Now I know why parents love school so much. Summer vacation is HARD.
The house is much louder with the big boys able to play together (not to mention the messes!) With a baby trying to nap we have to try our best. I can't send them outside ALL the time because it's just so darn hot. I've signed them up for 2 classes each at the nearby rec center, and those are actually quite fun. On the other hand, I don't want to drive a million places each day because 1) baby napping and 2) need I remind you of the price of gas? I'm making a concerted effort to conserve!
To combat my/our boredom, I made a jar full of simple summer fun ideas. Some are silly things to do or play around the house, and some require more of a field trip. Each day if chores are done, they can pick one activity out of the jar and we do it. So far they are not overly thrilled with this. Maybe we should invite more friends over to play. More noise, more mess... Woo hoo!
I need ideas!?!? How do you keep your kids entertained, but not go broke, and still maintain some sanity?
11 comments:
I think your activity fun jar is a great idea!
Sorry it isn't such a hit. I guess the older kids are already keen to the weird and cheap things that we try to do with them to keep them occupied.
I am totally with you. I love having my kids here but they sure make me crazy. They are always bored and making messes. I dont think my baby has had a good nap since summer started. The thing is we have done something almost everyday, but if it is not constant then they are bored. I have to find out what is in your jar. Please list some of the ideas taht you came up with. I am such a "nice" mom that when someone complains of being bored I have them unload the dishwasher or take out the trash. That usually cures the boredom for a little while.
You come play and swim at Kimmy's house all day!
The only thing I can do to combat the mess is tell them to keep the toys in their rooms so I don't have to keep cleaning up the living room. At least there's one area of my house that's clean for more than two minutes.
As far as boredom, one thing I do is get them into their swimming suits and put them outside with squirt bottles and they write or draw on each other with them for fun. (I guess you could do the same with a squirt gun.)
Another thing is shaving cream cleaning (outside). I find some stuff that needs to be cleaned and give them some shaving cream and they can make a big mess with it and it hoses off easily since it's outside. They have fun making pictures with it on the concrete, themselves, the walls, etc. They get cleaned, too so you don't even have to give them a real bath afterwards. Just hose them off and put them to bed.
Check cousin Calista's blog (link from my blog if you want). She just mentioned a schedule she keeps for her boy and it sounds good. You'd have to tweak it for your boys, but it's a start.
LOL! This is exactly why I save the Playstation for summer. After a week or two of letting them play as much as they want, I try to limit it to afternoons when it's too hot to play. Other than that they play outside in the evenings and drive me crazy in the mornings. It works out great! ;) When my kids say "I'm bored," my automatic response for the last 8 years has been "Then find something to do." But I like Erin's response better!
I was hoping there was a magic answer out there. I have to say that one thing that helps us is structure, which involved jobs. I grew up spending summer mornings working. So I make my kids do the same. I have a pretty simplified version of Sean A'lee's chipper system. They wake up and I have their jobs all ready for them (mind you some are like brush your teeth). They never complain, in fact they love it. They earn "money" that they cash in to watch movies, friends, a trip to the dollar store, etc. So I know it sounds bad, but make them work for a good hour or two and they will begin to really love playtime.
I did the modified "chipper system" too! I LOVE IT!!!
OK, so in my jar there is:
Play dough
Slip n' slide
Rent a movie
Go to the Library
Make a craft
Make cookies
Go to the mall
Build a fort (w/ blankets)
Play w/ bubbles in the tub
Write a story
Invite a friend over
Board game
Water guns
Sidewalk chalk
I thought this would do the trick!!!
I'm planning to go to the library to check out a book that lists like 365 activities to do with your kids. Also, after we fold laundry the boys like to play basketball with all the socks. They roll them into balls and shoot them into a laundry basket across the room from different distances. We also have a little spinart machine that the boys have been trying different things with (like using glue and sprinkling with salt).
I want to try making handmade paper this year. I understand that all you do is shread paper into little bits (that will keep them busy for a while), put the pieces in a blender with some water and pour onto a screen. It just sounds cool. Anyway google it and I'm sure you can find instructions somewhere. I know I saw a blog with that idea a while back.
We all need to post lots of ideas to help each other out and to keep from going insane this summer.
Five school days left for us. I'm not liking this later school schedule. Can it be summer already?
P.S. I love the picture of the dog in front of the fan. Classic!
This is EXACTLY why I leave Arizona during the summer. So, you could always come here. :)
But, I think the best way to keep them busy is to have friends over and to have them go over friend's houses. Take advantage of all the people in your neighborhood (since you could walk - saving more gas). Make a day of having friends over and then let someone return the favor.
Take advantage of any and all offers to use someone's swimming pool and use the community pools (can you buy a pool pass?). Fremont is super close - and although it's not fancy - it's a pool and it's close!!
Take your kids to the library. Let them pick out some books to bring home. If the library has a story time - take advantage of that, and if they don't have story time, could you start one? Maybe not at the library but perhaps at your home or rotate friend's houses for the story time.
Have an indoor picnic. Put a blanket over the kitchen table and then eat under the table. Just simple out of the ordinary things really squash boredom and make memories.
I wish I were there to help with ideas. Stay cool and stay sane!
My kids favorite thing is to have friends over. So I will make sure to call and have you send the boys over to play. I feel like a bad mom sometimes because it seems like I can always think of lots of fun things to do with my kids, it's just getting myself to do them that's the problem. Sometimes I don't feel like playing with four year olds.
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