By August, parents can be a bit burned out from trying to keep their schoolchildren occupied during long summer days. With school still weeks away, this is the time to do some easy, offbeat activities that don't require much time, money or the chauffeuring of children.
Washing Household Items
Children love water! Sometimes, schedules don't expand to include a jaunt to the neighborhood pool. Children can have water play and also do a good turn by hosing down household items, a task that is often overlooked.
The activity is beautifully simple, but one that is sure to hold the attention of elementary school children. All that is needed is a garden hose, liquid dish soap such as Ivory or Dawn, and an energetic child.
The child should be instructed to use only a small amount of liquid soap.
The following items are easy for children to wash:
- plastic garbage cans
- mats for pet food bowls
- shovels
- plastic recycle boxes
- pet carriers/cages
The reward after the work: some free play with the hose, and maybe even a small payment from the parent.
Create a Camp
An elementary school child who loves crafts can offer one or two preschoolers in the neighborhood the chance to attend a one-hour camp at her house (with her parent remaining in the house.) The child will have hours of fun planning the camp, which may include a short storytime, simple craft, cleanup and snack.
The child should be encouraged to have a written plan for the camp. A good way to structure the camp is to offer: storytime, craft, cleanup and snack. Simplicity should be the key, especially when working with younger children. Simple crafts include: coloring pages, decorating paper that the older child then folds into paper fans, and making paper chains out of construction paper.
While the parent is in the room, she should offer help only when asked.
Fun at Garage Sales
Most every late summer weekend in the suburbs, there are plenty of garage sales. The sales are often loaded with toys, books in good condition, games, etc. – all perfect treasures for a child. Children can use their allowance or money from doing chores around the house to buy items at a sale. Older children can be taught the art of bargaining to add to the fun. While children can have hours of fun at sales, the activity also teaches a lesson about thrift and recycling.
Inventing Games
Children can spend hours inventing games with the most simple of materials, all of which can be found around the house. The following materials are all it takes to create great games:
- Empty cardboard boxes
- Balls of various sizes
- Empty tubes from paper towels
- Empty tubes from toilet paper rolls
- Markers
- Small paper cups
- Washable glue
- Duct tape
- String
To add to the fun, the parent can ask the child or children present the game to the entire family after dinner, for all to enjoy.
Ice Cream in a Can
Children can actually kick a can to make ice cream! Kick the Can Ice Cream comes close to the ideal summer project. Children have fun in the kitchen measuring and pouring, have active play for two 10 minute periods and have a special dessert that they have made themselves! The only downside: The parent needs to have a 1 lb. empty coffee can and a 3 lb. empty coffee can available.
As summer winds down, parents can look to offbeat, cheap activities to entertain their children. In addition to requiring little parental energy, activities down around the house shows kids that there's plenty of fun to be had that doesn't require money or the use of a television or handheld gaming device.
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For more ideas, see Cheap Summer Fun for Kids
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