The temperatures are climbing and the beach is calling…summer vacation has arrived! Chances are, your kids will soon have an entire month or two away from school and are counting on having some fun in its place. But how do you keep them excited and having a fun-filled time for such a long time—especially when you don’t have vacation plans? Read on for my top tips and activities to try!
Get outside. Even if all you do is take a family trip to the park, or go on a twenty-minute hike at a nearby trail, getting out of the house always turns a day into an adventure. You can pack a picnic, bring some bubbles and a soccer ball, and let your kids play in the sun when they’d usually be stuck in a classroom. It’s cheap, easy, and a total blast!
Visit your local craft store. Give your kids a budget of five or ten dollars (or whatever you feel comfortable affording) and have them pick out a project they want to make for the week. It’ll be extra fun if you have a judging contest at the end of the week to see who made the best craft! Winner gets to pick their favorite flavor of ice cream to share.
Go on a day trip. If you don’t have week-long vacation planned, try to get away for at least a day somewhere nearby. Do you live close enough to the beach? To a tourist town, or a fun museum? Go somewhere you normally wouldn’t, and enjoy a day away together as a family.
Go crazy at the library! You can never have too many books, and now’s a time when your kids have plenty of free time to read. Let them pick out a stack, and if you feel like getting competitive, challenge each other to see who can read the most books by the end of the week.
What are your favorite ways to beat the summer boredom? Let me know in the comments!