We live in AZ, so it is starting to get hot hot hot. Soon it will be too miserable to go outside unless it's to go to the public pool. So now that the kids are out of school, I'm left wondering what they are going to do all day? It seems like lately, all they want to do is come home from school and watch TV or play wii. I don't want them to spend the entire day doing that now that summer is here. They are getting too big to play with dolls or trucks, it seems like they have lost interest in almost everything we have here at our house. So what do your kids do all day?
I should mention that we have a total of 6 kids (his, mine and ours) and I babysit a few kids during the week. So some days I could have 9 or 10 kids here during the day. It isn't really feasible to take the kids to classes outside of the house. I'm looking for ideas at home for kids ranging from 4, 6, 8 and 10 years old. Thanks!
Wow...that's gatta keep you busy. Well I would suggest arts and crafts and board games for entertainment. Listening to music and have a pretend talent show/kareoke. Fashion show for the girls. Can't think of much else at the moment. Hope this helps. :-D
What a great question! I'll be watching to see all the ideas.
One thing I definitely want to do this summer is have the kids make a list. Each one makes their own separate list with activities they enjoy doing. I'm hoping at least 3/4 of these items will not include me having to supervise. That way when they say 'I'm bored' I can have them go to their list as a reminder of items that they outlined to do.
My kids are not out until the 20th of June! I wish it was as close as today! I miss having my oldest home!!! He cracks me up and well I love um!!
Ask me this on the 21st and my answer may be different;)
I'm betting by 2:00 Thursday (last half day of our school season, noon dismissal) I'll hear "I'm bored!" LOL
We like to be busy. Really, I find it better to get OUT of the house and go somewhere--anywhere. Pack up some balls, snacks, water, etc and G-O!
Pool, water park, park for baseball, tennis, have friends over or he goes to a buddy's house, etc. Some tv and Wii sprinkled in here and there......
We spend most days in the pool or having friends over. We try to send them to all the VBS's there are. One most are free and last 1/2 a day. Look at your local library for a summer reading program or at a local college for kids classes.
I know you said that you don't go out, but our favorite is/has always been the summer reading program at the library. When we lived in Gilbert, we found that they had great summer programs including crafts, puppet shows, story tellers and magicians! (AND THEY ARE ALL FREE!) Also, when you sign up for the program, your kids get prizes for reading. My kids are so excited and have already started logging how long they spend reading. If you can't get to the library, you can sign your kids up online, and then just go once a month to pick up the prizes for your kids!
Our last day of school is June 16th.
My son is SO looking forward to NO MORE HOMEWORK!
I've got him signed up for taekwondo day camp.
It keeps him running around and active while I'm working.
He still has to practice clarinet twice a week (I'd love for him to learn the Clarinet Polka this summer but he thinks it's a bit advanced for him right now) and he reads like there's no tomorrow - I'll have to keep him supplied with new books in the series he's reading as soon they come out).
Over the summer I usually pick one "major" project per day (organize a closet, cabinet, bookshelf, etc) that they help me with. They love to "help" me and I love having all those projects that seem to pile up throughout the school year get done. We also have baking days a few times a week. We go to the community pool early before the crowds and get back home before the temp gets too hot.
DRIVE ME CRAZY! That's what they do! They will be doing some day camps, VBS, and spending lots of time with Grandma. Good luck with your summer!
if you can't have a pool try a kiddie pool, super soakers, water balloons. for insude rolls of butcher paper, markers, crayons. Living room forts with blankets, sheets, folding tables and chairs. Nerf guns, nerf ball, nerf dart board, nerf basketball. blow up balloons and keep them in the air. indoor picnics (tablecloth on the floor, lunch in bags). dress up and have the kids create plays based on books in your house - they can add or subtract extra charaecters as needed. Get dress up clothes, dresses, hats, scarves fromt he local salvation army/goodwill store. The older kids direct and all of the kids must be included. HAve a circus, be a zoo, play store, vet, school, hair salon, buy books from the thrift store and have the older kids read to the younger kids. create a treasure hunt for the bigger kids and let the bigger kids make a treasure hunt for the younger kids using only pictures. CArd games, board games and finally - toward the end of each day, DVDs.
I would be exhausted by the end of the day - every day!!!
When my boys were 4 and 10, the first couple days of summer my 10 year old researched things that my 4 year old could do - different games he could play, like Pin the Tail on the Donkey. He came up with a list of about 30 things and put it on the refrigerator. Then all summer long whenever they didn't know what to do, they would go to the list and pick something. It kept them busy all summer! It was so much fun watching them run to the fridge and then run away all excited about whatever they were going to do. :)
Now they're 7 and 13, and they spend a lot of time exploring outside. We live on a small farm in Texas, and it is very hot, but they go outside early in they day for several hours. We watch movies a couple afternoons a week when it's really hot, too. I don't like to cook, but it's more fun if the kids are involved, so in the summer we all cook dinner together, and sometimes the 13 year old cooks and we watch. It's good for him to learn.
Play-doh, sidewalk chalk/paint, any kind of art supplies are always fun. Gardening is a great hobby for summer! That will really keep them busy.
My 7 year old loves to build elaborate tents in the living room, and my 13 year old helps. Your kids are young enough they might still enjoy that. It's an all-afternoon endeavor around here.
Happy Summer! (I'm a teacher, and Friday is our last day. I'm so excited!!!)
My kids call me at work all day and whine they have nothing to do. :-/
Wow, your fam sounds like mine to a T!
Check out local ads there are coupons for free bowling, pizza, and other indoor activities throughout the Valley.
Maricopa County Libraries have summer programs every year at every branch and there are always different events/activities throughout the summer.
Also, most cities have evening recreational events, movies in the park, etc.
Ideas at home: pull out some board games i.e. monopoly, scrabble, yahztee, etc. hold tournaments, and winners get 1 hour on wii.
Action figure bowling match: line up action figures like bowling pins, use appropriate sized ball on hand, give prize for winner that knocks down the most pins (great for all ages, havn't seen a kid get more than 5!)
running through the sprinkler in the backyard is a classic, even better if you show them how to drink from the hose :) (use waterproof sunblock, a must from May to Oct, here in AZ! Avon has a really good one that changes colors)
Hope this helps, and best of luck!
We're also in a hot climate and run into that problem. No one wants to go outside when it's 105 out.
We've planned some trips this summer and also will use summer camps. Our kids are signed up for gym classes and we'll continue those in the summer. They're great because they're scheduled in the peak heat time in the afternoon. Also plan on trips to the library and shaded parks (we have a couple).
Some good indoor activities include a scavenger hunt. Give kids the same list of objects to collect in the house. We also let the kids make forts out of boxes or blankets.
Google it. Find/make a list of (free) "fun" ideas. Make sure there are plenty of choices (30?) : Read a book, play a board game, paper airplanes, organize a photograph album/scrapbook, color a picture, research a favorite topic online, practice math facts, write a play, clean your room, organize the linen closet, organize a free "toy trade" garage sale with your friends, write a letter to Grandma, have a Kool-aid stand ...
I heard of one mom who put "take a nap" at the bottom of her list -- and if the kids didn't choose something before they got to the end of the list they had to do that!
Have a box of things to "create" with -- various papers, tubes from paper towels, pipe cleaners, bits of string, markers, stickers, chalk, ... Or a costume box.
There are oodles of books such as "how to have fun without the TV" or "what to do when you're bored" or "games children play" -- make a weekly trip to the library and check some out.
Make rules: Each hour spent on something else = 1/2 hour of TV or video cames.
How old are they and are you home with them? I just ordered season passes to Sun Splash yesterday so we plan on going there several times per week. We are lucky that we have a pool in our backyard so we will be in it as well. My son is in summer school for the month of June from 6:30am to 1pm. During that time I'm going to be helping my dtr get caught up on her math facts and a few other things. Otherwise we will be swiming and thats it! :o)
