Clinical Psychologist, Health Service Psychologist, a Board Certified Music Therapist, Dr. Bethany Cook shares her tips on summer activities with the kiddos:
- Around the World in Your Own Backyard- As a family decide several areas of the world you’d like to explore and travel to one day. Go online (with or without kids) and Google information about the location, finding out things like what activities do kids in that area do for fun, what snacks and foods are eaten by locals and what types of music do they listen to? Then plan an afternoon around a few objects/foods/feels you might get if you were actually there. An example would be if you wanted to go to China. Here are some great game ideas for the kids! Here is a recipe for a delicious snack version of chinese fried bread. Of course buying a box of pre packed snacks from your area of choice is always a sure win. Toys! Who doesn’t enjoy getting a new toy that is unique and novel? And finding the right music is always a must for the “travel” day. Chinese music is filled with history and beautiful, haunting melodies. Of course letting your kids hear what’s “hip” today is also fun as you can compare “pop sounds”.
- Epic S'mores- If this past year has taught me anything, it’s learning
how to look at the mundane and give it an upbeat make-over.
Summertime is usually filled with bbq’s and campfires which are perfect
for my next idea. Get your kids involved in creating the most
extreme, epic S’more ever!! Begin a fun brainstorming activity
of all the items that one could make a S’more from and then narrow down
the ingredients to a manageable list and let the creation begin!
Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Chocolate Graham crackers, strawberry marshmallows and
white chocolate.
- Vanilla wafer, medium sized marshmallow, Reeses Pieces
cup.
- Thin mint/Tag-a-long cookies, large marshmallow.
- Cinnamon Graham cracker, caramel marshmallow, dark
chocolate.
- Pass Along A Smile- Did you know smiles are contagious? When you see
a smile it’s hard to not smile back. So why not brighten up your
neighborhood? Grab the kids and go find some good painting rocks (or
buy a bag). You can use
acrylic paint or
paint pens which work well on rocks! If you’re feeling extra
creative why not add some eyes and nose to your smile. Then go on a
walk with the kids and place the rocks in places for neighbors to
see.
- Master a Recipe- Ask your child what recipe they would like to
learn/master over the summer. Depending on the age and skill level
of your little chef you want to pick a recipe that will taste good and NOT
be overly complicated. Below are a few recipes my kids and I enjoy making
over and over and over again.
- Pretzel
balls- These can be savory OR sweet! And if you wanna get
really fancy make a cheese dip to go with it or wrap your favorite hotdog
bite inside the ball!
- Chocolate
Pavlova- This stunning showstopper is actually quite simple to put
together AND it’s gluten free! The kids will love learning how to
separate eggs (let them do it in their hands!) and you can use the extra
yolks to whip up a delicious
ice cream!
- Mix
and Leave Pizza Dough- What family doesn’t love pizza!
How about a crispy pan pizza you can make at home? And how about a recipe
that you can leave in the fridge for up to a week!?! This is it! I always
double the recipe cause we are a “two pizza a week” household.
Don’t forget to add some garlic salt and onion powder to the dough for an
even more flavorful pizza experience!
- Have a Dance Party- Dance and music are essential to maintaining a healthy
mindset. Whether you dance with just your family, or invite
neighbors to the yard, starting a nightly routine of dancing to one to two
songs is a great way to bond with each other and create happy summertime
memories. Also, it’s a great way to shift the mood of the entire
family if needed. More importantly, when you ask your children to
pick which songs to dance to it empowers them and increases the likelihood
for positive participation. This can be every day, once a week or
“random times”.
