10 end of summer activities
Rock legend Alice Cooper commemorated the joy of the last day of school in the band’s ubiquitous 1972 hit, “School’s Out.”
With no school to fill the youngsters’ final weeks or days of summer, it’s up to parents to figure out how to keep them busy and out of trouble. Start planning now to stretch your creative muscles with fun activities.
Here are 10 to generate memories.
#1. Broadway Babies.
Have the children write, produce, and put on a play. Check out books from the library about plays and theater, and ask them to encourage their friends to participate. If your kids are tech savvy, let them create movies.
#2. memory makers.
Start a scrapbook. Let the youngsters take pictures of anything their hearts desire, using a kid-friendly digital or disposable camera. Have them work on scrapbooks of their work each week. By winter, they will have a keepsake that will capture tons of memories.
#3. Free frenzy.
Visit the website for your local Convention and Visitors Bureau. Look into possibilities like free movie nights or free or low-cost museum tickets.
#4. Host a pirate party.
Gather your little Blackbeards for a pirate-themed party. Fill a treasure chest with candy and other treats and have the kids dress up. Draw a treasure map and have the children complete tasks before receiving the next clues. Consider activities like putting together puzzles, solving brain teasers, or competing in pie-eating or bubble-gum-blowing contests.
#5. getGlobal.
Every week, check out a library book about a foreign country. Learn with children about different cultures, foods and clothing. Declare the “Day of (Name of Country)”, in which everyone prepares typical meals, learns phrases and plays popular games of that nation.
#6. Big savers.
Institute is having a coupon clipping contest and have your kids help you look for savings. Put them in charge of the coupons for every other week and keep an up-to-date record of what was spent each week. For Halloween, whoever has the fewest dollars wins a prize.
#7. Freezing time.
Build a time capsule for the summer of 2008. Have your kids collect all their summer memories and photos and have them make a mix CD of their favorite songs. Then secure the items in an airtight container and bury it. In 10 years, they can dig it up again and laugh at the funny times they shared. Bury it at least 4 feet underground, but check with your utility companies before digging. Mark the spot and record where you have buried the time capsule.
#8. Wet and wild time!
When the meteorologist forecasts hot and humid weather, throw an old-fashioned sprinkler party. It’s fun, cheap and always fun. Ask your neighbors, friends, and family members to bring different types of sprinklers, squirt guns, and slides, and fill up water balloons. It will be a great way to keep the neighborhood entertaining and fresh.
#9. Kitchen for children.
Have your children create fun meals of their own. Start with a cookbook like “There’s a Chef in My Soup” by Emeril Lagasse. Let the kids do everything from setting the table to seating guests to serving food. Be prepared for a disaster, and to have a good time and great pictures. But always make sure that you or another responsible adult is available to supervise kitchen activities.
#10. Karaoke anyone?
The next rainy day, try a kids’ karaoke DVD. They can set up a stage, make costumes out of old clothes, and rehearse. They will be ready to give a concert in the late afternoon or evening.
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