Summer. When school ends, the long days stretch before you full of endless possibilities for excitement and adventure. By mid-July, however, the excitement begins to wear off and you are already tired of hearing your kids say, “I’m bored.” Beat summer boredom, and help your kids stay active and entertained this summer with these tips and boredom busters. Importance of Staying Active Regular outdoor activity provides numerous benefits for kids, including helping maintain a healthy weight, reducing stress and boosting bone health and immunity. Childhood obesity is a growing problem, but encouraging kids to be active is part of the solution. Children need at least 60 minutes of vigorous and active play daily to stay healthy, and playing outside is a great way to meet this goal. Getting your whole family involved makes it more fun, and lets all of you take advantage of the benefits. It also helps your children learn to view physical activity as something fun, not as a chore, which encourages them to be more active. Here are a few ways to be active together as a family:
Benefits of Boredom Although it’s no fun to hear complaints about being bored all summer, there actually are benefits to letting kids be bored. Constantly having structured activities can be tiring and overwhelming, but unstructured time provides an opportunity to relax. In addition, boredom:
Beating Summer Boredom Boredom has benefits, but helping your kids learn to beat boredom and have fun is also important. Creating a list of boredom busters is a great way to be ready for the mid-summer slump. Ask your children what activities they would like to do over the summer and see how many of them you can cross off their list. Or create a list of parent-approved activities for the kids to choose from. One fun way to do this is to write your boredom busters on color-coded popsicle sticks and place them in a jar. Then your kids can pull out a stick when they are bored. Separate ideas into categories with your color-coded sticks like free, activities involving water, outdoors, easy, messy, activities involving food, family outings and activities requiring no parent supervision. Use the color-coding to limit the type of activities your children can choose depending on what you have going on and how much you are able to be involved in the activity. Boredom Busters To help you get started on your summer boredom busters list, we have gathered a number of activity ideas in a range of categories. You can personalize the list according to the age of your children, the needs of your family and your own preferences, but these ideas are a great place to begin! Outdoor Activities
Indoor Activities
Free Outings
Inexpensive Outings
Summer is a great time to relax and enjoy some unstructured play time. Give your kids the opportunity to get bored, but have some ideas handy to help your family stay active and have fun all summer long. Is it normal to be bored in summer?If you find yourself more bored than usual this summer, embrace it. Contrary to popular belief, boredom is not always something bad or something you have to change. Boredom may be exactly what you need this summer to relax and enjoy your free time. Having nothing on your to-do list is sometimes beneficial.
How can I make summer fun?Summer Bucket List Activities:. ✦ Go to an Amusement Park.. ✧ Leap Off a Rope Swing.. ✦ Pick Strawberries.. ✦ Try a New Food. Have you ever tried raw oysters, escargot or frog's legs? ... . ✦ Attend an Outdoor Concert. ... . ✦ Ride a Ferris Wheel. ... . ✦ Attend a Parade.. ✦ Have a Picnic.. |