So, the kids have been home from school for a little over two weeks now and they spend the first week running themselves ragged trying to do everything all at once. Now, all you hear from them is "We're bored!" or like one of the mother's of one of my Pre-K children told me, "I want to go back to school!" This is perfect time to start adding some educational activities to their summer fun!
1) Sidewalk Chalk - Quality Time, Fun, Creativity, and Learning
Sometimes to break the monotany all you need is to spice it up a little bit. One of my favorite summer staples is sidewalk chalk. Side walk chalk give you a reason to get your kids outside (and away from the T.V or Video Game) and have some creative fun. It become even more beneficial if you can take the time to go out with them. Enjoy drawing creative pictures with the chalk. Encourage them to use as many colors as they can. Always respond to their drawing with enthusiasm. If you can't tell what it is they drew ask them to tell you about their drawing. This will give them practice using their verbal skills which will prepare them for the upcoming school year.
I like to use Side Walk Chalk for a game called "Copy Cat." My daughter an I take turns drawing something, it could be a shape, a numeral, a letter of the alphabet, writing her name, or drawing something specific like a flower. First she'll draw something, "Mommy draw a pink oval like this!" then I have to draw a pink oval too. Then I'll challenge her,"Ok, peanut, can you draw a blue 'L' like this?" I draw an L then she draws it. We go back and forth like this until she gets bored. You can even use this game to draw undefined shapes. Having you child copy your drawing or even trace it helps develop their fine motor skills, and if you are having them copy letters, numbers, or their name you are also helping them with letter identification which is a stepping stone to reading.
2) The Library - An adventure with Books!
Many children love having books read to them. They might even have a favorite book that they love to hear you read over and over and over and over and over again, but you might be getting sick of reading the same books. No problem. Head to the closest public library. It doesn't cost anything to read the books at the library (except the gas money to get there if it's not reasonably close enough to walk). Most libraries have a children's section complete with seats or cushions to sit on and read to your child. Your little one will think you're going on an adventure and he or she will be able to find several new books to have read to them! You can decide if you want to leave the books there or get a library card to check them out - just make sure to return them by the due date so your free trip to the library doesn't cost you $1.50 or more in late charges!
3) Bubble Paintings - Colorful fun you can make at home
I've picked up several different versions of bubbles this summer - I even found some that glow in the dark. You can add your own spin on this long time favorite by simply adding some food coloring to the bubble solution. Don't have any bubbles on hand? Make your own with things you already have around the house!
1/2 Cup Dish Liquid
2 Cups Water
2 teaspoons Sugar
food coloring
Mix the ingredients together. Make sure you make separate solutions for each color you want to make. Then use a straw to dip in the bubble solution to use as the bubble blower. You can blow the colorful bubbles on white paper then hang the paper to dry. The result is a colorful abstract painting!
You can find more recipes for homemade bubble soutions at: http://bubbleblowers.com/homemade.html
4) Be an Entomologist - a Bug Scientist
Take your little one on a bug hunt in the back yard, playground, or open field (make sure you have persmission to explore there) Take an empty clear jar with you and make sure you poke wholes in the lid or make your own lid with a piece of paper and a rubber band so it's easier to make the wholes in it. Look for all kinds of creepy crawlies. You might be able to fund butterflies, catepillars, grasshoppers, praying mantisis, spiders, peel bugs, lady bugs, beetles, centepedes, millipedes, and other interesting creatures. Be careful when picking up bugs. I suggest having a pair of gloves on too and never pick up a bug you don't recognize. Remember even some bugs bite or sting so you want to be very careful about this, I know from personal experience a praying mantis's bit hurst A LOT and I wouldn't want my little one to experience that pain, it would take all the fun out of bug hunt. So stick to the friendly critters. If you encounter an interesting bug and want to identify it by taking it home and using a search engine to look it up trap it using the jar and lid. Make sure the lid is secured tightly before heading home with it. Once you've identified the critter make sure you take it back to where you found it and release it. Bug Hunting should always be catch and release.
Many other educational activities can spon from this adventure. You can encourage your child to draw a picture of their favorite bug of the day or make up a story about the bugs you've encountered.
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