School will soon let out for the summer and the little cherubs will be whining, "I'm borrrrrred" and "I don't have anything to doooooo." I suggest setting aside a few minutes to make a list of activities and post it on the refrigerator. Add to the list as you think of new activities. Ideally, the to-do list should include both family and solitary events, with and without school friends, indoors and outdoors, special events, cheap excursions and a few useful chores disguised as fun.
I would not bother to list TV or video games, since kids will gravitate toward those too often without any prompting from you.
Some suggestions for your list:
- library
- swimming
- email Grandma
- find a penpal in another country
- learn a new language
- plant flowers
- zoo
- write a story
- make wrapping paper
- make fruit juice popsicles
- play Clue or other board games
- collect cans for a food pantry
- start a neighborhood newspaper
- museums
- search for fossils or interesting rocks
- learn to identify trees by their leaves
- start a vegetable garden
- make birthday cards
- write to soldiers in Iraq
- collect used clothing for kids in Afghanistan
- learn to knit
- wash the car
- clean out the inside of the car
- go to yard sales
- visit a pet store
- learn soccer
- bake muffins for a neighbor
- cut long sleeve tees into tanks
- cut long pants into shorts
- make a birdhouse
- make place mats from paper and rubber stamps
- catch and release butterflies
- cut out newspaper coupons
- make a piggy bank out of a salt box
- play t-ball
- ride a bike
- take a walk
- organize family photos
- have a garage sale
- paint toenails
- use sidewalk chalk outside
- play in the sprinkler
- hide & seek
- play tag
- make something out of a huge box
BTW: the birdhouse shown in the photo is no longer available, but we DO sell birdhouses on Etsy and Artfire. My husband makes them and I paint some of them. The birds themselves will nest in them; we can't take credit for that part.
dj runnels
Life's an Expedition
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