If your house is like mine this summer, you have kids saying “I’m soooo boooooooorrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeedddddddd” and you reply “then clean your room!” only to find those same kids are suddenly not so bored after all. If you are looking for some ways to keep the kids active (and outta your hair *wink wink*) then check out these great boredom busters from Dr. Zurn and Primrose Schools!
Here are 11 ideas parents can use to keep young minds active during the summer months:
1. Boredom Buster Jar: At the beginning of the summer, sit down with your family and brainstorm a list of activities that can be done alone or that you can enjoy doing together. Encourage your children to share their own ideas and help you decorate and label a simple jar as the family “Boredom Buster Jar.” They’ll feel more involved in the project and more likely to think this is a “neat” idea, if they participate in the creation and idea generation. Next, write everyone’s ideas down on slips of paper and as a group decide which ones should go in the jar. Anyone in the family can pull any idea out of the jar to fight the summertime boredom blues.
2. Stories Alive: It sounds too simple, but reading is one of the most important waysto keep young minds engaged during the summer.Make reading even more fun by finding ways to bring the stories to life. For example, in the book Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran, children create a make-believe town in the desert out of rocks, boxes, and their imaginations. Read the book with your children and then challenge them to create their own town with materials they find in the backyard.
3. Art Start Box: You’ll need to gather basic art supplies-child safe scissors, glue, markers, tape and construction paper. Put them in a special box along with empty oatmeal boxes and paper towel rolls, colorful magazines and bits of aluminum foil. Occasionally add a special surprise like chalk, stickers, or stamp pads so there’s always something new for the children to find. Even if you normally have these supplies around the house, it’s fun for children to know that the Art Start Box is just for them. They’ll probably have some good ideas of other household items that can be recycled to fuel their creative energies.
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My husbands family are all dentists! His Dad, Brother, Uncle and Cousin have a practice in Lakewood, Colorado. I’m constantly reminded about how to keep teeth healthy and bright. Here are five simple things you can do for your child to help keep their smiles healthy and bright.
