Summer Activities for Children that Help Teach Life Skills

Summer is almost upon us which for many parents means the full-time care of children over the age of five who are typically contained within the school system for at least 8 hours a day. There are literally a million and one activities a parent could engage in with their child over the course of summer, but many of these activities do not afford a chance to have a significant learning experience, but the suggestions below do.

Summer Fun with Kids: Start a Collection

Kids today don't spend a lot of time outdoors. Popular leisure activities such as playing on a Wii mostly take place within four walls. To alleviate this problem, consider starting a family collection that relies on outdoor specimen gathering.

Rock collecting is a very nice hobby and can be built upon with indoor discussions and rock guide consultation. Gathering the bodies of dead insects and preserving them is also scientifically interesting and can lead to the creation of interesting and decorative shadow boxes and display units. If you happen to own a microscope, field trips outside to collect objects for examination under the lens can also be a fun way to spend an afternoon and evening.

Summer Fun with Kids: Plant a Flower Bed

By the time summer starts, most vegetable gardens have already been planted, but it is not too late to start a flower bed. Take your children to a home improvement store and pick out trim for the bed and then allow them to help you pick out flowers as well. Keep them involved throughout the summer with planting, trimming, and watering.

Summer Fun with Kids: Redecorate an Area of the Home

If your kids have a play room, consider redecorating it. If there is no play room, pick a large closet, a mud room, or the laundry room for a makeover. This type of project is perfect for children ten and over as it affords them the opportunity to do things they may have seen on television home improvement shows. They are also at an age where they could do a solidly good job on the project.

Sit down with your child and plan out the job from beginning to end. Analyze paint chips together, plan out furniture you will build or buy, and decide on a work schedule. Show your child how to do each project and then let them contribute a significant part of the help. They will be very proud of everything the two of you accomplish, and they will learn skills that will serve them well throughout life.

Summer Fun with Kids: The Family Bank

Kids love to think about being grown, and a fun way to use this to instill responsibility in a child is by helping them learn a bit more about fiscal responsibility. Big words for a small child, but not so big as to keep prevent their understanding the concept. Any child who can add or subtract could have a small allowance to keep up with in a photocopied check register. Let them see the value of a dollar from an early age, and they will appreciate it better later in life.

These four activities can be fun ways to spend the summer while still incorporating solid lessons and teaching valuable life skills to your children.