Weekly thread: Tips for Summer Play
I love the extra downtime that comes with summer, but it can be …. challenging with kids, too. So today I want to hear your ideas/hacks for summer play. What keeps your kids happy and entertained on long summer days?
A few years ago, my husband bought a big plastic tarp, cut it so it was about ten feet wide and 40 feet long, and set it up in our backyard with a sprinkler as a slip ‘n slide (Pro tip: wet the grass underneath before setting it out to prevent it from dying.) We continue to use it regularly, and it’s way more fun than a regular small slip ‘n slide.
Another thing my 8-year-old loves is sidewalk chalk. She’ll spend hours drawing on our patio.
What do your kids love doing in the summer? What do you suggest for parents who might be looking for new ways to keep their kids occupied (er, I mean happy)? Share in the comments!
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I was looking for a way to get my 4yo kid excited about spending time with a new sitter, so I froze some of his Legos in ice (with consent) and told him that he could “rescue” them with her later, using his toy hammer. This was surprisingly delightful for him--he asked to do it, with her (!), the next day too. We upped the ante at his birthday by freezing animal toys in the big cubes I used to use for fancy drinks when I was still cool, then putting out a water table and calling that the “zoo.” The kids had to “rescue” and then deliver the animals to the zoo, solo or in sibling teams. It kept everyone cooled off and engaged, then they took “their” toy home in lieu of a big gift bag. Plus as a teacher I was secretly tickled to hear them all talking about their strategies -- hammer, slamming them against stuff, leaving them on a hot table in the sun, and realizing that the warm water at the water table would melt it all with the least effort. Keeping kids from destroying each other/my house, in the name of science: a very small win during a very long summer so far!
Our daughter turns 2 next month and over the long holiday weekend we had 2 days planned where we were away from home all day without the promise of a nap. One of those days she was the only child (aside from our infant who mostly eats and sleeps at this point) and my boss was in attendance so my kid being occupied was not a given and also something I desperately wanted to happen.
Enter: a spray bottle. With water. That’s it. I labeled it “Virginia’s Outside Only Water Bottle” so adults would know she wasn’t allowed inside with it. She walked around spraying things- plants, the ground, a patio door, sometimes other people which was refreshing on a hot day and an opportunity for some playful banter, but she spent most of the time spraying it into her own mouth- hydration bonus!