Inexpensive Summer Activities - keeping kids busy during summer

Like it or not, schools will soon be out for summer. Are you ready? I usually enjoy the first week or two of freedom, but then I'm looking for something to do with the kids.

We don’t live on a farm. We don’t have crops to plant and harvest. My kids aren't elite athletes with huge time commitments. Sure, we can take a swimming lesson or two, but that will eat up an hour at the most. What will I do the rest of every day of every week of summer? If I don’t keep them busy they will simply reach for their video games or remote control - two things that drive me crazy. I need to be pro-active.

Inexpensive Summer Activities

• Learn a foreign language – we’re going to tackle Spanish. If we just spend one hour of every day during summer studying Spanish vocabulary and grammar, surely we will learn something. We are trying Spanish for Children. It’s geared toward children and emphasizes grammar. The CD can be taken into the car and the video helps make everything more entertaining. For a more conversational approach, Rosetta Stone is helpful. It's a computer program so it's bound to be more interesting to kids.

• Math drills – this is the hardest, but so important. All those math facts learned by repetitive learning will be lost if kids don’t practice them over the summer. I print worksheets off the internet (www.math-drills.com) and keep several workbooks on hand. The Kumon program is great, but expensive. Their workbooks can work just as easily if you are dedicated.

• Math concepts – moving beyond the facts. Dr. Schmidt keeps kids laughing with The Life of Fred. At the end of every chapter is a set of entertaining story problems. The story is goofy, but the math problems are real. Kids love it.

• Photography basics – something artistic. Digital cameras have made learning photography skills available to everyone. Even the most basic point-and-shoot camera can turn out beautiful photography. Explaining composition and depth of field can help improve the quality of your child’s images. You can even give her one subject to work on all summer: neighborhood dogs, dogs with owners, summer toys, gardens, wildflowers, clouds, etc. She can compile everything in a scrapbook or create a digital slideshow at the end of the project.

• Survival Camp – teaching basic life skills. Since my kids were very young, I’ve taken a few days every summer to teach them basic life skills like doing laundry, sewing on buttons or fixing simple meals. Now that they are older, some of the basics have been mastered, but there is plenty of room for improvement. Give yours a budget and make them plan a week’s worth of meals for the family. Then, to top it off, let them do the shopping.
• Science Experiments - outside is best. Science projects can be messy so summer is the perfect time to do them outside. A crystal growing kit arrived at our house during the holidays and should be a fun project during the next few months. Ant farms are a perennial favorite and brings hours of entertainment for kids of all ages. HubPages is loaded with sample science experiments.
• Record Family History - get the kids perspective. We all like to hear family stories told by our parents and grandparents. Why not get the kids to interview their elders? Teach them basic journalistic questions (who, what, where, when, why, how) and start recording your family's history. They might think up some questions you've never even considered. In the very least, encourage your child to keep a journal. There is no better way to start writing.

It doesn't seem like a very long summer until you realize the television has been blaring for three days non-stop. Keep your kids busy in fun ways. There's no pressure of getting a good grade, just a promise of a good time.