Field trips, movie nights, and hikes? Don’t worry about your children getting bored this summer!
For many parents, summer poses the inevitable question: Now that the kids are home all day, what am I going to do with them? While summertime is typically your time to lie back and relax, kids are bouncing off the walls shrieking, ‘I’m bored!’ As parents and nannies want each summer to be more memorable than the next, a few creative ideas are in order.
During the summer months, many school children lose the equivalent of one to two months of reading and maths skills. In turn, they don’t score as highly on standardized tests as students who continue to learn during the summer. This doesn’t mean that children should spend the summer indoors, working on maths equations – but it does mean that children can discover that learning is fun and can happen anywhere!
Grow fruits and vegetables
What better way to learn the basics of science and how things grow than to plant your own garden? You can start with seeds or small plants. Talk about the needs of each plant, and allow your child to map out a design of where each vegetable should go according to their needs. Veggies are particularly fun because children get to plant, grow, pluck, and cook them!
Create a scrapbook
Get your child’s creative juices flowing! A family vacation is a perfect opportunity to create a trip scrapbook that will be a lasting souvenir of family adventures – all the while testing your child’s creative abilities. Collect postcards, brochures, and menus from cafes and tourist attractions. Encourage your child to write descriptions of the place you visited and tell stories about your family’s escapades!
Visit a museum
Get your child excited about visiting a museum by exploring the online website and taking a virtual tour. When you go to a museum, take into account the short attention spans and don’t try to rush through the entire exhibit in one day. Start in the gift shop and let your child pick out some postcards of paintings or objects on display, then turn your museum trip into a treasure hunt by trying to find those paintings or objects in the museum!
Volunteer
Make the most of your time by helping others. Compassion comes naturally to children, so take them to an animal shelter, let them help out in the soup kitchen, or volunteer to paint Grandma’s fence! Outside summer jobs and community service help children to be punctual and serve others.
Attend a summer camp
Fun activities are blended with educational purposes to ensure your child makes the most of the summer! If you want to get your kids involved with a great summer camp that is ideal for them, contact Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Conejo Valley. We have a number of programs that encourage outdoor activities, personal development, and fun!