Afraid of your kids driving you nuts this summer? Do you need some fun things to do with them or to keep them busy?
If your kids are bored again here are a few ideas of fun things to do with them at home or around town this summer, on weekends or holidays (or on those dreaded teacher planning days during school months!). Some of these are clearly for warmer weather but others are great for those winter months!
- First, I tell my kids to go clean something if they are “bored”. That usually sends them running! After they’ve cleaned then I go to the following ideas…..
- Paint shirts – Buy a cheap t-shirt (Michael’s has some.) and some craft paint tubes/bottle for fabric and let your kids decorate their own shirts. They can also get creative with colorful iron-ons and puffy paint!
- Kids’ Stuff Yard Sale - We just had one of these in our neighborhood and it went great! You can do this individually or as a sub-sale like we did. Have you kids gather up all the toys, games, puzzles, videos, etc. they don’t want any more and then pull together all their old clothes and price them for a yard sale. Having the kids make and sell cookies and/or lemonade at a little stand is also a fun and educational thing for them to do.
- Paint on an easel on the driveway – If you have an easel (or if you don’t like a mess in your house) take some paper and paints and let them paint outside. I used rocks to hold down the paper on the cement for the little one who didn’t have space on the easel with the older two. The paint was washable so I just sprayed off the driveway when we were through. A no stress mess that wasn’t in the house!
- Make chalk drawings on driveway – Have you or your child draw hop-scotches or other games on the driveway with those buckets of sidewalk chalk. My toddler likes for me to draw pictures of houses, flowers, etc. (It’s given me the opportunity to brush up on my horrible drawing skills!) and she colors them in. I sit and read a magazine while she’s busy! I also draw big circles for my boys to throw small rocks into. I draw a line a few feet back for them to stand behind to see who can throw the most rocks in the circle at one time. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best!
- Have a lemonade stand – It may cost you more for the lemonade and cups than they’ll make in revenue but it keeps older kids busy and excited for a few hours! They can draw and decorate their own sign. Or, if you’re like me with a messy 1st grader, I drew the letters in pencil and he traced them with fat markers. He loved adding his own touches of color! Baked cookies and brownies are also a big hit! You might even put up a sign at the entrance(s) to your sub and throughout showing your neighbors you have a stand set up. You’ll generate more traffic (pardon the pun!) for your excited entrepreneurs!
- Make little cakes with little cake tins – I enjoy baking so I found some little tins for large tarts. I don’t know the technical term for them so forgive me on this one! They’re about 4” round. You can mix up a box of cake mix and let them help. They can pour some into their little tins and watch them bake and decorate their own little cakes! Sprinkles are always fun on top!
- Make doggie treats – I found this great little cookbook in a specialty kitchen store once called “The Doggy Bone Cookbook” by Michele Bledsoe. It has several very easy to make (nutritious) recipes with ingredients you’re most likely to have on hand. Mine came with a doggie bone cookie cutter. So cute and the kids just love making doggie treats for our dog, Dixie!
- Make play-dough – Here I go again on the cooking theme. I love making this play-dough because it’s so soft and malleable for small hands. The store-bought brands tend to be a bit harder to squish for toddlers. It also stores really well in zip-loc bags and plastic containers with lids. (See the FOOD/RECIPES section for details)
- Go to the park or find a new one – There are a lot of ideas here. One is to just pile the kids into the car and take them to the park when you’re having one of those days. Give yourself permission to take an hour or two off from your busy day! You can also plan play-dates there with friends. Better yet, find another park your kids haven’t been to yet! Take a picnic lunch.
- Go to the library – Many libraries have summer programs during the day and on weekends. If yours has a play area then you’ve got a great way to spend an hour or two easily at the library. Read books to them, choose videos, books on tape, parenting books, and educational videos on things like trucks (my 4 yr. old loves these!), whales, etc. Don’t forget the series of chapter books available for the older kids.
- Watch a movie and pop popcorn – We like to have daytime or pajama movie parties. We’ll pop popcorn, wear our pj’s, and watch a movie! It’s fun to go the library or local video store and pick one out. If you don’t want a lot of bickering over which video to get then do what I do, go get it without the kids. Then they have no choice and there’s some hope of you liking the movie!
- Make fruit pops or frozen banana pops – Believe it or not my husband came up with this one while I was on vacation. He put spoons in ice cube trays with apple juice. He said he propped up the spoons on the side of the freezer and they came out really easy. (See RECIPE link for Frozen Banana Pops)
- Find a project to do at Michael’s – If you get the Saturday or Sunday paper get the 40% off coupon for Michael’s (or JoAnn Fabrics) and take the kids for a stroll down the aisles and let them pick something fun to do. I recommend something to do outside without a lot of supervision if you don’t like mess and your kids are old enough, otherwise it will be bonding time!
- Draw pictures for grandparents – If your kids’ grandparents do not live locally, let’s not forget to keep them in touch with their grandkids. They LOVE getting artwork from their grandbabies, no matter how little or big!
- Look in the Family Fun magazine for fun things to do – I get this magazine and LOVE it!!! It has a lot of fun crafty, baking and other fun things to do with your kids. Some are fun to keep the kids busy too if you need some time to yourself!
- Go to a search engine and type in “fun things to do in ___ county, state” – I did this and found an entire “book” online for my neighboring county full of parks, museums, and other places of fun for the kids. It’s a great resource if your county has one!!
- Go to the zoo – This is an all-time favorite. I’ve got a friend who decides at the last minute to pile her kids in the car and go to the zoo for the day when her morning has gone completely wrong (ever have one of those days??). She says it’s a great stress relief. On the other hand, if you a planner like me, you’ll want to set a date to go. I suggest a weekday when it’s not so busy and take a friend or two with their kids! If you don’t want the stress of packing a lunch then just fork out the dough for some hot dogs and fries. A little junk food every once in a while won’t hurt (at least that’s my motto when it comes to stress-reduction my part! Ha ha!)
- Go to the Hands On Museum or Children’s Museum– There are these types of museums in many large cities and some smaller neighboring ones. Getting a membership is usually pretty inexpensive. Especially if you plan to go there at least twice or more per year, it will pay for itself.
- Go to a water park – Check resources in your area to see what’s available. Again, a weekday with girlfriends and their children is a great way to pass the time and have a good time!
- Go to the animal shelter – My boys and I volunteer at the local animal shelter. We collect newspapers from our neighbors to donate (which they are always in great need!) and we walk two or three dogs to help them out. The boys love getting to know other dogs and playing with them. I love that they’re learning about helping others outside of themselves.
- Buy pet toys for animals at the shelter – This is always fun! Taking the kids to buy toys for the animals in the local animal shelter is fun for the kids and easy to do. Call your local shelter first to see what their needs are exactly so you’re focused on your shopping trip. This doesn’t have to be a huge monetary burden, even just $10 or $20 worth of toys would be greatly appreciated not only by the staff but especially by our furry friends while they wait for new families!!!
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