Mom, I’m bored!

Those words are NOT allowed in my household. Summer break is here and it’s a full-time job to keep the kids occupied and happy during their time off from school. I’ve compiled a list of activities that I hope will make your summer as enjoyable as it is for the kids.

Kids need playtime and brain activity. Moms need a break! Let the kids use the following list and make a play schedule for every day they’re home. There are many options for outdoor and rainy day activities. Summer can be joyful!

•    Use water to “paint” the house, sidewalk, patio or fence.

•    Teach the kids to bake! This is a great way to get in a lesson on fractions.

•    Have a treasure hunt. Hide a “treasure” and then have the person who hid it to make clues. Multiple people could do this at once and it could be inside or out.

•    Use aluminum foil and make a “river”. The longer the better. Make a boat from leaves and use the hose to see how far the leaf boat will drift down the river.

•    Sort crayons (or all the toys) by color order. This is a great way to teach organization.

•    Build a fort with pillows and sheets and blankets. Let them use all the pillows in the house. What a great rainy day activity!

•    Make a cardboard ramp and have toy car races. Use painters tape and tape off roads on the floor all over the house or patio.

•    Tape crepe paper across the hall and make a faux laser maze. This teaches concentration and coordination.

•    Set up a tent inside the house and “camp out” bug free.

•    Set up a tent in the backyard for a day. It’s the perfect shady place to play or read a book.

•    Spread out long lengths of butcher paper and draw a city scape. This activity teaches city planning and architecture.

•    Use mini marshmallows and toothpicks to build skyscrapers. Build up those STEM skills.

•    Listen to audiobooks for quiet time. There are so many great options. Maybe even find an ongoing kids devotional for bedtime.

•    Walk the neighborhood. Search, find and collect as many different leaves as you can. Make a leaf book.

•    Teach your child the art of writing a letter and addressing an envelope. Let your child start a pen pal relationship with a friend in another city or a family member.

•    Place hula hoops around the yard and play frisbee golf.

•    Do kids yoga! Try Cosmic Kids found on You Tube or dance it out to Go Noodle!

•    Make a fairy house from bark, twigs, moss and leaves. Make mud pies.

•    Write and illustrate a book.

•    Play dress up with clothes from mom and dad’s closets.

•    Wash the car.

•    Set up a bath station for dolls, barbies, car or all things toys.

•    Make homemade healthy popsicles.

•    Use fabric scraps, ribbons and buttons to make clothes for paper dolls.

•    “Paint” the sliding doors with shaving cream or finger paint on the sidewalk with it.

•    Take a virtual field trip. There are so many great museums you can tour virtually. Try a foreign country.

•    Go fly a kite!

Stylishly yours,

The Chelsee Sowder Design Team

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