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Summer Fun
by Nikki
Willhite
www.allthingsfrugal.com
Summer can be a lot of fun for your family. However, in many
cases, come August, moms are more than ready to put their children back in
school. When the novelty of summer wears off, and the vacations are over, the
kids can get bored. They may get hot and irritable, and mom may have trouble
coping.
The moms I've seen handle summer the best are the ones that have
lots of activities planned for their kids. With that in mind, here are some of
the things you can do in the summer to make it more enjoyable for everyone.
*Get your boys involved in scouting and cub scouting. There
should be several units in your area associated with either a Church, civic or
school group. Scouting expenses are minimal. The activities are wonderful.
*Involved your girls in similar activities. Girls often enjoy
the outdoors as much as the boys do. When my sons go on their hiking and rock
climbing trips they often have girls along. Many times the girls are able to
summit while some of the boys don't make it.
*Take advantage of community based summer programs. Every child
should learn how to swim. Our local center offers everything from tumbling
classes to group piano lessons.
*Check with your local library for summer programs. In addition
to the reading programs they have at the library, they will have information
about other community activities.
*Music lessons enrich children's lives if they are so inclined.
Help them to appreciate good music, and they won't play the garbage they call
music- now when they get older. If lessons are not an option, use records or
other toys. The library has lots of music. Make it a game to learn and recognize
the sounds of different instruments.
*Summer is also a good time to expose your children to art and
photography. Visit art galleries, involve your children in picture taking and
framing.
*The same holds true with movies and the classics. Make sure
they see the good moves, so they can recognize the good from the bad. Good
movies teach good lessons. It's a shame not to see them.
*Use this free time to teach your children skills you don't have
time for during the school year such as sewing, knitting, crocheting, cooking,
and other homemaking skills. Boys and girls can learn to repair things around
the home, as well as carpentry skills.
*There are lots of ideas for crafts that children can do on the
Internet and in the stores. Introduce them to a new one each year. One example
would be tie dying. It's very easy to do. Have them do a plain white t-shirt.
They will have a ball and love wearing it.
*Summer is also a great time to visit aquariums, fish ladders,
or in our case, go to places where you can watch for whales. Introduce your
children to sea life. The earth is covered with water. Make them curious. Keep
their minds stimulated, and they will do better in school.
*Summer and water go hand in hand. If you have water nearby,
whether a lake or stream, take your kids there often. There is nothing as
refreshing as playing in the water on a hot day. Kids have lots of energy. Let
them burn it off, and they will behave better when they are home.
When they get older they can fish and swim. One of my sons saved
up for a rubber boat. I'll always remember our trips to the lake. He let me laze
in the bow while he rowed me around. My kids also had wonderful opportunities to
go water skiing and canoeing through their affiliations with Church groups and
Scouting units. These programs are available to anyone who is interested.
*If you live in the city, drive into the country one night and
let them see the stars. They can be an incredible sight to those who have never
seen the sky full of them. Camping is also fun, even in the backyard.
*Sports can keep kids occupied for hours. If team sports are not
an option, put up a hoop, tie an inner tube to a big tree, or buy a trampoline,
scooter, or skates. Kids can be surprisingly inventive when it comes to having
fun. In some areas of the country windstorms will blow big tumbleweeds close to
town. The kids love to go out there and jump over them.
All families can participate in sports together, whether it's in
the back yard or at the park. Some ride bikes together, while others walk, hike,
or camp. When kids are very small, just pulling them around in a wagon is fun
for them
*Kids love games when they are small. They love to play them
with you! Have a good supply of board games and other puzzles. One of my fondest
memories as a youth was playing crossword puzzles with my grandmother when she
would come to visit.
*Take advantage of the summer weather to teach your children
about the earth and growing things. Everyone has room for a few containers. Let
each child have his own and tend it himself. If you have a larger garden, divide
it up and have each child responsible for a section. Teach them to pull weeds
and cultivate the soil around the plants. Children love to grow things they can
eat. Give them something to tend that they enjoy eating.
*Teach your kids the value of money by letting them make some.
There are always extra chores to be done in the summer that your kids can do.
Give them a little money to pull weeds or do some watering. There are also
opportunities to feed pets or take care of houses while others are on vacation.
One summer one of my sons was into recycling, and we took long walks together
while he collected aluminum cans.
Every family
is different. Find things your family enjoys and make the time to do them
while the weather is nice. Make summer a time of activities and happy
memories.
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