With Memorial Day Weekend just a couple of days away my thoughts are quickly turning to summer and what that will encompass for this Plain Vanilla household this year. I am not one of those parents that dreads summer vacation but rather welcomes it. I love having my kiddos home full time and I'm always sorry to see it go. That said. There are definitely days when we hear "Mom, I'm bored" more often than I would like. And I'm sure I'm not the only one guilty of letting the kiddos have a little too much screen time on occasion.
I do make an honest effort though to try and pack our summers full of fun things to do to keep the "Mom, I'm bored" at bay as much as possible, as well as the screen time. While we are still working on our official Summer Bucket List for 2013 I thought in the meantime I would share with you some of our go-to Summer Boredom Busters. Here they are, in no particular order....
1. Get a pool. Even if it's just a little inflatable one. There's something about having a reservoir of water to splash in that can get just about anyone out of a funk. And if you think your older kids won't have fun in a little kiddie pool think again... If you need a twist on the usual. Fill the pool with bubbles instead of water on occasion. No room for even a little inflatable pool? No problem. Bust out a bowl of water or two. Kids love water play.
2. Summer Reading Programs. Get involved in a few. Your local library is sure to have one but if you look around online you'll find some great ones too. Better yet, create one yourself for your kids. My oldest loves knowing that after a certain number of hours spent reading or upon completion of a book he gets to go do something special, gets a new book etc. We even make our own summer reading charts.
3. Make a Summer Bucket List. Be sure to include grand as well as easy and quick activities on it and when your kids are bored or don't know what else to do find something on the list you can check off together.
4. Plant flowers or a garden with the kids. It will give them a summer long project and something to do daily as they have to tend to it.
5. Host a Lemonade Stand. This is one of my 8 year old's favorite things to do! He can even run it himself. He will sit out in our yard all afternoon just for 2-3 customers.
6. Water Balloons. I've never met a water balloon that has failed to entertain.
7. Let them wash your car. (who cares if they do a good job). Our olders always welcome the excuse to play with the hose and can do it on their own. The little ones will need help but it's still fun for everyone when it becomes a family project.
8. Bake something. Find a kid friendly recipe and bake a sweet treat together. (then picnic outside and enjoy it).
9. Play with Ice. Take a bowl of regular old ice cubes outside on a hot day with a few containers and spoons for scooping or freeze some specifically to have on hand for a play occasion. My oldest loves playing with ice blocks which we make by freezing water in a variety of different sized plastic cups and containers. Take it all outside on a cookie sheet and let them build.
10. Arts & Crafts. No summer is complete without them. I always keep a stash and there are plenty of ideas on Pinterest but if you need something in a hurry or like the idea and convenience of having something at the ready you should check out the BabbaBox. It's actually full of so much more than arts & crafts even. We did this last summer and I am excited to see BabbaCo come out with an official 'Summer Survival Pack' subscription for this summer. It covers three months (June, July & August) and spans over three themes. By subscribing to the BabbaBox I always had something on hand when we needed a little extra something to do. The part I like the best is I didn't have to put much forethought into it.
CLICK HERE to learn more about BabbaCo by Jessica Kim and the BabbaBox Summer Survival Pack. They even have three levels of service which you can find out more about here so there's something for everyone. (We personally like their premium subscription because you are guaranteed to get a new book in every box). The best part? I have a coupon for you! Use “SURVIVE” at checkout to save 10% on any Summer Survival Pack!
Do you have a favorite Summer Boredom Buster that I missed? Leave it in the comments. I'd love to hear about it and I'm sure others would too!
Don't forget if you're not already, Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! You can find us on Pinterest and I often share play ideas on Instagram too!
