For parents and grandparents
of school-age kids,
"I'm bored" is a familiar
summertime refrain. It's
understandable. During the
school year, children get used to
a regular routine with structured
time for play, lessons, rest and
exercise.
While you won't want to plan
out every moment of summer
vacation, childcare experts and
educators say creating a regular,
daily schedule helps children
enjoy their time away from
school.
Break the day into smaller chunks
of time, with dedicated time for
play, lessons, rest and exercise.
Let your child decide what he or
she wants to do during each
timeframe.
Find something your child is
good at and encourage him or
her to develop that skill or hobby.
Consider language lessons,
playing the guitar, painting,
or baking.
Start a long-term project like
solving a jigsaw puzzle, building a
model airplane or knitting a scarf.
Explore nature. Go on a nature
hike. Catch butterflies. Learn the
names of different trees.
Encourage reading. The library is
always a good option and often
provides summertime activities
for kids.
Consider sending your child to a
day camp for a few hours a week.
Take an excursion together.
Check out a museum. Take a tour
of a local factory. Go on a picnic.
Buy a summer pass to a local
water park, science center or
amusement park.
And if all else fails, hand your
child a pair of work gloves and
send him or her out to weed the
flower beds. You'll be amazed
how quickly they'll find
something to do!
