How to Prevent Summer Boredom for Preschoolers

Ever hear, "I'm bored" after only two weeks of summer vacation? It's time to try some obvious and some not so obvious summer activities (listed in alphabetical order):

Ball Basics

From baseballs to basketballs to footballs to soccer balls, and even to plastic, rubber, or beach balls, every ball has its specific function, but for preschoolers, a ball holds limitless possibilities beyond bouncing, throwing, rolling, pitching, and sitting on them. Preschoolers love playing with colorful balls - the more colorful, the better -and if you allow them, they will design their own ball games.

Babies notice that when balls roll, they abruptly change direction when they come in contact with another object. So by the time they become toddlers, children enjoy bashing the balls against various objects to see what results. Sometimes what gets bashed is somebody's face.

Try slapping a ride-on bouncy ball into the floor when you are at ground level and you can imagine the repercussions. Toddlers will experiment with all kinds of ways to play with balls.

As far as catching them is concerned, though, because of their age, preschoolers find larger ones easier to hold. But smaller balls attract them too.

Here is one game for younger preschoolers (toddlers) using small rubber balls: Have everyone sit in a circle with legs spread apart, their feet touching each other. Roll the boll back and forth. As they master the art of holding onto the ball, they will learn how to grasp the ball when they stand.

When throwing the ball to children, stand as close as possible to the younger children, then move one foot at a time backward until you reach a reasonable distance that is somewhat easy but also challenging.

For older children, play a game similar to egg-toss, where you line up and everyone backs away one foot at a time until somebody drops the ball.

Blind Piñata

Kids love games. Period. But this one requires 100% adult participation. It involves blindfolding one child and instructing that child to find the other children with guided commands.

First blindfold one child and have the other children move around the yard until you tell them to stop. This game teaches children how to count with such commands as, "Take five steps to your right." Instead of bashing a piñata with a stick, though, he or she reaches out to touch another child using only his or her hands.

When the game is complete, the adult can wrap up the bandanna with fruit snacks and distribute it to the children.

Get permission from parents to blindfold their children.

Bubble Poke

Bubble Poke is another great counting game. The adult blows bubbles while the children count how many bubbles they can poke with a twig.

This game comes with a warning - some children will attempt to use big sticks or entire tree branches to pop their bubbles.

Children can also use their fingers, but they usually prefer twigs or sticks.

Bug Hunt

Children are fascinated with bugs. Look for anthills or for ants carrying food. Worms, spiders, and other crawly bugs will capture their attention for long periods of time too. If you have any flagstones in your back yard, lift up one. Beneath it is a melting pot of all different kinds of bugs.

Croquet

This game, resurrected from the 50's, becomes an entirely different game when played by preschoolers. And that's OK. You don't have to set it up as you would for a real game. Set the wickets in various patterns and allow the children to make up their own positions. Then watch them use the mallet to send their balls through the wickets.

Frisbee

Because their ability to maneuver a Frisbee is not well developed, children play this game a little differently than would an adult. Learning how to hold the Frisbee is a challenge all by itself. Getting them to throw it correctly and in a specific direction is one game. Seeing how far they can throw it in that direction is another game.

Golf

Kiddie golf sets are inexpensive. If you don't want to cut a hole into your ground, push a hard plastic cup into the grass and set the ball on the ground (you don't even have to use a tee). Show your children how to grasp the club and teach them how to swing the club so the ball goes into the cup.

I promise you, that unless you are Tiger Woods, you will have difficulty with this task. The cup is very unstable. The point is to have fun, though, and to help children improve their eye-hand coordination.

Be careful of children wandering into the swing area, and be prepared to put back the cup numerous times.

Hula Hop

Play this game before lunch - great energy game.

Yes, this game is Hula Hop - not Hula Hoop. Everybody knows what to do with Hula Hoops and you can have fun with them the conventional way, including looping it around necks, legs, waists, and arms, but Hula Hop works like this: place three Hula Hoops on the ground in a circle and have the children hop from one to the other without touching the hoops. See how many hops they can make before they touch another hoop or get tired and want to quit.

Picnic in the Yard

Prepare sandwiches together, cut up some fruit, get your Sippy cups in order, place an old blanket (used for outdoor purposes only) on the ground, and pretend you're at a campfire or a real picnic. Tell stories and talk about the trees and flowers all around.

Use this experience as a way to introduce them to nature. Bring a book and read it to them while they eat. Blow through blades of grass pressed between your thumbs. Talk about dreams they've had. Ask them what they would do to make the yard prettier or more fun.

Pool

Baby pools are great for preschoolers of all ages. Pool toys are cheap. Use the pool toys only in the pool, so children know they cannot bring them into the house. It gives them something to look forward to when they play outside. Empty out the pool each night and refill it each day.

Don't forget to use sun block.

Sand Box

Many adults don't like sand boxes, but kids love them. If you don't mind vacuuming tiny granules of sand out of your carpet every day, if you don't mind washing miniscule grains of sand out of your children's hair every night, get a sandbox. It's great for the imagination.

Shoe Find

This game was played in the 1950's at a vacation resort in Small Bones, Michigan. You will need at least four children to make this game fun. Take one of their shoes and create a pile of shoes in one section of the yard. Place the other shoe in another section. Count to three and say, "Go." Children can go to any pile they prefer (they will usually all head to the same pile), find their shoe, put it on, race to the other pile, put that shoe on, then race back to the adult. Winner gets a big hug from the adult!

Sidewalk Chalk

Just because it's summer doesn't mean education ends. Colorful chalk makes for pretty names and numbers. It's a great tool for creative expression, too.

Simon Says

This game never loses its appeal. Younger children will mimic older children as the grownup shouts commands, "Simon says - put your hands in the air - jump up and down - turn to your left - touch your toes - jump in the pool - wink, etc." And if Simon doesn't say spin around in a circle - it doesn't matter - children will play this game endlessly.

Squirt Guns

Squirt guns appeal to kids of all ages. Bring out a giant tub or a large plastic bowl filled with water and let the squirting begin. Teach the kids not to squirt each other unless the other child says its OK. Aim at blades of grass or small pebbles on the driveway. Aim at a certain spot on a tree. Aim up. See how far the water flies. Makes for a great pool toy, too.

Statue

Sometimes kids need to be silly and this game allows them to do just that. Tell them to be as silly as possible, moving their bodies by dancing, jumping, and making funny faces and when you say, "Freeze," they stop in whatever position they find themselves as they become statues. Children will usually make their bodies and their faces a little funnier after you say the word - just for effect.

T-ball

T-ball for preschoolers is another great hand-eye coordination game that kids love to play. Playing t-ball teaches children how to share, because when the adult says, "OK, now Susie gets to play," children learn to take turns.

For other outdoor activities, check the links provided below. You'll never again hear your preschooler say, "I'm bored."

http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/preschool-outdoor.htm

http://www.preschoolexpress.com/game_station.shtml

http://www.funattic.com/game_list.htm

http://www.education.com/activity/preschool/outdoor/