Summer is here. For kids, this is the best time of the year, second only to Christmas time. Summer means no school and the freedom to do whatever they want. For parents, summer isn’t as exciting. Adults still have to work, but now the kids are home while are off making a living. Kids can get into all kinds of mischief if left unsupervised and bored for extended periods of time. This leaves parents with a bit of a dilemma.
When it comes to keeping kids entertained over the summer, many parents have a tough time. After all, they aren’t teachers and many do have to go to work. Even if a parent is a stay at home parent, summer can be tough. Those eight hours of school really keep children busy. Plus there is the fact that many of the fun things that are advertised on TV are very expensive, and most people do not have that kind of money. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to keep kids entertained over summer break without breaking the bank.
How to Keep Kids Entertained
Keep kids busy is no simple task, which is something parents figure out very quickly when their kids get any extended break from school. Kind of makes you think teachers should get paid more, doesn’t it? Regardless, with school out for summer, it is up to the parent to keep their child entertained, or at the very least, busy until school starts up again in fall. Here are a few, simple and affordable ideas on how to keep your kids busy this summer:
- Chore Charts – A quick and simple way to keep kids, maybe not so much entertained, but busy, would be to institute a chore chart. They might not appreciate it, but it can be helpful for the parent and beneficial for the child in the long run. Chores help teach children about responsibility, and can be a great way for them to earn some money that they can then spend on things they want.
- The Library – A good entertainment option would be to take the kids to the library once a week. Most public libraries have summer reading programs that can give more reasons for kids to read books. Just be sure to let the child pick out books that are age appropriate, but interesting to them. You want them to keep reading, and not get discouraged by big, complicated words. Reading is a great way to spend away hours upon hours of the summer.
- Camp – One option would be sending kids to summer camp, which can be a great adventure for the child. However, summer camp can be a bit expensive. There is always the cheaper alternative of day camp. Day camps are great ways to keep kids entertained during the day without sending them away for extended periods.
- Board Games – Board games can be another way to keep children entertained over the summer. There are so many different games out there, that there is one for everyone. Plus, many modern games teach skills like teamwork, resource management, critical thinking, and strategy. Plus, with their replay-ability board games can be a very good investment.
- Be Bored – Lastly, one of the best things that you can do is just let your child be bored. As bad as that may sound, being bored can actually be a good thing. Many studies have found that boredom leads to creativity. This is more important now more than ever since there are so many devices out there to help us alleviate boredom. Kids don’t actually have a lot of time to be bored nowadays, so letting them be bored from time to time is actually a good thing. It can lead to more creativity in your child.
Don’t Stress, and Just Have Fun
While keeping kids entertained over the summer can be a tough job, it is possible to do without spending boatloads of money on extravagant outings. Following some of the above ideas can be great ways to keep kids entertained and/or busy this summer without straining your bank account.
While a parent may feel the need to make sure their child is entertained for the entirety of the summer break, it is important to realize that not only is that not possible, especially for working parents, but it is unrealistic. Boredom happens to everyone, and can often lead to great new ideas. So don’t worry too much if your child isn’t entertained 24/7, it can lead to some creative new ideas.