Fun and Inexpensive Summertime Activities for Kids

Summer is here. That means the kids are home and looking for something to do. With the price of gasoline (and everything else) rising at a steady rate, keeping kids entertained during the long, hot summer grows more and more difficult. While many children will resort to their imaginations for entertainment, there are those times when they need directed activities.

The following ten summer activities offer opportunities to make summer memories that your children will never forget. Who knows, maybe you'll start a summer tradition! All of these activities can be enhanced by your child's feedback and unique approach to life.

Nature Walk

This is a classic. However, you needn't travel to a state park or hiking trail to take a nature walk. Ask your child what they can find in nature in your own backyard or neighborhood. Is that a bee? What kind of flower is that? Is that an anthill in the cracks on the sidewalk?

Allow younger children to touch what they find on their nature walk. Perhaps they can even bring home a flower or two. To add interest for older children, bring along a notebook and pencil. Allow them to write down what they find on their walk. When you return home, you can sketch your favorite items from your nature walk!

Sidewalk Chalk

Sidewalk chalk is relatively inexpensive, and can provide hours of fun for children. Providing your driveway or sidewalk as a canvas means endless possibilities for your child's creativity to grow. Join them in creating a mural or collage. Take pictures of their masterpieces. Then, allow them to hose it off and watch the colors run and fade.

Volunteer

There are numerous volunteer opportunities in every neighborhood. Whether it's helping out at a local nursing home or soup kitchen, participating in many of the summer walk-a-thons, or fund-raising, volunteerism is an important value to instill in our children. Contact your local Voluntary Action Center for a list of child-friendly volunteer activities. Volunteering instills a sense of responsibility and compassion in our children. A volunteer experience is gauranteed to leave a lasting impression on even the youngest children.

Play in the Rain

Summer showers are a great time for family fun. Instead of holing up inside the house or sitting the kids in front of the TV, put on their swim gear and let them run in the yard. As long as there is no thunder or lightening, summer storms can be great fun for children of all ages. You may even find yourself enjoying the freedom that a rainstorm affords. Catch raindrops on your tongue and run barefoot in the wet grass!

Local Resources

A day at your local park can be great fun. Pack a picnic basket or cooler and blanket and make a day of it. Parks are great places for nature walks. They also often have great playground equipment. Bring a ball and play some catch, or join your child in the sandbox and create castles. This is also a fantastic opportunity for your child to make new friends.

Visit the Library

Children are free from the duties of school during the summer, which makes it a great time to encourage your children to view reading as a leisure activity. Take a trip to your children's library and allow your children to choose their own reading materials. Many libraries have story-telling hours and puppet shows. Ask your librarian about any summer reading programs and activities for children.

Let's Make Lemonade

Allowing children to help in the kitchen fosters their independence and teaches them self-sufficiency. Browse your cookbook or the internet for a simple lemonade recipe. Then, prepare the tasty beverage with your child! Allow them to squeeze the lemons and measure the sugar. You can share the lemonade together, or open your own lemonade stand!

Music

Children love music, but often, they aren't exposed to anything that isn't on the radio or their favorite television show. Find music from different genres and introduce it to your child. One day, you can listen to big band or swing. Another day, you can expose your child to Elvis or the Beatles. Maybe they'll find they like country or classical music. The possibilities are endless. Even if your child isn't musically talented, you'll foster a lifelong appreciation for music.

Plant a Garden

Teach your child about how things grow by creating your own garden together. Seeds packets are inexpensive. Take your child to a home and garden store and allow them to choose the types of plants they'd like to grow. You can create a vegetable or flower garden. Allow your child to dig in the garden, plant the seeds and water the plants. Talk to them about how water and sun help plants grow.

Make a Movie

If you have a camera, encourage your child to create 'skits' in which they can perform. You can help them in creating costumes and sets for their skit. Friends or family members can 'co-star' in your child's movie while you run the camera.

Encourage older children to make a documentary of their summer. They can record their favorite summer activities, their friends and family, or just log their thoughts on camera. At the end of summer, sit down as a family and watch your child's summer documentary.