At-Home, Summertime Fun for Young Children

   Sorry I haven’t posted in such a long time! Life has been a little bit crazy around here. But I’m back, and hope to post more often, although I can no longer promise a post a week. I’m realizing that I’ve been spending too much time on the computer.

   Anyway–it’s summertime again, so I thought I’d brainstorm some activities that are inexpensive but will keep your kids busy and playing happily this summer. Some are for at home, and some are not, but I hope this list will inspire you to plan some fun for your kids this summer. Make the TV a special treat, not an everyday obession…save the movies for once or twice a week. Instead, have some fun with your kids!!

Summertime Fun Ideas

*Set up a tent in the back yard*OR hang a blanket over the clothesline or a swing set*

*Color with sidewalk chalk

*Paint with water outside on the cement

*Set up a snap-set side pool; add ice to play with, water toys (measuring cups, Barbie dolls, boats, duplos, etc OR set up the pool under the end of a slide, and make a “water slide”)

* Play with toys outside on a blanket

*Read favorite picture books on your blanket

* Paint/watercolor outside (set up an easel on the fence)

*Paint with chalk paint (available at all the major retailers near the sidewalk chalk/other summer toys

*Make homemade play dough

*Blow bubbles

*Play at the park

*Go on a nature walk

*Paint rocks (collect them at the beach/river)

*Go to your local furniture/appliance store and get a large box or refrigerator box; cut out a door and window/paint or color with felt-tipped pens; put pillows inside. After you’ve played “house” awhile, set up your house outside on the sidewalk. Draw ‘roads” with sidewalk chalk. Drive trikes on the road…you can be the police-lady. OR, make a whole town out of boxes; make stop-lights, too.

*Play with sand and water OR make mud pies

*Make an aluminum foil river

*When the weather is nice, spread out a blanket on the patio. Set up blocks and cars or blocks and plastic animals to play with. (There is something novel about playing with “inside” toys outside.) You can combine the blocks with sidewalk chalk to make a city or a zoo with roads, trees, signs, etc.)

*Set up blankets over a table inside, and play underneath

*Invite friends over to decorate their trikes with crepe paper, and then have a parade

*Read books about the ocean, then go to the ocean!

*Go fishing

*”Fish” inside with homemade “fishing” poles: tie yarn to a small stick or dowel; tie on a doughnut magnet; cut out “fish” from construction paper and put a paper clip on the fish’s mouth, then go fishing!

*Bath fun: Add ice to the bath, and watch it melt; “paint” on the sides of the tub with shaving cream; add measuring cups, plastic spoons, etc to bath with shaving cream and make “milkshakes”, etc

*Eat meals outside

*Have a tea party (let your girls dress-up on your old dresses or in square-dance petticoats first)

*Play soccer and volleyball with a beach ball. Even babies love beach balls and can play soccer: Hold your baby under the arms, and help them “kick” the beach ball by swinging them towards it.

*Set up hula hoops into a “path” and have your kids jump from hoop to hoop

*Set up a large sensory bin outside (birdseed, beans, sand, rice, etc….make sure your kids don’t put it in their mouths!)

*Let your kids “wash” plastic dishes in the kitchen sink

*Set up a large plastic bin with water and water-toys outside. Sponges are fun, too.

*Take your kids to vacation Bible school, or set up your own for the neighbor kids in your backyard.

*Christmas in July: Make time for all those neat projects and crafts you never got to last year, or get a head-start on Christmas by making Christmas presents NOW.

*Have your husband help your kids learn how to saw wood and pound nails into scraps of lumber (supervise carefully.)

*Go to Lowe’s Saturday “make it and take it” classes

*Enroll in summertime classes at your local craft store

*Take swim lessons

*Host a swim party or sprinkler play party

*Do “float or sink” experiments. Try to predict which items will float.

*Make Home-made ice cream: Follow your own recipe, or make “ice cream in a can”

*Learn how to jump rope, play hopscotch, and for older kids, learn how to play jacks or marbles

*Have a game day: Learn a new board game or card game.

*Make homemade popsicles or “fruit-sicles” (blend cool aid with real fruit, then freeze.)

Please share your ideas in the comments, and have fun this summer!!

       Blessings,

                     Susan

© 2012 Susan Lemons all rights reserved. Copyrighted materials may not be re-distributed or re-posted without express permission from the author.