Kids Activities at Home: What to Do in Summer?

The summertime is usually so much awaited by parents: there are so many things to do, play, and enjoy. What can be more entertaining for children than going to a summer camp where they can interact with their equals, play fascinating games, letting parents have some free time.

However, what should you do when sending your kids out to a camp is not in the cards this year? With a certain preparation and our summer ideas for kids at home, you can still let them have a summer full of excitement and joys. Probably, you have got certain doubts in this respect. Read on and you will undeniably be able to arrange fun experiences for your kids at home.

What to Begin With?

Despite the age and number of kids you have got, whenever you plan activities for your child or children, indoor or outdoor, the key is in planning. Before you begin googling ideas to spend summer at home, begin with making your own schedule. If you are a home-stay mom, you have got more possibilities to devote time to kids. Otherwise, a well-thought-out plan and schedule of duties are required.

1. Talk to your husband and decide when he can get engaged in the process of arranging summer schedules for kids at home. You can choose days or divide your duties depending on the working schedule. Plan the periods of your vacations so that you could spend some time altogether. Remember, children will forever remember emotions. And what can be a better emotion than spending fun summertime together with both mom and dad?
2. Ask if grandparents or other relatives can get involved. If your relatives are concerned with the same questions, why not suggest them sharing ideas or arranging mutual parties for your kids with their cousins. In this way, you can have one or two days per week free to do all of your routines or simply to relax for a while.

As soon as you have figured out the possible schedules and people to be involved, it is time to begin planning and implementing ideas for indoor activities and outdoor fun for your kids.

Ask Your Children

First of all, think about what your kids are fond of. What is their favorite game and what they love doing most of all? Then, ask them. You can discover a lot of new interests your little ones have recently obtained. Aside from trivial playing football, ask them which new skills they would like to master. What if your son would like to learn to swim or ride a bike without additional wheels?

We are sure that after such an open conversation with your kids, you will already have a draft plan of kids’ activities at home, as well as the list of required props.

Remember the Schedule

In summer, we sometimes want to become a bit lazy, especially when it is scorching hot outside. There is such a temptation to have a plan-free lazy afternoon. However, are you sure you are ready to deal with siblings’ squabbles? Aside from sticking to the baby sleep schedule and routines, do not go to bed until you know what you are going to do the next day. If you wake up with the question, ‘So, what are we up to today?’ be ready for a disappointment. Even in entertainment activities for kids, it is better to have answers ready and plans made.

The ability to plan and make schedules is undeniably personal. Not everyone can master this skill, especially when there are more than two kids in the family and a lot of emergencies to take care of. Some people can plan the whole week ahead. If you are the one, activities can be scheduled assigning a certain theme to a particular day. Let’s say:

• Monday for crafts;
• Tuesday for water entertainment outside;
• Wednesday for a neighborhood trip;
• Thursday for artistic activities; and;
• Friday for fun chosen by kids.

As you can see, mostly, your plans for the summer and activities for kids depend on their interests, hobbies, the time you have got for arrangement, and the level of creativity. If you have not generated ideas after talking to your children, we would like to help you out. We have collected original and easy-to-implement approaches and activities to entertain your little ones this summer they are going to spend at home.

1. Play & Learn

Do you remember the struggle of asking your kids to learn letters? Even if your kid was super-curious and learned the alphabet in a couple of days, you know that it is still hard to persuade your little ones to learn something. That is why we are suggesting fun activities for kids at home that have an educational aspect.

Learn Countries Together

We are not suggesting you buy a map and learn the location of the countries. Think about Italy. What is peculiar about this country? Pasta, pizza, Ferrari, fashion shows… The list can be supplemented depending on your associations. Why not devote a day to Italy? Paint its flag together, arrange a car race in your backyard (if there are several remotely-controlled cars, even adults will have a lot of fun), cook pizza together, prepare gelato for dessert, and arrange a fashion show your daughters will love.

The next country can be Mexico and you can put on sombreros you have brought from the previous vacation and look for the lost treasure. Quest is always a great idea especially if it is devoted to a certain theme or event.

Discover Oceans

The approach is alike to learning countries. Think about ships and other marine vessels. Your sons and even daughters can be interested to discover which parts a ship is built of if you suggest them building your own vessel. You can either order special puzzles or try to use materials you have got in the garage — even boxes can be utilized. With the ship you build, you can navigate between different oceans and seas, as well as moor to different islands and continents.

2. Get Crafty

Probably, craft projects are associated with winter indoor activities. To a certain extent, this is true. However, there are plenty of projects that are even better to be done outside. Messy projects that require the use of paints, tie-dyeing, or something similar can be arranged in the yard to avoid the need to clean your kitchen after you finish. Pinterest, Instagram, and plenty of other platforms can become your sources of inspiration, while materials you usually toss can come in handy for craft projects.

3. Limit Screentime

No one would like it if kids spend their summer days glued to numerous screens they have got around them. That is why the rules and schedules of the allowed time to be spent in front of a TV should be limited. By forbidding tablets and TV completely, you risk transferring them into this tantalizing forbidden fruit. It is better not to forbid but control the time you allow your kids to watch cartoons or play games on tablets. But make sure that the content of cartoons and games is appropriate for their age.

The cartoon time can be a way out on rainy days when a whole family lies cozily under the blanket and watches a favorite Disney masterpiece. In the remaining days, plan these 20-30 minutes when you need them most of all to relax, better in the evening when kids are tired enough after a long exciting day.

4. Focus on Outdoor Activities

We want our kids to spend as much time outside as possible. This is not only beneficial for their health but is also a great opportunity to spend as much energy as possible and to make them chargeless by bedtime.

Of course, you can arrange a competition and manage to spend some time outside without any toys and so-called equipment thanks to crab walking, army crawling, or three-legged racing. However, the most captivating summer activity for kids at home will still require additional toys and props. Prepare a ball, Frisbee, Hoola-hoop, jumping rope, Twister, badminton, or other toys/equipment your kids are fond of.

5. Water Activities

Well, if you have got a pool in the backyard, you will hardly need to read this article as this is the best summer pastime for kids. However, water activities are not about pool only. There are plenty of sprinklers sold on the market to let your kids and cool down on scorching summer days. Water has always been loved by kids. Let them have fun and sprinkle each other with water outside. Just make sure that your lawn or beloved roses won’t suffer.

6. Eat Out

When was the last time you have had a picnic outside? Prepare fruits and snacks, grab some water, and head to the park for a picnic. If there is no park in the neighborhood, you can even arrange it in your yard.

Treat your little ones with an ice-cream you can prepare together in the morning before going out. What can be more delicious than eating self-made ice-cream? Your kids will love the process of cooking and eating it after a picnic outside. Instead of a common recipe, you can freeze bananas on sticks, cover them with melted chocolate, peanuts, and cookie crumbs. Try out a new recipe together with your little sweet tooth.

7. Remember Old-School Games

Think about your childhood with no gadgets and not so many toys you used to have. Those times have been no less fun. Catch & hide, storytelling, singing songs in front of the fireplace… Are these activities are exciting? This flashback will be fun for parents as well. Who knows which games you are going to remember.

8. Produce a Show

If your children are fond of fairy-tales and books, this is your chance to engage them in a long-time process of staging their favorite story. This one of the great things to do with kids at home on rainy days. Assist them with props and costumes. If you find them interested, treat this performance seriously, however, do not demand them to follow lines and the plot. If they are overwhelmed with the story, let them be creative and improvise. After all, this performance should be fun, not a tiring rehearsal process.

Get Ready for an Unforgettable Summer

This may seem complicated to arrange fun activities for kids in the summer. The fact that you are not used to this is probably the most fearful. However, this is a perfect occasion for getting to know more about the interests and potential of your kids. Of course, having plans and schedules is important especially if one of your little ones is a toddler who needs regular routines for the feeling of security.

On the other hand, improvisation and on-the-spot ideas can transform in the best time you will spend together. So, even if you have planned the whole day ahead and your kids have come up with another suggestion, yield to their idea and give your little ones a chance to arrange your summer pastime.

Wrapping up, we'd like to emphasize the importance of parents taking time for themselves amidst the flurry of summer activities and the looming back-to-school season. Aside from juggling work and home routines, the added task of organizing summer entertainment can become quite taxing. So, when offered help, don't shy away from accepting it. After all, summer should also serve as a season of relaxation and enjoyment for parents too.