School’s out, summer’s in! While summer is a great time for outdoor fun, it can be a challenge to keep your kiddos entertained the whole time. Here are some simple, spontaneous activities you can try this summer.
Bring out your inner explorer
Take a family walk to a nearby trail or park and see if you can find any interesting artifacts, rocks or fossils. Look up the most common birds in your area and see if you can spot them on your adventure! If your kiddos are a little on the younger side, you can try asking them to be on the look out for certain colours, shapes or sounds. This activity not only gets the kids out of the house for some nature time but also helps spark their curiosity about the environment around them.
Tiny entrepreneurs
Teaching your little ones entrepreneurial skills through setting up a classic summer lemonade stand can be an exciting and educational experience. Starting with making the lemonade to designing their stand and handling the money for their first-ever small business, your kiddos will be learning a lot of valuable lessons while also having fun. Not a fan of lemonade? Try a bake sale, craft fair, or popsicle pop-up!
At-home camping
While camping can be a lot of fun, it’s not always possible to drive out to campgrounds and they may not always be cost-effective. Plus, those spots get filled up so fast!
Why not try camping in your backyard, balcony, or even your living room instead? This can also be a great opportunity to give your little ones a preview of the camping experience if they’ve never been before. Pull out some blankets, pillows, chairs, and flashlights. Create a fort or make-shift tent and enjoy camping from the comfort of your own home!
Tie-dye bonanza
Add a bit of creativity to your summer with a day of tie-dye. Take a look through your closet and see if you have any out-of-use light coloured clothing lying around that could use a refresh! While tie-dye works best with white clothing, it can be cool to try experimenting with clothes that are different colours. This can help teach your little ones the art of mixing colours to make new ones!
Start by grabbing some rubber bands or string and twisting or crumpling your chosen clothing item in various places to section them off. This will help create the iconic crinkled designs that you’ll notice in tie-dyed clothing. And if you don’t have clothing dye at home, food colouring can work as an alternative. Just keep in mind that food colouring may not give you as vibrant of a result as regular dye.
Little chefs
As parents, you know that kids can be curious little beings. The kitchen can be a great place to encourage their curious minds by exploring how food is prepared, various flavours they enjoy, and smells that make them extra hungry!
Try asking them to take on the role of chef for snack time. If you’re looking for a simple recipe, check out this Probiotic Whipped Cream featuring Orange Naturals Kids Probiotic Powder. Simply top it on some frozen yogurt or ice cream for a healthy summer snack!
Family art exhibit
While everyone may not be an artist, hosting an end-of-summer family art exhibit can be a fun way to get some creative juices flowing during these next few months. Each member of the family can create as many pieces as they want, using materials they find around the house.
You can choose a central theme to help narrow down your exhibit or leave it completely open. When the day comes, set up the pieces around the house and each artist can present their pieces one by one.
Summer vacation may not always go according to plan. But having these easy, spontaneous, and fun activities in hand can help keep your little ones engaged even when plans change. Happy summer vacation!
