Tab News - Summer With Kids

The Great Outdoors with Kids

SusanR — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 13:37:27 GMT

When I was young, I was more of an “indoors kid.” So much of the summer was brutally hot and I loved to read, so I rarely played outside. I want my kids to have a more balanced experience, so I try to make sure we spend a lot of time out of doors as a family.

Here are some fun things we enjoy together:

• Remember Red Light Green Light? Or Hopscotch? How about Freeze Tag? Parents can pick out a beloved game from their childhood and teach it to their kids.
• On a hot day, get the kids into their bathing suits and turn on the sprinkler, or load them up with water balloons. Water games provide a great way to cool off during the dog days of summer.
• Go fly a kite! Kites make inexpensive and fun toys. Plus, the kids will get a workout running around with it!
• Parents of little ones can take the kids for a walk around the neighborhood and ask them to point out shapes that they see. A stop sign is an octagon, a rubber tire is a circle, and so on!
• Make homemade bubble-blowing solution with 2/3 of a cup of dishwashing liquid, 2 cups of water, and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Use items from around the house as wands—let the kids experiment with using pipe cleaners, cookie cutters, slotted spoons, and whatever else is handy. Since the kids will be playing outside, there will be little mess to clean up!
• Spend a day at a lake or the beach and go fishing with the kids. Or, if fish are too “icky,” just build sandcastles or wade in the water.

Keep the Kids Learning All Summer Long

SusanR — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:47:48 GMT

Kids can experience learning losses during the summer months away from school. How do I prevent “summer learning slide”? By letting the kids have fun—in an educational way. I’ve got a few ideas for this summer, and I can’t wait to see how much the kids enjoy these activities:

Lemonade stand. We’ll use their allowance to buy supplies, like lemons, sugar, and ice. Then I’ll explain to them the most basic of business terms, like “income” and “expenses,” and they’ll use their math skills to count money and return change. What a “sweet” way to learn!

Secret Trivia Jigsaw puzzles. My kids are old enough for this, so I’ll ask them each to look in an almanac or encyclopedia for a really cool and interesting fact (about their state, about science, about an author…anything!), then write it down in big letters on a piece of construction paper. They’ll each (carefully!) cut up their piece of paper into jigsaw pieces, put the pieces in a plastic baggie, and swap baggies. That way they can put together their sibling’s puzzle to find out the “secret” trivia fact.

Newsletter. This is something I did as a child, and I believe my kids will enjoy it as well. My older kid, who likes to write, can write about what we did as a family that day, and my younger kid, who loves to draw, can illustrate the “article.” After a week, we’ll photocopy the articles, staple them together, and distribute them to extended family.

Summer Fun for Kids on a Budget

SusanR — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:00:47 GMT

Entertaining the kids doesn't have to be pricey, so this summer my goal is to stick to a firm budget. Cutting costs without sacrificing the enjoyment can be tricky, but I'm up for the challenge! Here's what I'm going to do:

Take my kids to the movies. This might seem counterintuitive, but hear me out: a lot of cities have free movie viewings in local parks. We can take a nice, long walk and then relax by watching a classic film. Some theaters also have a summer deals where kids' movies are only a dollar to see.
Set up a nature scavenger hunt with things that are easily found outdoors, such as particular types of flowers or plants. This can be done in our backyard or at a park.
Lots of arts and crafts! Check out what I put in the kids’ Creativity Kit.
Help my kids plant a container garden. They'll get a hands-on approach to science and taking care of something while growing pretty flowers or tasty vegetables.
Have the kids put on a play for the grown-ups. They can pick a story from one of their books to act out, or better yet, write their own (with a little help). They can find costumes and props from around the house. Then they can reenact their story for me and my husband, or for friends and neighbors.
Go camping indoors. We'll throw a bedsheet over a table and pretend we're camping outside under the stars, and then I'll help them make s'mores in the microwave as we sing campfire songs.

Explore Summer Holidays and History Days with the Kids

SusanR — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 12:43:07 GMT

It’s fun to have something to celebrate! Kids know that more than anyone. And parents can make every day this summer an occasion to celebrate and learn—because according to at least one website, every day is a holiday.

For example, July 14 is Bastille Day. Tell the kids about the basics of the French Revolution, and give them a snack of baguette with dark chocolate or Nutella, a favorite after school snack of French kids.

July 26 is Mozart’s birthday! Well, Franz Mozart’s. He was Wolfgang Amadeus’s son and not the genius his dad was. Listen to one of his piano quartets and compare it to one of his father’s.

August 17 is National Thrift Shop Day, so it might be a good opportunity to support the local thrift store. Take a field trip there and let the kids pick out wacky clothes and accessories, then go home and play dress-up. Come up with an alter ego for certain outfits and have fun just pretending.

Parents can also put an educational spin on this idea by looking at historical events for each day of summer. For a list of historical events, visit URL.

Make a Summer Creativity Kit

SusanR — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 17:11:00 GMT

In summers past, it wasn’t uncommon for my kids to be bored and whining while I was in the middle of doing something and couldn’t entertain them.

For this summer, I’ve made a creativity kit with all kinds of fun arts and crafts supplies inside. The kit is made from an empty Styrofoam cooler, big enough to hold all of the goodies. Kids can decorate the cooler with markers, put their names on it, or to make it look like a pirate’s treasure chest, or whatever they want.

Inside I have markers, colored pencils, regular pencils, sidewalk chalk, crayons, pens, a couple of smocks, watercolors, paint, paintbrushes, finger paints, erasers, a ruler, pairs of safety scissors, pieces of felt in various colors, construction paper, printer paper, newspaper, paper plates, craft sticks, pom-poms, pipe cleaners, glue sticks, tape, glitter, stickers, yarn, and wiggle eyes.

Kids can pull out their creativity kit whenever they are bored, or when they are feeling artistically inclined. I’ll give them suggestions when I can; for example, one day I might suggest, “Hey, draw a self-portrait.” Another day I might say, “I’ll show you how to make a hat out of a newspaper!” Or “Pretend you’re the king/queen of your own country and design your country’s flag!” It’s hard to go wrong with an open-ended kit like this one.

TV-Free Activities for Summer Break

SusanR — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 13:05:13 GMT

Sometimes it seems like my kids would watch TV all day, every day, if I let them. Last summer, to prevent that from happening, I instituted a no-TV policy after 3 p.m. The kids whined and complained when I told them what I'd decided, but I promised them they wouldn't be bored--and I was right. Here are five things we did to fill up the long summer afternoons:

We played dress-up. I pulled out old Halloween costumes, out-of-style clothing I hadn't worn in ages, and all my hats and scarves and let my kids see what they could come up with. The photos were priceless.
I taught my kids how to crochet. My son didn't like the sound of this at first, but I showed him the cool stuff he could make all on his own, like a scarf in his favorite color, and pointed out that there are plenty of men out there who crochet and knit. This won him over. A book of creepy crochet creatures including ninjas and zombies inspired him to improve his skills beyond simple scarves.
We wrote letters to pen-pals and family members. I picked up some fun stationery, markers, and stickers and we had a letter-writing party.
We read books. I'm lucky enough that my kids are bookworms, but if they weren't, I'd find a topic they were interested in (firefighters, princesses, etc.) and read a book about it to them. Audiobooks are also a good stepping stone for kids who don't like to read.

Trying Out a Staycation With My Kids

SusanR — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 14:22:51 GMT

Staycations are perfect for families on a budget--and for families who find it difficult to travel with young ones.

Last summer, my family tried out a week-long staycation. At first, my kids weren't particularly excited about it--the idea of spending a week at home with the parents sounded suspiciously like being grounded--but after a couple of days, they saw that it could be a lot of fun.

We went letterboxing; checked out a local farm, where the kids got to pick their own strawberries; made a kid-friendly dinner as a family, with strawberry pie for dessert; visited a nearby petting zoo; and explored a regional park we'd never been to. And that was just the first three days!

Another idea I'd recommend is taking the kids to a local sports game. Minor league baseball, for example, is a lot of fun to watch and much less expensive to attend than a major league game.

One thing we didn't do that I would like to do next time is to pretend we are tourists in our hometown. We could find new places where we could go sightseeing, shop at different shops from our usual ones, and try new restaurants, all while looking at our town through the eyes of a tourist. The kids might get a whole new appreciation for their area!

Save It For a Rainy Day

SusanR — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 19:56:52 GMT

It's pouring outside, and the kids are restless. What's a parent to do?

I’ve found a few indoor activities that work well for my kids on those summer rainy days. Some were popular enough with the kids that they begged to do them again on sunny days!

Here are some of the our old-fashioned favorites:

• Imagination: My kids have vivid imaginations, so every once in a while we have a "Pretend Day." They'll make a fort out of bedsheets and the kitchen table and pretend they're in a castle, or I'll give them a big cardboard box with a hole cut out of the front and they'll pretend they are starring in their own TV show.

• Baking: With plenty of supervision, this can make for some tasty fun. When we make cookies my daughter mixes up the ingredients with a wooden spoon, and my son uses cookie cutters to cut out shapes in the dough. All of us frost and decorate the cookies together. Healthy alternatives include bran muffins or whole-wheat waffles.

• Board games: This isn't exactly an original option, but it's a timeless one. Get the family together and play classic board games, like dominoes or checkers. A way to step things up is to encourage the kids to make their own board game. It can be as simple as decorating a deck of cards (as my youngest did), or it can be more complex, like creating a set of Bingo boards.

Having Fun While Doing Good

SusanR — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 20:22:30 GMT

When I was young, I always looked forward to the summer for a number of reasons. It was great to have time off from school, of course, but I also looked forward to volunteering with my family through my church.

We would all pile into the church bus once a week and head to a retirement community or nursing home, and we'd just spend time with the men and women there. I had a lot of fun listening to the elderly folks' stories. They, too, were delighted to have someone to talk to.

A great way to spend time with the kids this summer is to volunteer together. There are so many different ways to do this that there's certain to be an activity for every family to enjoy. Here are a few ideas:

• Some organizations host races or walks for a good cause--for example, a 5k run to raise awareness of Alzheimer's, or a 3-mile walk to support breast cancer research. Kids can volunteer to hand out water to the runners or walkers, or they can help clean up trash on the route with the aid of a parent.
• Volunteer at an animal shelter. This is something else that I did with my parents when I was young, and it was so much fun to play with the cats and dogs and help take care of them.
• For kids with a green thumb, it can be enjoyable to assist with a community garden. Children can learn about the science of plants while removing weeds and planting seeds.
• Certain volunteer groups donate blankets to kids in need. Kids can help by learning to make a no-sew fleece blanket to donate, or they can assist the organization with distribution and sorting of the blankets.

For more volunteering opportunities for kids, I recommend searching All for Good.

Starting Summer with Safety in Mind

SusanR — Tue, 29 May 2012 19:13:58 GMT

Safety is always a concern for parents. This is especially true during the summer months, when kids are running around outside and generally being more active than normal. Last year, I decided to make a "Summer Safety Kit." The grab-and-go kit was convenient to use, so I’ll restock it for this summer.

I picked up a cool plastic lunch box to use as a container (it’s also a good use for one that’s been outgrown) and filled it with the following items:

• Alcohol swabs
• Antibacterial hand cleanser
• Cold pack
• Cotton swabs and cotton balls
• Emergency phone numbers
• Insect repellent
• Plastic adhesive bandages in a variety of sizes
• Small pair of scissors
• Sterile gauze and wipes
• Sunblock
• Tweezers
• Whistle

I keep these common sense tips in mind when the kids are playing outdoors:

Do a tick check every night. Insect repellents with DEET can reduce the chance of tick bites, but use it sparingly on kids, because it can be toxic. Stick to repellents with 20 percent concentrations of DEET.

Light-colored clothing is cooler and makes it easier to see bugs--like ticks--on the kids. When playing outdoors, close-toed shoes are best. And too-loose clothing can catch on playground equipment, so be careful.

Never leave kids unattended in a pool. Ever.

Helmets and pads should be worn when kids are biking, rollerskating, or skateboarding. Make sure the helmet fits properly and isn't too snug or too loose.

Sunblock is important even on cloudy days, because the sun's UVA and UVB rays can penetrate through the clouds. Apply SPF 30+ sunblock around 15-30 minutes before heading outside.

Stay hydrated! Kids are more prone to heat-related illnesses than adults are, so keep water on hand whenever they are playing outdoors. Take a breather during the hottest part of the day, too.

Spring Break with the Kids – Letterboxing

SusanR — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:29:35 GMT

Spring break is a great time to do a test run for summer activities. The kids are out of school and ready for some fun. If you're not traveling for spring break, why not try a close-to-home adventure?

I thought it would be fun to try letterboxing. Friends who’ve done it told me that it is a mix of treasure hunting, rubber stamping, and orienteering -- great for kids and families. I was certainly intrigued!

Basically, letterboxers follow treasure map-style clues to find hidden "treasure," usually located in a park or other natural area. The “treasure chest” is a letterbox, a Tupperware container holding a blank journal and a rubber stamp. Letterboxers come prepared with their own blank journal and personalized rubber stamp, and when they discover the letterbox, they stamp their stamp into the letterbox's journal, and the letterbox's stamp into their own journal.

What's so great about this hobby is that it rolls so many kid-friendly activities into one. What child doesn't love treasure hunting? It’s great to pretend to be pirate or feel like a Sherlock Holmes. Crafty children love picking out their own personal rubber stamp as a kind of avatar.

Puzzling out the treasure map-style clues is a great way to exercise the brain while having fun. You can find clues on the Letterboxing North America website, ranging from the straightforward (great for younger children) to the tricky (ideal for older kids). Once the kids have the hang of finding letterboxes, they can exercise their creativity by making a letterbox themselves and planting it.

There are nearly 40,000 letterboxes scattered all over North America, so there's bound to be one nearby. A number of indoor letterboxes, located at museums and other public places, are available, so even if the weather this spring break turns out to be chilly, letterboxing is still an option!

Thinking Ahead About the Kids' Summer

SusanR — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:15:07 GMT

The other day a friend mentioned to me that she was starting to think about summer plans for her children. It’s only February, but I know I need to start thinking too.

Registration for many summer camps is starting, and local parenting magazines at the pediatrician's office and other places kids go are filled with ads. Now is the time to think about what your kids will be doing this summer.

There's a lot to consider: camp or no camp? If you choose a camp, will it be day or sleep-away? What about type--academic, religious, technology, sports? If you opt not to enroll your kids in camp, how will you keep them busy and learning? If they will be going, it does take some planning ahead.

First, collect information about summer activities you are interested in. Browse the local parenting magazines and rec center schedules for ideas; gather brochures for summer camps and enrichment classes; and ask your friends, neighbors, or coworkers what their families do during the summer break.

Next, decide what you can reasonably afford. Camp doesn't have to break the budget, but some are incredibly pricey. There are many summer activities other than camp that don't cost a thing—I’ll be posting ideas and projects throughout the spring and summer.

Talk to your kids to get their input. Of course, you as a parent will ultimately decide, but it's good to know if your daughter really has her heart set on soccer camp instead of basketball, or if your son has an interest in learning to play the guitar.

Finally, make your selection, and do it soon. Registration is open for a lot of camps now, and some fill up fast.

Whether or not camp is part of this summer’s plans for your kids, you might want to have a few projects or hobbies in your back pocket to help fill the days when there’s nothing to do. Even kids who do go to camp will still have some number of camp-free weeks during the summer. They too will be looking for things to do.

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TabUp — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 20:41:16 GMT

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