Easy Summer Fun for Kids

Children have free time, but parents don't usually get a summer break (unless they are teachers). Because children look forward to special time and attention from parents during summer vacation, here are some of the simple things we did with our children that gave us time together and made memorable moments.

• Get wet! Run through lawn sprinklers, sit under a sprinkler or misting system, swim, get a bunch of spray bottles and spray one another with water. Water plants and get some water from the hose on yourself. Put toys in a bucket of water and wash them. Play house and put play dishes or doll clothes in a pan of water and get them clean. Blow bubbles. Put some water in a bucket and use a big old paint brush to paint water on the sidewalk.


• Tell stories around a campfire. If you can't go camping, tell stories around a bar-b-q grill in the backyard. Of course, marshmallows and s'mores add to the fun.


• Collect bugs and other critters. Watch them. Bugs can be watched in a clear container with netting held over the top with a rubber band. Lizards, frogs and similar creatures were at home in a bucket. We always took photos of our wild guests before letting them go. This is also an opportunity to teach children which insects, spiders and other critters they need to avoid for safety reasons. After getting acquainted, the critters were always set free.

• Make a sandcastle, even if you are not at the beach. Mud works too and you can rinse a muddy child off with a hose before they go back indoors.
  
  
• Keep track of the state license plates that you see on cars and try to collect a list of all 50 states before the summer ends.

Make the most of the time you do have with your children during the summer. They remember the little things and appreciate them. When we talk to our grown children, we confirm that it wasn't the big vacations that built strong family relationships and made them feel special. It was all those special times doing things like catching bugs and painting the sidewalk with a brush and water.