Anti-Boredom Summer Schedule

Summer

Summer can be a blast but without a schedule or fun things planned, boredom can kick in and cause kids to act out.SomeWhatSimple.com came up with a “Summer Schedule For Kids” that gives parents theme days throughout the week. Here are some great ways to keep your child entertained throughout the summer while learning and practicing important skills.Safety Sunday: This day can be as simple as teaching your child their full name, mom & dad’s name, phone number, and address in case they get lost or need it during an emergency. Other safety rules can be taught on this day as well including pool/water safety, identifying choking hazards, and learning to cross the street.Make Something Monday: This day is simple… Make something! You can plant a garden, start a summer scrapbook, or even build a fort or tree house in your back yard. Outline what is needed and think about the steps involved.  If it will take more then a day, plan it out and try to recruit others to get involved.Time to Read Tuesday: Take time to visit your local library or join a book club. You can even read a storybook to your kids and have them come up with an ending of their own and act it out.What’s Cooking? Wednesday: Mom & dad at work? Have the kids plan out an easy dinner that doesn’t require a lot of work for when you get home. A picnic in the backyard with fresh lemonade or even an easy BBQ with fruits & veggies could do the trick. Look at cookbooks to get a visual of what it should “look like” to help them get a mental image of the end product.Thoughtful Thursday: This is a great day to start implementing chores. It can be as simple as feeding the family dog or cat for the little ones or washing the cars for teens. You can also give back to your community on this day by volunteering at a local food bank or animal shelter.  All kids need to learn to be responsible, work as a team and think about others.Somewhere Fun Friday: Kids get cabin fever so find a great activity for kids to do that is out of the house. It can be extravagant like taking them out to a baseball game or an amusement park or as simple as going to an ice cream shop, park, or to their friend’s house for a play date.Social Skills Saturday: Practice social skills within your family. You can practice making facial expressions so your child can guess what you are feeling or even practice listening skills by only responding with nonverbal communication while telling a story.