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WHAT-WHAT-WHAT TO DO WITH THESE KIDS?
We've previously talked about "why keep the kids busy this summer", now lets get a game plan of what things we can do.
First off these next activity ideas don't take a lot of money. We are talking really cost effective. You know how we do it. How many times have the kids gotten a big expensive present only to be bored with it after 30 minutes, but when you look, they have spent the last Two Hours playing with the box the toy came in. I recall my nephews, favorite toys weren't the electric fire truck, (though we did enjoy crashing Johnny Lighting cars in mid air) his favorite toys were a stick and a bandanna. It is all about the imagination and what you can challenge them too. So check these summer helpers out.
1) Start a garden. Kids love to watch things grow! It all starts with a couple of 15 cent packets of seed and go for it.
2) Painted Shirts and pants. They paint the walls they paint the floor they paint each other. You have some old paint (not oil base), lying around and some old clothes (floods) they should have stopped wearing last Christmas.
Let the kids create a work of art they can wear!
Let the kids create a work of art they can wear!
3) Pet Rocks. Don't laugh! If you could have been this brilliant 25 years ago... You'd be spending this and every summer on the French Rivera. Kids can let their imaginations run wild when creating creatures out of rocks. They can think about how to use the different shapes to make their own creation.
4) Start a Journal. Wow what a concept, writing your thoughts down and maybe even creating your own story. I even saw the old style diaries and notebooks at the 99cent store last week. Everything old is new again!
5) Rain Sticks. Those kid run through rolls and rolls of paper towel. And I throw all the tubes into a cabinet for later arts and craft projects and this is one. Rice inside the tube tape paper over the ends. It doesn't stop there, 'cause they really ought to decorate them with their favorite animal pattern.
Kids love to listen to the sounds of these sticks. They are amazed when they discover that paper and rice really does sound like rain.
6) Make an Innuksuk. A what??? Have you ever wondered about those stone piles on the side of many highways? Have you wanted to try to make one?
7) Treasure Hunt. Ok save this one for the finale when it is Fourth of July, Labor Day or a big summer birthday, when you are watching your kids, your sisters kids, your no good cousins kids and every kid you wondered if somewhere down the line could be your kid. YOU make the clues and have them paired up in teams of 2 to five. So they have to work together, (ANOTHER BRILLIANT CONCEPT) The list has them gathering things all over the yard and house. Then they put everything together and maybe the first letter of every thing they collect spells out where you have left the McDonald's coupons. YES, there has to be a pay off in a Treasure Hunt! And even some of the things they have to collect to solve the puzzle can be edibles, or stickers or ... you fill in the blank. You know you can be a little creative yourself. And whats the pay off for all your hard work ... This Treasure Hunt Keeps a large group of kids amused FOR HOURS!!!! Need I Say More?