a tried and true recipe: 3 cups flour 3 cups water 1 ½ cups salt 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp cream of tartar Food coloring Mix first five ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture begins to come away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat. When the dough is cool enough to touch, knead it on a floured surface or waxed paper, and add the food coloring. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy! Park day – Make a list of all the local parks. Visit a different park each week. Invite another family along for double fun! Lemonade stand – Tap into your child’s entrepreneurial spirit! Mix up a batch (or two or three) of lemonade. Let them create a sign and set up shop! Tie-dye – Purchase a kit or gather supplies from your local craft store. Adult supervision is required. Plan on wearing your shirts (or other garments) on a family trip. Zoo trip – This activity is fun and educational. Consider purchasing a family membership. These are fairly inexpensive, and most zoos have reciprocal memberships. So you can visit other zoos around the country for free or at a discounted rate year round. Family bike ride – Ride around the neighborhood together or scout out a nearby bike trail. Stop for a picnic lunch. Vacation Bible School – Many area churches use creative themes and activities to communicate biblical truths in a fun and memorable way. Scavenger hunt – Kids love these. Make a list of 10 to 20 objects (depending on the child’s age/attention span) and allow the children to set off on an adventure (at home or abroad). Possible items might include: specified type of leaf, feather, rock or pebble, blade of grass, wild flower. You also may hold an indoor hunt on rainy days. Treasure hunt – Bury or hide an object inside or outside. Create a treasure map and let your treasure seekers loose! Summer scrapbook – Take a few photos of each summer activity and have your kids scrapbook their memories near the end of summer. Pool day – If you don’t have a pool, plan on making a day trip to a local public pool. Bring a picnic lunch. Beach day – If you don’t live near a beach, create one in your own back yard. Fill one kiddie pool with water and another one with sand. Spread out a blanket and pitch an umbrella up to block the heat. Provide small plastic shovels, buckets and castle molds (found at local dollar stores), then let the fun begin! Backyard campout – Pitch a tent in the back yard, make s’mores and tell stories. Sock puppets – Purchase a pack of tube socks, and provide buttons, felt, glue and scissors. Encourage your children (this won’t be too hard) to put on a puppet show for you. Talent show – Ask the kids to think of a talent they would like to share (you could even get the whole neighborhood involved). Then set up a time and date for the show. Create fliers and distribute to friends and neighbors. Ice cream party – Get neighborhood families together. Have everyone bring a different type of ice cream or topping. Enjoy! 2-liter bowling – Collect and set up 10 empty 2-liter plastic bottles. Provide a ball and let the kids take turns setting them up and knocking them over. Summer reading – Encourage your children to read and make a list of the books they’ve completed. Keep your eyes and ears open. Some businesses (such as local bookstores or libraries) offer free treats to children who read a certain number of books. Check with your local library about reading incentives in your area. Older children may enjoy participating in a book club. Encourage them to select a book to read and discuss with their friends. Free movies – Some movie theaters offer free movies during the summer months. Free unstructured playtime! – Remember, summer is a time to do less, unwind and relax. Be careful not to over-schedule your children. Let them swing, climb, run, jump, hang out with friends or just plain be a kid! Mary DeMent is a freelance writer and stay-at-home mom. She lives in Orlando, Florida, with her husband, Bill, and their four young children. She holds a master’s degree in social work and writes devotionals and articles for God’s Word for Today, LIVE! and the Faith Café. Her favorite summer activity is beach day! What low-budget summer fun do you enjoy with your family? | Top | Share Your Thoughts... Monday, August 11, 2008 06:05:42 PM
kirsten near Denver wrote... Trying to print this so I can keep a copy on the fridge for weekend to-do treats, We have work to-dos, and fun to-dos, I like cheap fun! thanks for the ideas. |
Parenting Helps:
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Summer, for many moms, is a time to relax and throw the schedule out the window. Kids need downtime too! But it’s always nice to have a few activities in your mom’s bag of tricks to keep the natives from getting restless. Here’s a peak inside my bag:
