Make an Activity Box—Fill the box with items that are safe, simple and don’t require supervision, which will give you some time to yourself. Washable markers, safety scissors, glue sticks, white paper plates, yard, a deck of cards, construction paper, stencils and old fashioned magazines are just some of the objects that can be included. For older children, add buttons, marbles, Mardi Gras beads and uncooked macaroni or beans.
Get All Dressed Up With Nowhere to Go—Kids love to play dress-up! So this summer, give them some old clothes, hats, shoes, purses, belts, ties and costume jewelry to have, and let them be creative!
Play Keep Away—Rotate your kids’ favorite toys by putting some away for a couple weeks at a time. When you bring them back out later, the children will get to experience the joy of rediscovering them all over again.
Make a Job Jar—Write down some easy things that need to be done around the house and put them in a jar. Depending on their age, let your children pick one per day (or week) that he or she can be personally responsible for completing. Doing age-appropriate chores will help build your child’s confidence and sense of responsibility.
Plan for Future Fun—Have your children plan a “Family Fun Calendar” for each month of the summer. Challenge them by allowing only ideas that are free and include everyone in the family. A few starter ideas could include visiting the library, having an indoor picnic, playing “I Spy”, taking a walk together, or making up a poem about the family.