Keeping Kids Active During Summer Months – Why parents can’t compete with schools when it comes to creative ideas for parents of young children to keep the kids active during summer break.
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Keeping Kids Active During Summer Months – Why The Kids Are Bored
My son’s elementary school teacher explained to me what a typical day in the classroom was like. By the sounds of it, it was action packed like a cruise ship, with the teacher as the cruise director. She directed them to a new activity every 15 minutes.
I am beginning to see why some parents at the end of summer, happily welcome the start of the new school year. I am the first to admit, I can’t keep up the same school-like pace at home for the entire summer break, or even for a week for that matter.
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Here’s my new summer strategy and tips to keeping kids busy during summer – keep it basic. Nothing extravagant. When we were kids, it was basic and it worked. Find activities to keep them busy, practice social skills, and maintain the book smarts. After that, we’re ok to succumb to the electronics. Bottom line… mix up the routine a bit.
Keeping Kids Active During Summer Months Tips
- “New” Parks and Playgrounds – the kids get so excited traveling to different schools’ playgrounds. They try to guess the colors and styles of the equipment. And when we get there, it’s like a whole new world for them to explore. It’s so cute to see them running around the playground, yelling “Look at this, they have one of those rolling slides!” It’s like they just discovered that the world is not flat. One con, school bathrooms are closed in the summer. Here’s a list of our favorite Oakland County Playgrounds
- Head out to the community pool – here’s one that allows me to get some work done! I take the kids to the pool and bring my laptop along. We’re fortunate to have a pool in our association. If we did not, I would look into the YMCA, Lifetime, or another club that has this amenity. It is great for the kids, and keeps them entertained for hours. Community pools are very affordable and don’t forget about all the low-cost (even FREE) splash-pads around town.
- Plan a playdate – You would think they are work, but they are truly a break. If the kids are at an age where they can play with their friends without parental assistance, it is a beautiful thing. I have heard of moms who use this time to clean their house, pay bills, work, or even lay down and rest. Kids learn a lot from playdates. Give and takes, apologies, sharing, and being a host are all great lessons.
- Trips to the library – Keep kids interested in reading by joining summer reading programs that are available at the local libraries and book stores. There are incentives and fun summer reading parties. I plan to mix in a little bit of math and writing skills as well. Check out the library event calendars and visit different libraries in the area to keep things fresh.
- Backyard Games – pull out the bean bag toss, bocce balls, water balloons, sprinklers and suncscreen and let the kids go wild. Top it off with an outdoor picnic and they’re sure to have a great time. Here are some fun outdoor games for kids.
- Finally, some down time – Everyone deserves some fun TV time, video games, computer games, etc. So long as it’s in moderation and they’re screen-free at least an hour before bedtime, it’s fine. When we keep up such an active pace, we need to unwind.
Don’t forget to find help keeping kids active during summer with our FREE SUMMER FUN FOR KIDS PAGE.
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OAKLAND COUNTY MOMS BLOG ENTRIES
What are your Keeping Kids Active During Summer Months tips?
