 Summer Family Fun
Family fun during the warm summer months does not have to be expensive. I have combed through some resources and found several suggestions that can make family time a happy time. Many communities offer outdoor concerts and plays in local parks. Take a blanket or lawn chairs. Pack a lunch or dinner. Take a stay-at-home vacation (write for tourist brochures -- plan each day as if you would a vacation that you went away on -- get up early, pack a lunch, take in as many sites as you can). Perform a family service project (pick up litter, volunteer at a soup kitchen, plant trees). Summer reading programs at local libraries offer great motivation for reading, and sometimes fun incentives such as coupons for local attractions. Discover the joy of nature walks. Take along hand-held magnifying glasses and/or binoculars. Blow bubbles out in the yard. Chasing them is fun, too. Organize some group activities: Family Olympics (with several other families), Kids' Backyard Sleepover, Progressive Dinner, and a Stargazing Night. Pack a lunch and some balls and head for the park to play games. Have the whole family learn a new game, sport or craft. Give your little ones a bucket of plain water and a large clean paintbrush. Let them "paint" the house, fence or sidewalk with water. Have your children attend a Vacation Bible School at a local church. Play old card games (the games are new to your children!). Have a Scavenger Hunt. Give your kids their own small section of the garden to plant whatever they want: flowers, vegetables. Make gardening a family event. Think back on things you that you have fond memories of from your own childhood that you can recreate with your own children: catching fireflies, fishing, hay rides, swinging on rope swings, building tree houses, picking wildflowers, making ice cream, playing checkers. Go to a Farmer's Market. Have a water fight or run through the sprinkler (or just spray your kids with a hose while they run through the yard). Make “Baggy Bugs.” Place a graham cracker in a plastic baggy, seal it shut, and crush the crackers into fine sand using a large spoon. Add a few raisins to the bag and have the kids dig for bugs in the sand. Experiment with other tasty critters--dried cranberry "ladybugs," carob chip "ants," and fruit snack "worms." Invite the neighbors over for a movie night. Put a television on the patio. Pop popcorn and serve soft drinks. Gaze at the stars. On a clear, warm evening, take blankets outside and gaze at the beautiful night sky. Thank God for His beautiful creation.
 Many families will be traveling by car during the summer vacation. I remember when we took those long trips to North Carolina with our two girls. My goal was to get there as fast as possible (safety was a concern too). Cindy’s challenge was to keep our sweet ones entertained. Car trips with children can be fun with some planning. Here are some tips for traveling with children.
Bring lots and lots of snacks, treats and amusements. Allow time to stop at restaurants or local playgrounds so the kids can run around. Bring a ball or Frisbee, too. This is tough for someone like me who has one goal: get there! Try to stop at restaurants with ball rooms. That is not a typo, although “bathrooms” are a good idea. Let the kids work off some energy. Maybe even let them eat their meals later, in the car. Alternatively, create picnic meals with food bought from restaurants or the deli -- this saves money, and gives the kids a chance to play outside. Change the kids' seating arrangements to minimize conflicts. Give maps to the older kids, and let them mark off your route and navigate. Allow sleeping children plenty of wake-up time: start the wake-up process long before you are going to stop the car. Bringing along a potty can be a great idea if your children are very young.
Check out these web sites for additional ideas: www.familyfun.com
www.funattic.com
www.parents.com/summer Have a great summer of fun and be safe! |
