Keeping your children entertained during the long summer
holidays needn't mean trips out to expensive theme parks or play parks.
Invite a couple of the children's friends over to play
and try some of these ideas to keep the kids happy in the summer sun. Here is how we spent our day today. See my knee!?
Sports day
Hold a mini sports day if you have 3 or more children
playing at your house. Whilst it will involve some participation from you in
order to referee the races, it will keep the kids entertained and they will be
safe playing in your garden. Try simple running races if your garden is big
enough, or popular sports day races such as the egg and spoon race or perhaps a
space hopper race if you have them.
Games table
If you have a games table such as air hockey or table
football (or foosball as it can be known) try getting the kids to set up a mini
tournament if there a few of them. Give them a timer and let them time each
match for 5 minutes. A tip from football table specialists Liberty Games - a pad of paper and a pencil or maybe a chalkboard if you have
one will allow them to keep score. They can keep score either by counting the
number of goals each person scored in the 5 minutes or by a simple win or lose
each match method.
Obstacle course
Another fun thing for kids to try is an obstacle course
which you can either set up for them or they can set up themselves. If they
want to get competitive then bring the timer out again and they can do time
trials and see who can do the course in the quickest time. Use things like
garden chairs back to back to make a tunnel to crawl under, garden canes to
mark out paths, or to place across chairs to make hurdles. Be creative and use
your garden and play equipment and see what obstacles you or the children can
create.
Water pistols
On a hot and sunny day, a great way to cool off as well
as to have fun is to play with water pistols or super soakers. Give the
children a bucket or two of water to keep in the garden so they can fill up
their water pistols quickly and easily and then let them loose to run around
the garden and squirt each other.
Picnic in a tent
When you want the children to have a bit of quiet time or
to stay out of the sun while it is at its hottest, why not suggest that they
help you make a picnic for them which they can then eat outside in either a
tent if you have one, or you can create a make-shift tent that will create some
shade for them to sit under by draping a blanket or sheet across some chairs.
Handsome and Goddess ask to do this all the time. We used to have a very large tent that we put in the family room and would pick food that they can help make such as mini sandwiches or fruit kebabs. They would eat, watch TV, play with their stuff animals and even sleep in there sometimes.
These are really fun and inventive ideas to keep little one's busy during the Summer. I especially like the Obstacle Course & Picnic in a Tent suggestions. I'm going to have to set aside time to do some of these things with my granddaughters. Thanks :)
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