Sunny Summer Dreaming

Grab a poster board or paper.  Brainstorm together a list of favorite activities you want to be sure to do over the summer. Separate into “at home” and “out.” Make sure there are some ideas that can be done as solo play. Hang it on the refrigerator or somewhere you can refer to it throughout the summer. This helps serves as a terrific way to anticipate the fun of summer and can be an invaluable support for pointing to when your child comes to you bored and unsure of how to spend his/her time. 

Ideas for Inside

• Read the TV: Watch TV with the sound off and closed captioning on to build reading skills

• Play Games: Read directions for how to play a new game to build reading skills or Have a family game night with board games, card games, or puzzles. It's a great way to spend quality time together indoors.

• Cooking Together: Help with meals by writing up a grocery list, finding things in the grocery store, and reading the recipe aloud for mom or dad during cooking time. Get kids involved in the kitchen by cooking or baking simple recipes together. Let them measure ingredients, mix, and decorate.

• DIY Science Experiments: Conduct simple science experiments using household items. There are plenty of resources online with kid-friendly experiments that are both educational and entertaining.  Click here for Possible Ideas

• Arts and Crafts: Get creative with arts and crafts projects using materials you already have at home, such as paper, markers, glue, and recycled items.

• Story Time: Have regular story times where you read books aloud together. You can even take turns acting out scenes from the stories.

• Create how-to guides: Put kids to work writing up "how-to" guides for tricky devices (like DVRs) or other instructions, such as how to reset the microwave clock after the power goes out; or how to load the dishwasher so that you can fit the most dishes in; or how to replace the tube on a bicycle wheel. This activity helps children practice skills in sequencing, attention to detail, and writing clearly.

Ideas for Outside

• Counting Nature: Count the flowers in an area in the summer once a week for three weeks. Compare your tallies. Your child will have fun watching the numbers go up as flowers bloom in the summer.  

• Ant Habitats: There are ants everywhere! Try following them to their home and see what they're up to. Where do they live? How many can you count in one place? What are they doing? Record these observations and your ant grand total.

• Create a scavenger hunt: Use a notebook to make (or draw) a list of some common things and a few rare ones that can be found outside near your home or in a park. Include things like: acorn, pine cone, flat rock, bird feather, weed, flower. Hand your child the notebook and let the scavenger hunt begin!

• Geocaching: Get in on the latest outdoor craze with geocaching, where families search for hidden “caches”or containers using handheld GPS tools (or a GPS app on your smartphone). Try a variation on geocaching called earthcaching where you seek out and learn about unique geologic features. Find more details about geocaching plus links to geocaching websites in this article from the School Family website, Geocaching 101: Family Fun for All, in Every Season 

• Nature Walks: Explore local parks, nature trails, or even your own neighborhood. Bring along a field guide and binoculars to spot birds and other wildlife.

• Picnics: Pack a picnic and head to a local park or even your backyard for a relaxing outdoor meal.

• Backyard Camping: Set up a tent in the backyard and have a camping adventure close to home. Don't forget the s'mores!

• Bike Rides: Go for family bike rides around your neighborhood or on nearby bike trails.

• Gardening: Start a small garden together and teach kids about growing their own fruits, vegetables, or flowers.

• DIY Obstacle Course: Create a backyard obstacle course using items like hula hoops, cones, and jump ropes.

• Volunteer Work: Look for opportunities to volunteer as a family, such as helping out at a local soup kitchen, animal shelter, or community garden.

• Stargazing: Spend an evening stargazing in your backyard or at a nearby park. You can even download stargazing apps to help identify constellations.