Keeping kids occupied can be an ongoing challenge for many parents. The endless amount of energy that children have can be difficult to keep up with. This can prove to be even more challenging when they have additional time over the summer months. While their boundless energy combined with less structured time during the summer can give you a run for your money, the right summer activities can remedy this. To help keep your kiddos active, here are a few activities that will be sure to keep both you and your kids sane all summer long.
Swimming
Swimming is the quintessential summer experience. Being able to cool off on a hot summer day, burn off some energy and relax while floating along is the perfect combination of activities. Instead of carrying all of your stuff and your kids to the local pool, this is the year to invest in inground swimming pools Charleston. Make your backyard the place to be this summer season, and your kids will have a place to spend their summer for many years to come.
Gardening
Another great way for kids to spend time in the backyard is gardening. Cultivating and caring for a garden can be a valuable lesson for any child, and it can reap many rewards. Not only can you teach your child many important lessons about life, growth, care and the environment, but growing produce at home is also a more sustainable and eco-friendly practice. With all of these important lessons ahead of you, there is no reason you shouldn’t try this today.
Imaginative Backyard Play
Don’t forget to leave time and space for kids to engage in imaginative play. With today’s often overly structured schedules, it can be useful to leave space for kids to just explore, discover and engage in fun. Your backyard offers the perfect backdrop for this type of summer fun. Whether you turn your sandbox into an archaeological dig site, create a backyard obstacle course worthy of an Olympian or erect a playhouse for your little one to put on shows, the possibilities are endless.
Indoor Pillow Forts
While you can dream up all sorts of fun in the backyard, this can be challenging when the weather turns. If you want to continue with this whimsical fun, consider pulling out all of the sheets, pillows and other supplies you have around the house to create an epic pillow fort. You may be surprised at the fun, laughter and joy that can emerge from creating the most elaborate fort you can imagine. Even if the weather is less than ideal, you can turn this into a summer you and your child will never forget.
Family Road Trips
If you want to make this a truly memorable summer, consider swapping out your normal family vacation for a road trip with the family. Packing up the kids and hitting the road can help you experience other parts of the country up close and personal. Get the whole family involved in choosing what destinations you want to hit and make it a team effort. While other family vacations can give you adventure, nothing lets you see and experience destinations quite like road trips.
Volunteer Together
Although it is important to spend time as a family doing fun things, it can also be rewarding and valuable to spend time volunteering with your kids. This can be an impactful experience for the communities that you are helping and engaging with; however, it can be even more impactful for your children. Giving back is an important lesson, and it is one that you can reinforce during experiences like this. You can even tap into your children’s interests and let them choose the volunteer opportunities that they want to give back to.
While summertime presents a considerable amount of unstructured time, you can make the most of it with these meaningful and fun summer activities. Don’t let your kids squander their summers by sitting on the couch while playing on their phones, and watching television when these amazing activities can make it a summer they’ll never forget.
