So it has arrived. Mid-Summer boredom and the questions of “What are we doing today?” “We have to go where?” “I don’t want to” and then there are the times where you can not make them move away from a game system, computer or television. It is hard to find the motivation as a parent and to also to try to keep them entertained and not from driving us crazy. It can be a great challenge to any parent. We want to do great things with our children but we don’t want them to cost a fortune. Finding middle ground can be a challenge.
I know for myself I have scoured Pinterest, as I am sure many of you have. There are great ideas, crafts, games and tons of baking but sometimes, we need to get out of the house and don’t always have all the materials necessary. For myself, I know I have been looking for things to do to get us out of the house. This year, I have found that there are so many free activities or low cost activities. The public library has performers, science activities and weekly reading and sing along’s for different age groups. We registered for the ones that needed registration and they are great and well organized. The Home Depot has free build it workshops for children. My daughter built a bug house and was so excited to use a hammer! The local movie theaters are doing $2.50 movies on Saturday mornings and they are family friendly movies.
To help find out about local events I joined a Facebook Mom group for the area I live in and Moms are sharing with each other events and ideas for the area we live in. Some of the local farms that have fruit picking also have free activities for the kids to do. I have been able to find out about fun things to do with kids in the area and the group is starting meet ups at local parks for the kids. Sometimes just getting out to a playground is all the kids need, it gets them out of your hair and you get to connect with other parents. If your area does not have a Facebook Moms Group start one! It is free, easy to do and if you invite your friends they can invite a few more and it will spread. My friend and I have taken each others kids for a couple hours just to give each other a kid free break. It has been such a good feeling to have some time to ourselves and to not have to worry about who our children are with.
Outdoor fun can be easy. Setting up a real tent or pretend tent for some camping or picnic fun. Water balloons can be fun and if you let your kids throwing them at the car for a “car wash” they love it! Also if you freeze the balloons they can become marbles or bowling balls.
If your children do like the messy sensory or baking fun there are tons of great ideas out there. getting one big pan and filling it with rice and cars or trucks. You can also make so many messy goops using cornstarch, there are simple goops where just changing one ingredient or adding one thing makes it different and just as fun. Letting the children add food colouring and experiment with colours lets them have some control. Popsicle making is a good frozen treat for the summer and adding fruit chunks lets them enjoy seeing how it all freezes and enjoy the finished product. One sensory play my daughter has always loved is cooked pasta play. You can add food colouring to change the colour, hide toys in it for them to find, add rice to change the texture. There are so many things you an do and the children will give you ideas as you go along.
Summer can be fun, stressful but also a time to let creativity run. Getting together with friends and family, doing crafts, outdoor fun and using your imagination is just a part of the many things that you can do. There are free events that happen at different stores, libraries, museums so take a look, call or go online. Personally I love ice play, the frozen water balloons are fun! Enjoy the time with the kids and set up with some friends to get a break because you have to take time for yourself too.
By Melissa Marie