Summer is a time for family fun, but it can also bring about cries of “I’m bored!” Beat summer boredom with these twenty tips from some of our favorite bloggers!
- Read something every day. I give my kids incentive to read in the summer. For every hour that they read during the week, they earn 2 small pieces of candy on Friday. -Kristin of Bits and Pieces From My Life
- Stick to a routine each day to prevent complaints. -Danika of Thinking Kids
- Have play-dough ready for rainy days. -Anne Marie of Future.Flying.Saucers
- Get a membership to a local museum. It makes for nice free fun time indoors where it’s cool. -Leah of As We Walk Along The Road
- Let the kids be involved in menu planning, shopping and preparing for meals. i.e. visit a local farm to get ingredients and let them take pride in helping make something out of it. -Tamika of No Time For Tea Parties
- Keep an “I’m Bored” jar with activity ideas to pull out when boredom strikes. -Whitney from Beauty in the Mess
- Have a summer “bucket list” of all the things you want to do before summer is over. Make sure every family member has something on the list. Then schedule the fun to make sure you have enough time to do everything you want to do. -Angi of Schneider Peeps
- Whether it’s the sprinkler, water balloons, or the pool. Water always saves the day! –Kimberly of Living in the Sweet Spot
- Make the kids go outside. -Anne Marie of Future.Flying.Saucers
- Once a week, I let the kids watch a movie while they eat dinner. The other 6 nights, we eat together around the table, but they look forward to that one night that is out of the ordinary. -Kristin of Bits and Pieces From My Life
- We spend time outside in the garden, playing with the animals, and digging a tunnel to China in the backyard. (That activity has been a favorite for more than ten years now. We still haven’t reached the Far East. Or the center of the earth, for that matter.) -Danika of Thinking Kids
- Swap kids with a friend. One day you and your family can host her kids and another day she can host yours. –Kimberly of Living in the Sweet Spot
- Join the YMCA for the summer to spend time in the pool. -Leah of As We Walk Along The Road
- Make a “seek and learn” sheet and go to the zoo. I pick an animal for each visit and make an info sheet. My kids have to find the animal and answer the questions. -Tamika of No Time For Tea Parties
- Take advantage of free local activities. -Whitney from Beauty in the Mess
- Take walks or bike rides together. It provides everyone with exercise but is also a provides a great opportunity to connect through conversation. –Kimberly of Living in the Sweet Spot
- Use summer to learn a new skill or hobby. -Angi of Schneider Peeps
- Do something creative every day. It can be as simple as coloring a picture or putting together a few Legos as long as it uses the mind. -Kristin of Bits and Pieces From My Life
- Participate in Library reading programs. When age appropriate, have the kids write a book report. My younger kids draw a picture from a favorite part of the book. -Tamika of No Time For Tea Parties
- Go on “field trips”. In the beginning of the summer we make a list of local places we want to go and things we want to see. Then put a few on the calendar and leave the others for spur of the moment adventures. –Kimberly of Living in the Sweet Spot
Originally published in May of 2016.
