Fresh lemonade, pick-up games of kickball, collecting lightning bugs, playing Sharks and Minnows at the pool and best of all, no more setting the alarm clock for an early morning wake up call followed by complaints from children young and old, who don’t want to get up. The lazy days of summer are finally here.
Ever since spring break, lots of kids and their parents have been counting down the days until summer. Now that it’s here, how long do you think it will be before your children look at you and say, “I’m bored?” This comment may create some mixed emotions about the summer months for parents. On one hand it is really nice not to have to worry about homework, projects, afterschool activities, etc., but on the other hand there’s the potential “entertain me” expectation from the kids.
While experts say that having down time with no scheduled activities is a good thing for children, spending the entire summer doing nothing doesn’t sound like a ton of fun. The good news is there are lots of inexpensive and fun activities families can do to create great summertime memories.
There are so many beautiful parks in the area. Take a picnic to a different park each week. This is a great way to get your kids away from technology. Plan a hike, scavenger hunt or bike ride and get in a little physical activity while you are at it.
If you have seen everything there is to see in Chattanooga, cruise to a neighboring city and go exploring. From the Mayfield Dairy and Sweetwater Valley Farms to the Ocoee River and the Lost Sea, there are all kinds of fun adventures awaiting your family.
How about spending one day a month volunteering as a family? Learning how to be a generous giver starts early. Whether you pick up litter in your neighborhood, help out at a mission or do something special for residents at a nearby nursing home, you are helping teach your children the gift of giving.
Plant a vegetable or flower garden. Even if you don’t have space in your yard, you can have a container garden. Crabtree Farms offers a variety of classes you can take to learn how to get started.
Break out the chalk and have a sidewalk or driveway art extravaganza. No need to worry about a big mess, the next good rain will take care of that for you.
Teach your children to cook. Summertime is a great time to let your kids help you plan menus that include food from all over the world. Grocery shopping, measuring ingredients and cook time provide opportunities for easy science and math lessons, not to mention the chance to learn about another country and their culture. The icing on the cake, no pun intended, is helping your child learn not to be a picky eater.
Dust off your board games, invite your friends over and let the board game marathon begin! This is a great way to connect and catch up.
Do you have access to a water hose and plastic? If so, make your own slip and slide. This might be a great activity to save for those REALLY hot and humid days of summer when you are ready to pull your hair out.
Initially your kids may balk at some of these ideas, but hold your ground. Remember they are only children and often have no clue what they are missing. More than one child who rolled his eyes at the idea of doing some of these activities looked back at the end of the summer with excitement for what he learned and the memories that were made. Not to mention the great lessons learned about life and quality time spent together as a family instead of just looking for ways to be entertained.
Copyright ©2010 First Things First
