Fun Ideas to Keep Your Little One Busy This Summer
Summer is a time when children are excited and ready to have fun but coming up with new activities to engage and entertain them can become increasingly challenging! Check out these tips and activity ideas to keep your little one happily enjoying the summer season.
Try setting up a big art project outside… You may be a bit wary to have a large paint extravaganza inside your home, so take it outside while the weather is nice! All you’ll need is a an old white sheet (maybe you have one in the back of your closet or can find one at a thrift shop), some tempera paint, a paint tray of some sort, a fly swatter, and maybe a sponge or two. First, hang up the white sheet flat against your backyard fence or on the ground and pour some paint into the paint tray. Next, let the kids have at it! They can dip the fly swatter in the paint and slap the sheet to see what kind of print they can make or they can throw a paint dipped sponge at the sheet and see what happens – it’s about the process not the product!
Learn how to make some healthy frozen treats… When it’s hot outside, we all want a treat to help cool us down but it doesn’t always have to be full of sugar. Why not have your little one help you make a healthy 3 ingredient ice cream? Just add frozen bananas, a little bit of peanut butter, and a dash of cinnamon to a blender and blend well. Voila! You now have healthy ice cream. Mixing frozen fruit and plain yogurt in a blender and pouring it into ice pop molds will also be a healthy alternative to popsicles!
Go camping (even if it’s in your backyard)… Camping experiences can leave children with beautiful memories of being out in nature with those they care about most – it doesn’t matter whether these memories take place in the backyard or at a campsite! All you need is some blankets and pillows, a tent (maybe a friend is willing to lend theirs out or maybe you can find a great deal on a used one), and some imagination.
Map out a road trip… Maps can be an exciting visual for children to take with them on any trip – it doesn’t just have to be a road trip in a car! Following a map on your bus ride to the grocery store and back can be just as fun. Adding small pictures or words on map points where you will stop will help children follow along – for example, draw a small house where your home is on the map and a small picture of books where the library is on the map. For even more fun and learning, design a map as a family art project!
Create an obstacle course… Backyard obstacle courses can be as simple or as complex as you would like! It could be as simple as using a piece of chalk and some imagination or as complex as utilizing all the play equipment in your backyard. Either way children will still enjoy the challenge and even eventually learn to contribute their own ideas to the course as well. You could also add a timer to create a race against the clock!
Set up a carwash in your own backyard…Washing your car may sound like a chore to you but to your child it may sound like a fun time when you can play with soapy water and sponges. It doesn’t have to be your car, it could be your child’s ride-on car or bicycle. Small toy cars are also great candidates for a backyard car wash! Any of these car wash forms can help your child feel helpful and independent while having fun.
Join a reading club… Summer is a time when children get a break from school but that doesn’t mean that reading stops too! Summer reading clubs are an excellent way to keep reading in the daily schedule with some added excitement. The Vancouver Island Regional Library has a summer reading club every year which includes a special reading record, crafts, and (online) children’s events.
Sign up for 4 Seasons Early Years programming... A fantastic way to keep your little one busy this summer is with 4 Seasons Early Years programming! We constantly have a variety of programs available for children aged 0 – 6 that will provide fun activities, learning, and opportunities for skill development in relation to school readiness. Come check-out a program or two!