lamolina Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 I have a 10 year old boy and 12 year old girl who just finished school last week and are already wandering around looking lost or with their eyes glued to a screen. I need ideas! What do yours kids enjoy?? Any ideas for at home? We will do field trips and lots of swimming but I need things for the rest of the summer to keep them busy but with more purpose than staring at a screen. We will also be doing math and reading. thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysticmomma Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 I'd give them a week or so and then let the adventures begin! Do you have a local "park quest" or nature quest? What about a geography/art curriculum? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 (edited) If you haven't covered it already, summer is a great time to do your state history, with ample field trips. Or, an art curriculum. Or even get to mummifying that chicken or any other messy history-related craft you may have skipped during the year ;-) Other than that, boredom is good for a kid, let them use their imaginations and amuse themselves some days. Definitely limit all screen time. one or two afternoons a week to binge on a game or watch some movies is one thing. Not daily, though. Edited May 22, 2016 by JFSinIL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamiof5 Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Reading, so much reading!! Mine would glue their noses to a book if they could. Drawing, cooking, puzzles. Logic/puzzle books are great too. Connect the dots books (for older kids). Widdling. Working on AHG badges. Just so much to do!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Summer bowling league Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Lots of books. Lots of read alouds. Playmobils. (Still a big hit here with 12 yo DD). Summer camps. Adventures with mom and dad alone like going to lunch during a weekday. Audiobooks while coloring adult coloring books has been a huge hit. Playdates with friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Dusting off all the toys in his closet! This summer, we are trying out DS11 having screen time from 3-5. Otherwise - reading, puzzles, cars, snap circuits, legos, remote control cars, science experiments, playing with neighbor kids, swimming, training his dog.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Thankfully mine are self-entertaining. Screens will be limited (they have school for another month). Some of their activities: -they still play with dolls. Maybe they'll make another stop-motion video with their AG dolls. -they have scheduled sports activities (ballet for one, soccer for the other) -portable small soccer goals and a ball in the backyard keep soccer girl busy -Made-up backyard fun: wall-ball, creating obstacle courses, running through sprinklers, sandbox, etc. -Crafts! I lead nothing. They have a million ideas and there is lots of artsy stuff and fabric stuff around the house -reading -head to neighborhood pool (not on their own--I have to go too) -projects for the county fair--mostly baking, some gardening, sometimes a last minute art project -pick berries -lego creations. Maybe Harry Potter world will make another appearance on the piano. I wouldn't mind rebuilding the medieval village and medieval castle again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 If you haven't covered it already, summer is a great time to do your state history, with ample field trips. Great idea! I have been trying to figure out when to get this in. I think I will consciously plan to do this next summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeghansMom Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Horseback riding, guitar lessons, literature and science on our own and she will take French and math with a tutor. We will make plans with friends and we plan on going to Dollywood and maybe Atlanta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirstenhill Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Projects/crafts from Pinterest Projects and challenges from DIY.org Bike rides (I let DD who just turned 12 go on longer bike rides if she is with a friend) Cooking Weeding in the garden My kids will also spend a lot of time playing with neighbor kids once everyone is out of school. We also do a neighborhood tennis program that super cheap for five weeks of class, five days a week. It's a great start to the day because it gets the kids out at 8 am for an hour of exercise! The park is within close walking distance, so the kids can go there fairly independently now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 I find telling bored children to clean their rooms to be a magical. They suddenly find all sorts of more interesting things to do. :001_smile: Swimming Library programs Parks programs Y activities Piano Reading Audiobooks Lego Snap circuits Arts and crafts Film canister rockets and other science projects/experiments Water balloons/squirt guns/sprinkler Bicycle rides Swings/Playground Camping, fishing, hiking and other scout activities Mow the lawn Popsicles (I require that these been eaten outdoors. Usually once my children are outside, they stay out for a while) We limit screens to after 4 pm and then only if reading, piano, and chores have been done AND we do not have other plans. After two hours of screens, the children must do something else for at least an hour. Exceptions are made for movies on rainy days. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tita Gidge Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 We don't do a formal art or science study, so summer is when we usually cover those things - very low-key, very child-led, and very low parent involvement. At 10, mine could follow Artistic Pursuits on their own. And I bought a number of Jan Van Cleave science experiment books that they'd flip through and do. I had to plan and buy ahead for Art, but I kept the entire program's worth of materials and let them dig through it for each specific assignment. I didn't grade their work or make them do every project (although they mostly did), but I would ooh and aah over the finished product. I picked Jan's science books because they used supplies we had on hand anyway, for the most part, or could scrounge from a neighbor. This required no planning ahead on my part, it was perfect. Those covered most summer days not taken by vacations or camps or planned field trips. We also hit up the library one morning each week, and suggest they check out books related to what they learned in art or science that week. They sometimes did LOL. Our library also offered some summertime programming - my son started a summer chess club at the library that's still on-going. If they don't offer something already, ask them to look into it! My youngest is 10. This year we're hosting a casual book club, meeting 4-5 times over summer.. She's responsible for most of the planning - refreshments, tidying up, related activities/crafts. She'll also do summer lacrosse (6 weeks), Artistic Pursuits and some science. :) And lots of swimming and lots of board games. Our summer house rule has always been no tv or computer until after lunch. This is routine enough for them, and flexible enough for me - some days we eat lunch at 11, some days at 2pm. It just depends on what's going on, and what time we awake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Ds goes to tennis camp almost every weekday morning in the summer. It's great - keeps him busy and outside and he loves it. Afternoons, we have a few favorite swimming holes we visit on nice days. He gets an hour of screen time a day, so a bit, but not so much it takes over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamolina Posted May 22, 2016 Author Share Posted May 22, 2016 So many great ideas. I am starting a summer folder and keeping ideas in there and these will all help. Anybody have any particular art programs or science kits they recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theelfqueen Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Things we do every year: 1) No screens allowed between breakfast and lunch (before breakfast is fine, after lunch is fine... but I find if they're out playing or doing other activities between breakfast and lunch the siren call of the screens drops off significantly) Our "Summer fun jar" -- we put ideas for things to do on color coded slips of paper. Depending on what we have going/our budget for the day the kids are allowed to pick a slip at random (like "Pick a yellow") usually once a day...The categories are:*Free at Home (things like Make Snow Cones, Set up the Slip n Slide, Play a Board Game, Water balloon fight, etc)*Free/Cheap Go and Do (things like Go the Library, Camera Scavenger Hunt, Visit the Play Fountains by the Movie Theater)*Spendy Go and Do (things like Go to a Museum, Go to the Pool, etc.)There is also a separate bowl with "I'm Bored chore" slips for people caught complaining that they are bored (or otherwise, whining, complaining, or bickering).... each slip has a chore on it (things like Clean the Baseboards in Two Rooms) things that aren't part of our daily chores and take about 15 minutes to do. I don't end up having to give too many of these out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 We do swim team so that keeps us pretty busy for most of the summer. Oldest is a Boy Scout and summer is a great time for him to pick a few Merit Badges and work on them. We do a tiny bit of school. We usually do some bigger family cleaning projects or household projects. In the free time they... read bike, scooter, roller blade, practice stilts (homemade), pogo stick, etc. paint, draw, get out all the various art supplies Legos. Lots and Lots of Legos. Lots of games: cards (Feudal Wars, Poker, Solitaire), long board games (Catan, Risk, Monopoly, Ticket to Ride) Work on various projects of their own: stop animation films, stories they write, concerts/dances they make up I also am having them each make a list of things they want to do this summer so we don't get to the end of the summer and say "I really wish we had...". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mama2cntrykids Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 My (in a week) 10 year old daughter is playing softball. We just moved to the area, so we're still searching for other things, but for now, it's ok. We've also gone to many parks, many walks, practiced catching the softball. She's been playing with her sister a lot too. There are a lot of summer rec things to do, BUT they all cost, most of them cost quite a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Theater. Of course, that's what my guy does most of the time. It's a time consuming hobby. There is usually a summer production, and he's taking two classes this summer as well. And of course lots of swimming and going to the park and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momacacia Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Archery and "gym class" for 3 weeks in mornings at ps summer school, then we'll continue tapestry and math. Swimming, walks in park, and she's doing a research and writing project on the B2 Stealth Bomber which she fell in love with at last week's air show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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