Creative and Inexpensive Summer Activities for Children

If you have children, then you know that keeping them happy during summer vacation means keeping them occupied and learning and trying new things. If you are on a limited budget, then here are some fun summer activities that you can provide for very little to no money. The best part is that these inexpensive summertime activities can be done at home.

There are various activities involving water that can occupy children of many ages. Starting with an baby, if you own a Johnny Jump-Up (I don't know what they call them these days, but it is a contraption that hangs from a doorway or sturdy area and allows the 6 month-old and older to sit in a suspended seat and bounce up and down), try putting a baby pool or even a large plastic tub under the child so he can dangle his feet in the water.

Toddlers often have trouble squirting a water gun and many moms prefer to avoid a gun-type toy, so give the child a well-rinsed dishwashing liquid bottle and allow him to make designs on the sidewalk or driveway by holding the bottle upside-down and lightly squeezing. Young children often seem fascinated with this form of artistic expression.

Everyone knows that playing with the hose is fun in the summertime, but try making a contest for your children and give popsicle prizes. Set up empty plastic soda bottles as targets and see who has the best aim from the farthest away.

In our busy lives, we normally take the car to the car wash for a quick and easy cleaning. However, don't forget that washing a car the old-fashioned way with lots of suds can be quite exciting for children. Park the car in a shady spot in the yard or under a car port, hand over buckets of sudsy water, some sponges, and the hose, and let them go at it! They will feel important doing this chore, and they will have fun at the same time. You will have to either clean the high spots yourself, or sneak the car to the car wash at a later time. However, you can be sure that the areas of the car where your kids can reach will be very clean!

Speaking of the hose, it is a necessary tool in this next activity. The old-time favorite picnic game of spitting watermelon seeds is still alive and well. All it requires is a watermelon with seeds. Have the kids eat their watermelon in a shady spot of your yard and save the seeds. Then set up some empty containers such as Cool Whip containers, and see who has the most accurate aim. Of course, after the sticky watermelon, a good spray with the hose is required.

Learning something new is always fun for children. Take a walk in a park or wooded area and pick leaves from different trees and plants. The same can be done with wildflowers or nice neighbors' flower gardens. When you get home, arrange them in a magnetic page photo album. Then go to the library and get some good books on identifying plants, flowers, and trees. My children and I used to love doing this project. To make the photo album even more interesting, take pictures of the kids picking the leaves or acting goofy on your walk. Include them in the album along with the leaves. It will make a priceless keepsake.

Planting a small garden is also quite fascinating for children and also teaches responsibility if you make them part of weed pulling and watering. Growing vegetables is quite an eye opener for many children because they think that food comes from the grocery store. Take pictures weekly and chart the progress on a special bulleting board or on the refrigerator. Actually cooking and eating the produce are activities in themselves. This is an activity that will make children feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.

It is very hard to convince young children to take naps in the summertime, but if you make it a special time, you might have more luck. Darken the room and have a fan running for some white noise to drown out any outdoor sounds. Have the fan pointed at some curtains, which will make a rhythmic movement to promote relaxation. Children's books or stories on tape make this special time enjoyable and calm the child for sleep. If you can't find good books on tape, try recording yourself (at night when the kids are in bed) reading a different story for a special surprise for each naptime. Of course, if a tape player isn't available, there is always good old-fashioned reading aloud, but the taped stories allow mom some time for herself during naptime.

These are just a few ways that parents can provide inexpensive yet enjoyable summer activities at home for their children. Perhaps these simple solutions will inspire parents to think up even more. The sky is the limit!