Play Time 101: How to Make This Summer More Fun
Summer is the best opportunity for enjoying each day while the little ones are at home during the day. It can get financially burdensome taking them to theme parks, water parks, and fun centers, especially if you’re on a tight budget. If you are in the same situation as a large percentage of Americans are, you shouldn’t be concerned, since there are scores of inexpensive things you can do right at home. These ideas are great for the little ones, ages 10 and under. Many of these suggestions are centered around learning and activity together.
Everyday Items Can Be Included in Your Games
Use everyday items in your play around the house as props for your pretend news stories. An amusing activity to do at home is to play hospital. Have the children gather a stuffed animal or other toy and then use things from around the home that can be used as fake medical tools. Most houses are treasure troves of odd trinkets that can be fashioned into surgical kits. You can also do another variation of this game by pretending to run a television studio where the news is being reported. A stuffed animal or other toys can be used as part of the creative storylines that your child and you are reporting to the pretend audience.
Enjoy a Pretend African Outdoor Experience
An activity that is a favorite among kids is to create the illusion of being out in the wild, such as on a safari journey. Gather some large bed linens and tuck the ends into chairs, the sofa, or whatever stable furniture is handy. Drape the blankets so that the kids feel like they are hidden by large forest trees or in the thick brush where the wild animals can’t see them.If you own binoculars, get them out for added fun. Have your kids get together all of the stuffed critters and animal figures they can find and arrange them throughout the room, mostly hiding from view, and then use the binoculars to peek on them. Once the kids find each animal, shout out the sound that the animal makes. They always have a blast with this game!
Create Quality Time and Get Active
Another low-cost, yet really entertaining activity is to go out together for a ride on mountain bikes. If you have younger children, you can bring them with you in a trailer attachment where they can be seated in a secured cart. For shorter distances, some children might want to use their scooter to move around. To make it even more fun, take your time and give the kids things to find along the way, like a treasure hunt. Things like birds, flowers, or squirrels can all be great things for everyone to call out as they spot them. This game also works wonderfully on a nature walk and can teach children about nature and their environment.
Fun in the Evenings
When evening comes, the fun doesn’t have to end! Set up a tent in the backyard for the kids and bring out the binoculars so they can look up at the stars. If you have a place where you can safely make a fire or a small charcoal barbeque, you can make a wood-burning fire for them. Have the kids gather some long sticks for browning s’mores. If you have time to take a short getaway this summer, go camping somewhere fun and extend your time outdoors! These ideas will surely give you and your children some quality time together to learn, grow, and laugh.
