Summer Kids' Activities - Things for the Children to Do During Summer

Are you seeking ideas for good summer kids' activities?

Summer's here and it's only a matter of time before the kids are bored with the usual street games. Once the joy of "no school" has worn off, they decide they have nothing to do, and can drive any parent crazy.

You really should plan the kids' summer activities before summer vacation starts - but that rarely happens in the real world; instead, after a week of playing with their friends, you are confronted on a daily basis by complaints of boredom.

So, what are some ideas for summer kids' activities to keep the children occupied?

Try to plan at least one weekly activity for them during the summer, such as swimming, ballet or karate lessons. If that isn't financially feasible, then plan a weekly hike or bicycle ride to a different location each week - get the kids to help you organize this and plan the route.

You can make this summer kids' activity into a nature adventure by allocating to each kid the task of finding one specimen of a bug, leaf, moss or whatever you think you are likely to find locally. Bugs are fun to collect and can even be saved for a day or two in a bug box.

If collecting bugs isn't your thing, then simply give the kids a journal each to record sightings of birds, butterflies, special plants, etc. Make certain that everyone has a bike helmet that fits well.

Here's another idea for summer kids' activities - you could organize a scavenger hunt in your neighborhood or a treasure hunt in your own backyard. See if you can get together with some of the other parents and come up with unusual ideas for the hunt; making a map of the area would be a great idea, with clues as to where the hunted objects can be found.

Be sure to remind the children that they can only search in certain yards for the prizes - you don't want them terrorizing the entire neighborhood! Try to take photos of the hunt and have the children make a scrapbook of the event, and try to involve as many parents as you can in this; it will make the planning and implementation of the hunt so much easier if you can share the load!

Other ideas for summer kids' activities include planning a trip to a local aquarium, zoo or theme park; this is always a popular summer activity for the children. Try to go there early in the day on a Monday or Tuesday when it won't be too crowded, and don't visit during the first week of the summer vacation as it will probably be very busy.

Get the kids interested in craft projects, which also make good summer kids' activities. Remember the pet rock craze of the 70's? Find some unusually shaped rocks on the beach or riverbank and have the kids paint faces on them.

There are dozens of craft ideas to be found at your local craft store, and many of them are very inexpensive. Wooden boxes, bird houses and doll furniture can be painted as a summer activity by the kids and may even be used as gifts for later in the year. Fabric paint can be used to decorate t-shirts and shorts for the children to wear during the summer.

One of the easiest summer kids' activities is a trip to the beach - just about everyone enjoys a day at the beach. Mom or Dad can relax a little and the kids can occupy themselves building sand castles, collecting shells and paddling or swimming in the ocean. This also has the added value of tiring them out! If the kids collect a lot of shells, you can make a shell "gingerbread house" using cardboard for a base and gluing the shells onto it with white glue.

Whatever summer kids' activities you choose for your children, remember that September will be here soon and they'll be back in school - leaving you with fond memories of the time you spent together during the summer.

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