How to Keep Elementary Age Children Busy for the Summer

School's out and the kids are excited for their summer vacation. However, it doesn't take long for the excitement to wear off and elementary school children especially to start complaining of boredom. Young children in grades K-3 in particular that have grown accustom to being stimulated in school all day really need activities to help them learn and entertain them throughout the summer.

The first thing, both educational and fun, is to have them grow something. Whether it is a few flowers or an entire vegetable garden, children love responsibility and something to take care of that they can call their own. It will provide them with hours of enjoyment to nurture their plants and see them flourish. In fact, there are a few products designed for children with a green thumb. My favorite is Uncle Milton's Mini Greenhouse designed for kids. It is a self-contained greenhouse that uses hydroponic technology to grow anything from flowers to vegetables! Better yet, it retail right around $25. Uncle Milton's Mini Greenhouse can be purchased at fatbraintoys.com

Secondly, video games are a great option for entertainment. Don't be fooled by people that tell you that electronic games such as these turn your children into mindless zombies! There are new games on the market that actually are educational, promote problem-solving skills, teach phonics, and help children to memorize their times tables. A good example is the V.Smile TV Learning System made by V-tech. It is a video game platform that only features educational games for children ages 3-7. It features cartoon characters such as Scooby Doo, Spider-Man, and Dora the Explorer to keep kids entertained while learning simultaneously. These products can be purchased at www.vsmileshop.com.

Sometimes when children complain of boredom they may just need a slight change of scenery. There are even activities that are no- or low-cost all around if you just look for them hard enough. Your local library for example is a great place to get them books to read. Oftentimes, libraries have reading programs and story hours geared specifically toward your child's age group. Other places like the local zoo or the YMCA may have summer programs for children as well. Additionally, summer is a great chance for children to learn about helping people.

Another good way to keep them busy is to encourage them to volunteer their time to help out a non-profit organization or charity that helps others that are less fortunate than them. While it may seem early for elementary school age children to do that sort of work, they can do simple things like stuff envelopes or pass out flyers. My favorite charity for kids to get involved with is Alex's Lemonade Stand. Alex was a little girl that was fighting cancer and started a lemonade stand to raise money for the cause. Although she passed away from cancer in 2004, people all around the country continue to hold lemonade stands for the cause. To find out how your child can hold a lemonade stand to benefit children's cancer, visit alexslemonade.org. It will really teach children how lucky they are so maybe next summer they will be satisfied with their abundance of toys and not complain!

Whatever activities you plan for your child this summer, make sure that they are productive ones. There are plenty of options out there that are both fun and educational.