by sheilamarie
Looking for some summer fun your family can enjoy together? Childhood seems to whizz past, and before we know it, our kids are growing up and moving out to start lives of their own. All the more reason to spend quality time together when they are young.
Here are some games and activities you can play with your children to make summer time memories for you all.
It's summertime and kids are free from the constraints of school lessons. Maybe their scheduled activities have wound down, too, and you start hearing those words, "I'm bored! There's nothing to do!"
These days children seem to be more scheduled even in their play times than we ever were. I can remember being scooted out of the house and finding ways to use my imagination with the scantiest of props. Kids actually need free play, free time, and room for their imaginations to grow. However, because they are not used to being left to their own devices, they don't have the practice to explore the way you think they should.
This is a collection of suggestions. Your children may not need any prompting from you at all, and for that be grateful! But if they do, you can still just provide them with a little nudge to get them going. What I have gathered here are just a few little nudges that may help.
Jump Rope Songs
Do you remember the jump rope songs of your childhood? Here are some reminiscences with some of the songs and chants I remember.
Hula Hoops Are Fun
Here's a childhood fad that's returning. Have you seen the shenanigans of the Boston Hoop Troop?
lou16
on 06/22/2011
My daughter's an only child so I organize to meet up with friends that have children or we have some of her friends over (or she goes to their house) and then they just all play together. I always have a few ideas on hand in case they start with the 'I'm bored', but usually they're happy to play by themselves - I've always encouraged her to use her imagination and my friends have the same philosophy.
Preschool Science Activities
Although the title of this lens includes the word "preschool," most of these activities are fun for older elementary kids, too. It's the open-ended nature of the activities that make them adaptable to a variety of ages.
Some of my favorite summer memories are of making up plays and shows with my friends and performing them before all the neighborhood parents. All the kids were included in the fun. Some of the younger ones got serious jobs, such as introducing what was to come or passing out hand drawn programs and snacks.
Small groups of kids would make up skits and practice them before the whole group of kids over and over until they got it right. We all knew the whole show by heart before the performance and would mouth the words to the ones on stage who felt paralyzed with stage fright. I can still recall some of the inane skits that were etched into my brain during those long summers. How I wished it were great poetry I could recall with such accuracy, but there you go!
Finger Puppets
What could be better than some finger puppets to make up some summer shows for the neighborhood? You can also find books with directions for making your own finger puppets.
Animal Finger Puppets
Includes some kids' rhymes and songs you can use with a great collection of finger puppets.
What Is a Rod Puppet?
Rod puppets can be made from cloth or paper mache. Their hands are connected to rods -- dowels or wires -- that can be manipulated by the puppeteer to make lifelike puppet movements . Find some ideas for making a rod puppet of your own!
How to Make Puppets
Learn how to make a variety of puppets.
Reading, whether on the beach, under a tree, on a hammock, or even in a city park is a great pleasure in summer. I can remember spending many hours lost in a book, discovering characters that have stuck with me for a lifetime. There is such a wide variety of books available for children that you are sure to find something that appeals to a child in your life.
I have included some links to articles I have put together about children's books. Some of these may appeal to your child. But the library is a great place to let your child explore and pick out something that really appeals to him. If the child chooses the book, he or she will more willingly read it. You may want to have some classic books in the house that your child can choose from, too.
Children's Stories About Animals
This is a list of many of my children's books lenses. Find books about mice, bunnies, bears, pigs, dogs, cats, sheep, and owls.
Science Fiction and Fantasy Books
Here are some selections for older elementary, middle school, and high school kids.
Do you remember the jump rope songs from your childhood?Jump rope songs have ...
Recycle Water Bottles by Making CraftsMake some crafts with your kids with empty clear plastic bottles.
Birthday Postcardson 01/05/2016
Children Learn Through Playon 09/17/2015
Boston Public Gardenon 06/19/2015
Remembering the Supremeson 01/20/2014
Do You Have Any Suggestions for Summertime Activities That Have Worked for Your Family?
Here we are at the beginning of another year of summer fun!
Summer time really can be fun for everyone. You just have to make it so!
I used to love watching the Punch and Judy shows when I was growing up, but they don't seem to have any in Australia so my daughter hasn't experienced that. However there are lots of parks around with (mostly) free bbqs at them so we can meet up with friends and let all of the children play while we relax and even have lunch out!
I would love to have a beach nearby. I grew up riding bikes, playing jump rope, reading.
We used to have a holiday home near the beach and I can remember endless days and hours of fun and exploration. Some great ideas here and beach scavenger hunts are always great fun - at any age :-)
I grew up in a small Maine community near the beach. I rode my bike to the beach to go swimming just about every day. Of course maybe I haven't grown up at all, because I still do that!