5 ways to keep kids busy during their summer at home

Summer is here and keeping my kids busy other than camps has been a challenge especially for my older two kids. My younger one is in pre-school and that’s been pretty good but trying to keep the older two busy has been a little harder.

So here are a few things that I have tried out that they have enjoyed doing and continue doing for the summer. We have a few vacations planned throughout the months but other than that we are home and that’s the challenge I am having cause they keep saying they are bored or “what can we do now”!!

1. Daily routine: so I have learned to keep a continuous daily routine as possible with the kiddos. It helps me and my husband out and also them. It’s ok to go out of routine if you have family in town or out with friends etc but if you are home then I highly recommend the set routine. I have learned that them doing things on a timely manner helps them sleep better, daily routines help keep kids grounded, have them help plan out the day or week so they feel involved and feel that they get to do something they like as well.
2. Cooking time: Have them help you cook or have them make breakfast/lunch for the family (depending on their age), this can keep them busy and maybe they can plan out the meals for the week.
3. Let them go out and have fun: let them play outside with side-walk chalk, paint, go in the pool (if you have one), maybe have the neighborhood kids get together and set up a lemonade stand which is a good exercise for learning responsibility and how to make change. Or have a good old-fashioned scavenger hunt.
4. Start a journal: Have children start their own journal for the summer break. Have them put details on what they have done, where they will be going, and have them take pictures so then they can paste them in the journal and something to look forward to looking back when they get older.
5. Be a tourist in your town: Go do something different each day in your town. Go have a picnic at a local park, or go to a museum you have never been to, or ride the bus or trolley around town, go hang out at the local beach and be beach bums. For example, last summer I took my kids bowling. I have no idea how but we had never been to the bowling alley in town! It’s fair to say they absolutely loved it, to the point that we now visit so much I have been looking into getting my own bowling shoes (‘https://skilledbowlers.com/bowling-supplies-equipment/best-bowling-shoes/‘ for those bowlers out there that need some advice like I did!). I am sure there is so much to do in your town especially things you have never done!

So next thing you know, the summer break will come to an end and more memories will be added to your kids childhood memories! So go out and enjoy these special moments because next thing you know they will be all grown up!