10 Ideas to Keep the Boardest of Kids Entertained

Fun activities for children of all ages. Now that summer break is here a lot of parents are at a loss as to how to entertain their bored children. I like to keep my children busy but have an age gap between my eldest and middle child. Sometimes it can be difficult to find activities that they both find fun and stimulating. In this article I will list 10 ways to keep the summer fun exciting while maintaining momma’s sanity. 

1.Scavenger Hunt
No matter the age, my children always love a scavenger hunt. The items can be adapted to fit any age. I usually use colors, shaped and well known objects for the smaller children. 1-3 can find flowers, grass and leaves. Just as 5-10 year old can find specific colors of flowers and leaves. 10-18 year olds can be even tougher by finding specific species of bugs, birds etc. Scavenger hunts can be educational and fun.

2.Picnic
My children love to eat outside. Packing for a picnic will not only teach children what should be kept cold and what can stay warm  It will teach them organization and food preparation skills as well. Preparing and eating a picnic is a great activity to do with children of all ages and each child can have their own responsibility. You don’t even have to go far to eat it. The front yard is fine or a local park.

3.Hiking and camping
While not everyone is outdoorsy and enjoys hiking, I believe outdoor adventures are a great way to entertain children. It can be a low cost vacation that teaches invaluable lessons. All children should know how to navigate through wooded areas. How to build a fire and how to pitch a tent. Essential survival techniques should be taught from a young age and reviewed regularly. It could save a child’s  life one day. You might even try making your own walking stick. Just find a suitable thick stick and de-bark it with a sharp pocket knife. My whole family has their very own walking stick and have a lot of pride in all their hard work. Cleaning a walking stick gives them safe practice with a knife and teaches them how to properly skin a branch.

      

4.Rock painting
Most households have old broken crayons laying around that will probably never be used. My children thought it was a lot of fun to heat rocks in the oven or fire and then color them with crayons. The hot rock will melt the wax quickly creating a liquid like texture. Even my eldest found this fun and interesting.

    

   5. Tie Dye
I have tie dyed  with my family on a few different occasions. I recommend doing this outside as it can get messy really fast. With that being said it is also one of the funnest things we have done as a family. We have tie dyed blankets, shirts, and pillow cases. The options are almost endless. Just be sure to collect all your supplies and be ready to get messy.


   

     6. Egg drop competition
Who remembers having egg drop competition in school? How fun is it to build a contraption and put it to the ultimate test? Will you build something worthy enough to let the egg survive? Or will your design be the egg’s demise? Kids can learn alot from this simple science experiment. You can even have each child record their projected outcomes and see who was right in the end. This experiment is super fun and hands on.

           

7. Edible and Medicinal plants
Do you know what plants are safe to eat and which ones will kill you? Do you know which ones contain life saving medicines? Taking the time to learn about what grows in your area can be invaluable information. God gave us numerous plants that can heal and protect us, sadly a lot of this information has been forgotten and pushed aside for modern medicines. I hope to teach my children the importance of being able to identify and how to harvest useful plants. This is a great source of entertainment for long summers. You can essentially create your very own field guide with harvested plants.

  

8. Grow something from a seed. Most children find it very intriguing to grow anything from a seed. Whether it’s a veggie, herb, flower, or tree, children can learn a tremendous amount from growing something. In truth it takes a lot to be successful. I’m not saying grow a whole garden, just allow them to be responsible for one plant. Teach them how to germinate a seed and what it requires to grow it to maturity. This can be a summer long project, that my children found even better if they can eat their progress. Who doesn’t love fresh strawberries or tomatoes?

         

   9.Homemade butter or ice cream
Have you ever tried homemade butter? It is delectable. How about ice cream? The flavor is a lot different from store bought. Making something homemade and from scratch can be rewarding and a great learning experience. Almost everything tastes better homemade. Pick a recipe and give it a try!

        

    10. Paper Air Planes
Have you ever made a paper airplane? You can find endless designs online that show you how to build them step by step. Each child could pick their own design and have a competition to see who’s plane flies the farthest. What a great way to have a friendly competition and exercise everyday skills like following directions and creativity.