Summer time is the perfect time to start summer projects with the kids. And while you may be looking for insanely exciting things to do with your children, you need to remain aware that we are in the midst of a recession. Often, using the time off in summer to be productive can be a lot more satisfying for you and your children than taking an overly expensive vacation together.
The big question is what to do. Even if you have a swimming pool in your own back yard, tons of land and plenty of things for the average kid to do at your house, there is a good chance they are talking about how bored they are just a few weeks after school gets out. They may have a distaste for the hot weather outside and be prone to sitting in the living room watching TV and playing their video games. In between, they are snacking and text messaging their friends to compare stories of boredom. Younger kids may become agitated and increasingly frustrated with projects to keep them busy and parents can become counting down the days before school starts again. Ok, you get the story, the question is what summer projects with the kids would help ward off the boredom blues and maybe get something accomplished in the meantime? Answers, read on!
When you are home with the kids for the summer, you have more time to get some chores done around the house. There is less stop and go, traveling around town with pick-ups and extra activities and no specific schedule to necessarily adhere to. For these reasons, you may want to think about starting summer projects with the kids that involve some home improvement. If you or your child has been dying for a room makeover to erase the evidence of having ever loved Elmo or Barney, summer is a great time to do it. You can enlist your child’s help in painting the walls and have time to shop a little for room decorations. And even if the room doesn’t need a huge amount of redoing, reorganizing to make it more efficient for when the school year arrives can make life much smoother for you and your children. Projects like these may not be considered fun or boredom busters, but they will keep you and your children busy and accomplish some much necessary tasks in the mean time. Honestly, when is the last time you really cleaned and organized your child’s room? The best part is that they can participate and working together with your kids can actually be fun.
Other summer projects with the kids are to plant a garden. Tending to a garden is a huge responsibility. Most families plant a few tomato plants but do little else. However, imagine the money that you could save by using your back yard as a garden for the summer months. Raising squash, tomatoes, melons, cantaloupes, okra, beans, peanuts, potatoes and anything else your can cultivate can teach your children a lot of things. And it can be fun. Watching seeds explode into plants that will eventually feed you and your family will give your child an appreciation for food in general. Plus, since they grew their own cucumber, they will be more likely to want to eat it. Have them help turn the soil, plant the seeds and help them learn how to care for things by putting them in charge of watering the garden each and every day. This is an incredibly cool thing for young children to do and one that many kids rarely do anymore. Plus, it keeps them outdoors, exercising and busy.
Another low cost summer project that will help develop your child’s sense of accomplishment and global responsibility is to start recycling or composting at home. Let them head up a call to action in your family where you recycle and reuse as much as possible. They can take the lessons they learn about keeping the earth clean and acting responsible with them for the remainder of their lives. Plus it will accomplish something within your household.
Summer projects with the kids can include all sorts of home improvement projects. However, you should also come up with some useful and productive ways to continue their education as well. Make one of your summer projects to advance their reading levels or give them math readiness. Even young children can benefit from having summer projects that include and enhance their education. You will find that without the often demands from a ‘real’ school environment, they can excel more quickly during the summer.
Of course, some summer projects with the kids should be fun and creative as well. Make a goal to update scrapbooks and organize pictures that haven’t been downloaded from your computer in years. You can also make Christmas shopping a summer project with the kids. Chances are you have a little extra income now than you do during the holidays and you may be able to shop for the extra people in your life during this time. Additionally, the summer months and especially as school nears, provide excellent sales opportunities. Shop for the grandparents, teachers, cousins, or friends NOW and you won’t be so stressed out during the holiday season.
Summer projects with the kids don’t have to be extravagant to create memories. When you combine being together with getting something beneficial to your family done, you make more time for pleasurable activities and can enhance the bounding in your family. As you get some things done, try to plan a special end of summer treat that involves a vacation or a special get together. This will give your kids a summer to remember and one that helped you as a family.
