Activities for Summer
Studies have shown that children today are much less active than they used to be. There are so many more outlets for their attention. Sadly, many of these hobbies promote little creativity, exercise, imagination, or interaction. I thought I would list some ideas of things to do during the summer months. It may be hard to get them going on it, but I know from past experience, that these can be a lot of fun.
Keep in mind, some of these depend on the situation, and environment. Please keep this in mind, and modify if necessary.
Ideas for summer, stimulating the imagination and creativity:
1) Create a play - props, scenery, maybe even a script
2) Make up a board game - Include the pieces and directions. Play it with someone.
3) Play board games
4) Obstacle course - Make an obstacle course in the back yard, or even in the house. Climb under, over, roll, hop, skip and jump.
5) Create a TV Program, or News Program- Many homes now have a video camera. Utilize that to the max.
6) Play detective- Create a mystery... leave clues. The case of the missing T.V. (just an example)
7) Promote exercise- Go biking, walking, jogging - as a group if possible
8) Beach day - Sandcastle (architecture) building contest, swimming, diving for rings
9) Plant a garden - Grow it together
10) Plan a road trip- Have them plan the route, covering a certain mileage. Give guidelines that they must follow.
11) Start a business- lemonade? In my day selling worms was a good way to make some money, and kept us busy... up early for the fishermen.
12) Redesign a room- put them in charge.
13) Play school - something I did. I was the teacher, my sister was the student.
Leave comments for any ideas you may have, and I'll add them to my list.
posted by Mesmur @ 6/27/2005
4 comments
4 Comments:
It's funny how kids are less active today when they're running around taking way more extracurricular classes & summer camps than I did when I was a child.
I remember having more unstructured time just to be a kid & it was just fine.
Unstructured time is good.. sitting around all day watching T.V. and playing video games instead of developing certain skills is where the post is aimed...as well as a possible way to gain more family unity.
I was way more active when I was younger than kids are today
Yes I have a few. Have dodgeball, teetertotters, monkeybars, swings, merry-go-rounds put back on school playgrounds. We overprotect our little darlings, so naturally they would rather stay inside. Wimps raising wimps. Sorry....I never needed anyone to plan out my summer......I enjoyed it playing in the woods with other children, with BBguns, tree houses, real fireworks and other things kids today would love, if only the parents would let them be children.
You raise some strong points.
I had 22 students this past year. Instead of going out for recess, they opted to stay in and go on the computers. It just boggled my mind. The weather would be fine, and they'd rather stay in.
I'm looking more at promoting some ideas for parents to suggest. Kids don't seem to have quite the same imagination these days.
We definitely live in a different world today.
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