Summer is around the corner, what will your children be doing? The weather is beautiful and sunny, where are your children? Are they inside and in front of the TV or computer? Turn off their screens and send them outside. Are you on a budget and worry that your children will be bored all summer? There are still plenty of things your children can do and they can do it for free.
10 Free Childrens' Activities in the Summer
by mysteeqz5
Are your children bored? Do they spend all day watching TV or playing video games? Here are some suggestions to keep your children occupied.
Have fun this summer
 Bubbles |
What are your children doing this summer?
Is your family on a budget? Will your children be stuck indoors on the computer or in front of the TV? Get them outdoors to have some fun and do it all for free. Children spend most of their time indoors in school, once summer hits, they should take advantage of the warm weather and have fun. What if they complain that they're bored? Here are 10 things they can do for free outside in the summer.
1. Get Creative
Bring out some chalk and create some art outside on your sidewalk. Play a game of hopscotch or just draw for fun. Grab some art supplies and create to your heart's content. Bring out your drawing book and sketch what you see outside, birds, squirrels, sunsets. If you want to get really creative, why not write a play, rehearse, and perform it in front of your family. You can have loads of fun building a set and creating costumes.
What do your children like to do in the summer?
Get Drawing
 Chalk drawing |
2. Get Wet
What can be more fun then getting wet outside during a hot summer day? Can't make it out to the pool? No problem, bring out the water guns and have some fun spraying your friends. To help your battle, add an arsenal of water balloons. My boys could probably spend the whole day doing this. They'd also have more fun by setting up targets to shoot down. If you don't want to have a battle, turn on your sprinkler, have fun running through it to cool off. Getting wet will not only be fun but will keep you cool all summer.
Have a Battle
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3. Explore
Grab a magnifying glass and head outdoors. Be on the lookout for ants, bugs, and butterflies. See if you can catch them and observe them. You never know what you will find. There are loads of creepy crawlies out there. My son likes to build an outdoor terrarium for them so he can watch them. He collects rocks and plants and attempts to create an environment that they will enjoy. What do they like to eat? Are certain plants or bugs better, children can have fun collecting creatures and determining what they eat. Just make sure you release them when you are done. If your children are not into bugs, build a simple bird feeder and see what kind of birds you attract. There are endless possibilities depending on your location.
Bug Collection
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| Insect Bug Exploration Kit Butterfly Net Boys Kids Toy Only $15.39 |
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| GeoSafari Jr. BugWatch Only $24.99 |
4. Look Up
Wait until the night is clear and grab your binoculars. See what you can find in the sky. Grab a star chart and see what constellations you can find. It's amazing what you see when you actually take the time to look.
 Stars |
5. Read
Just because the school is out, doesn't mean your children should stop reading. Visit the library and allow them to take out books that they were not able to read during the school year. Are they interested in animals, volcanoes, or dragons. This is the time to read up on whatever subject they want.
6. Make a Date
What are your childrens' friends doing this summer? Perhaps they're at home with nothing to do as well. Make a play date with a school friend to allow them to enjoy some time together.
7. Visit the Park
Take you children to a neighborhood park and have a great day outdoors. There will be plenty of children there to play with as well. Why not bring a picnic lunch to re-energize the little ones when they get tired. We could spend the whole day at the park, best of all the children come home tired and well exercised.
Have fun in your own backyard
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| Flexible Flyer "Triple Fun" Swing Set |
8. Sports
Gather some neighborhood friends and play a sport. It can be a baseball, soccer, or basketball game. Kids usually already have all the sports equipment and those who don't can just borrow from others. It's a great physical activity for children. Another fun activity for those who prefer something else, jump rope, or make it more challenging with double dutch.
Buy a Baseball Glove
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| Rawlings Players Series Youth Tball/Baseball Gloves (Ages... |
9. Camp Out
If you can't head out on a big camping trip this year, why not camp out in your backyard? The children will enjoy sleeping in their sleeping bags in a large tent, even if it's outside of their house. You can still roast marshmallows and make some s'mores. Best of all you don't have to worry about the modern conveniences of electricity and plumbing. If your children change their minds about spending the nigh outdoors, they can always head inside.
10. Have Fun
Enjoy the time you have with you children while they are out of school. The important thing is to have fun and make great memories. You can do all of this for free, without spending a dime.
More on Parenting
Top 5 Things You Need to know how to do Before You Become a Parent
Are you having a baby? You must read this first.
Top 5 Things I Didn't Know About Parenthood
What they don't tell you about in books
How to keep your boys busy from a homeschooling mom
Do your boys act like zombies in front of the TV ignoring you and their homework? I think it is time to turn the TV off.
Updated: 12/21/2012, mysteeqz5
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Comments
oh my goodness that is sad. It's really up to parents to set limits with those gadgets.
Kids should definitely be busy outside.
Nice posting! This activities would really keep kids busy in summer.Thanks for sharing it.
It's great for them to have their physical activity outside, then they're not causing a ruckus inside.
We too often forget how kids are full of energy and how they need physical activity, no matter if they are addicted to computer games or not. It is amazing how small things outdoors can make them happy.
And if something extra is still missing, I guess there is always some ice cream at the end of the expedition:)
Thanks for the list!
No problem, I'm always looking for ways to save a buck.
Thanks for the great free activities for kids this summer, it's always nice to have fun and save a buck. :) K