Summer time is brilliant. Not only is it the perfect time to wear cute outfits and get a tan, but the gorgeous weather means it’s the perfect time to play with your children, too. Forget miserable days, and fights over putting on coats and wellies — there’s something about sunshine and Summer that make days go flawlessly, so grab your children, and test out my top 7 ways to entertain your kids this Summer.
Whatever age your children are, they will love playing with water! Younger children will enjoy learning about water and its qualities, so something as simple as seeing what floats and what doesn’t can provide hours of entertainment. Older children will love to compete in a water fight, or take water play to a higher level. To keep everyone happy, try taking some remote controlled boats to float on a pond or in a bowl in your garden. Race to the other side!
Invest in some spades, trowels and seeds, and let your children plant some vegetables. Whether you grow carrots, potatoes or anything else, your children will be learning about how things grow, and you can even plan activities around watching the plants grow, photographing daily progress, and writing a gardening diary. Your children might even eat what they grew!
Grab a small plastic table and chairs, and some plastic bowls and cutlery. Then let your kids make mud pies, using leaves, petals and mud to create masterpieces. Take it in turns to be served your meal, and get your hands dirty! It’s great fun, and good for motor development too.
Find a pond or field and pack a picnic! If it is a distance away, try riding your bikes there, and spending some time enjoying good food in nature. Make sure you take plenty of fluids if it’s a hot day, and consider taking a football or bubbles to keep the children entertained. A cheap but fun day out!
Don’t be fooled that little girls won’t like this, I can guarantee they will love it too. Invest in some inexpensive remote control cars, and create a track in the garden. Create moats, jumps and crash sites, and have races around! The cars will need a good clean afterwards, and the children might too, but they’ll have a whale of a time and learn about speed and direction, too.
Plan out all the playgrounds within a 10 mile radius of your house (or a distance that works for you) and make a plan to visit them all. Then find inventive ways of getting there… the furthest away? Catch a bus, and count the number of blue cars you see. The closest? Walk your dog. Make the walk part of the fun, and have an energetic day out. Who says you're too old for the slide?
Take a trip to the local library, and let your children explore the huge range of childrens books while you look at some easy recipes. Then go home, and put them to practice. Make new foods, and throw a ‘party’ to try them all in the garden. Decorate the tables, put on your party clothes and make banners, even if it's just a family party.
I love Summer! Playing with my little sisters or taking my nephews out, there’s something really invigorating about forgetting about the rules and just having fun with the little ones. Plus you’ll burn easy calories, and have a relaxing night when they go to sleep, too! Have you got an activity planned that’s perfect for keeping kids entertained? Please share it with me!
Top Photo Credit: JennKstep