My Top Ten Activities to Fight Summer Boredom

It's that time of year again. The kids are home and it's unbearably hot outside. You hear "I'm bored" more than once throughout the course of the day. You don't want them sitting in front of the t.v. all day or eating out of boredom. So, what do you do? I have 2 kids and the following are some things to help out. Some of it they can do on their own, and some you'll need to help or mediate with.

PHASE 10 CARD GAME Ages: About 8 and up.

This is a great game for the bored. It's a form of Rummy and you can purchase it at Wal-Mart or like stores. There are ten 'phases'. The phases are particular hands you must get each time. For example, Phase I is 2 sets of 3. This would be a 3, 3, 3 or a 5, 5, 5. Phase II is a set of 3 and a run of 4. They can have a 5, 5, 5 and a 1,2,3,4. Each phase is different and the first to complete all 10 phases wins. This game is great because it helps them use their strategy skills for game play and their math skills for scoring.

I SPY Ages: All ages

This is a great game for children of just about any age. Choose a surface, like a tray or table, and collect household items. For example, a paperclip, penny, crayon, pencil, spoon, hair clip and so on. Put all of the items collected on the surface you plan on using. Cover it where the child or children can't see it, or send them out of the room while you set up. Get a pencil and paper and make a list of some of the items in the mix. Uncover, or call the kids in, and have them search for the items on the list. You can come up with a scoring system if you want, or not use one at all.

ART SHOW Ages: All ages

What kid doesn't like to be artistic in some way? Have the child draw pictures, color a coloring book page, write a short story, build something out of styrofoam or whatever. Praise them on whichever they choose to do and have them price their work. Something not to overboard, like 5 cents. Then have them plan to show and sell their work at the next family function. And don't forget, you should buy one of their one-of-a-kind creations.

FASHION SHOW Ages: Old enough to dress themselves and mainly a girl thing to do.

This is great when you need them to be occupied for a little while so you can get something done. Give them a theme to go by. My personal favorites are 'Wild and Wacky' and "Mismatched". (You don't have to do the theme.) Tell them to pick out ten or so outfits, try them all on and practice their 'model' walk before the show starts. This will keep them busy for a little while, but not long. Be sure you can set aside some time for show when they're ready. I have found that when you set aside the 10 or 15 minutes needed for the show, they will continue to play out the scenario even after you have returned to what you were doing. Their dressers may be completely empty and the room trashed when they're done, but it's well worth the entertainment they and you will get out of it.

BINOCULARS Age: Old enough to hold them

Binoculars are a great investment. I wouldn't suggest spending a whole lot of money, but get a decent, sturdy pair. If it's not too hot outside, then great, but that's not usually the case during the summer. Even inside they still love them. My kids like looking through the wrong end for some reason. Not sure what the fascination with that is, but they love playing with them. Also, binoculars are great for road trips.

SWAP ROLES Age: Old enough to imitate others

This is a game you must find time to join in on. Have your child do a skit pretending to be you. This is a great game for parent and child because you get a rare glimpse into how your child views you and you can learn quite a bit from this and, usually, get a pretty good laugh in.

GONE HUNTING Age: Toddlers and up

For those of us that don't have a house large enough for classic 'Hide and Seek' we have to improvise. That's where this game comes into play. This is a game for 2 or more kids, or one with your help. Choose a stuffed animal to be the game they are hunting. Either they can take turns being the hunter or you can hide the animal and they can both be hunters at the same time. Designate which areas of the house are not for hiding or hunting. Choose someone to go first to hide the animal while the hunters are not peeking. When the animal is safely in it's hiding spot, set the hunter or hunters off on the mission of finding the animal. You can also add more animals to the hunt. I usually use 3.

HOUSEHOLD ALPHABETS Age: Old enough to know and understand ABC's

This is like the license plate alphabet game most of us played as kids. Have your child hunt for things in the house that start with each letter of the alphabet. You may want to allow them a 'pass' on some of the harder letters, like Q and Z.

INVENTATHON Age: Old enough to comprehend what an invention is

Have them write out or talk about there invention using these questions: What is it called? What does it do? What does it look like? Who do you think would buy it? How much would you sell it for? And so on.

Last but not least...

BOOKS Age: All ages

The best and one of the oldest ways of occupying our children is to have them read. Even little ones like to look at picture books. A child's imagination is on a level that we as adults have long since forgotten in our daily routines. A book can lay the ground for a trip to a magical world or meeting someone famous.

I hope this helps some with the boredom of summer. I will be trying out a couple of other ideas and writing on them depending on the response from my own kids.