Summer Activities to Keep Them Busy

Warm weather has come! School will letting out for the summer before we know it, leaving us with some bored children searching for things to do to keep them occupied. With two sons with ADHD, it is important not only for their sanity but also my own and everyone else’s that I keep them busy with things to do.

I thought I could list some of our favorite things to do here and then maybe some of my creative friends could give us some of their wonderful ideas.

My children love to have water fights. The beauty of it is that they also get their frustrations out with one another without anyone getting hurt in the process. Typically, I fill a large bucket with water and set it out in the yard, setting them free to run and chase one another with water guns, spray bottles, cups, just about anything that holds water. Occasionally, we add water balloons to the equation. However, these do not always bust when thrown. It is funny to watch as they throw the balloons over and over again, especially when eventually it pops when they least expect it and they wind up soaking themselves rather than a sibling. This is a wonderful way to cool off on a hot day. It gives them something to do and wears them out good for bedtime, too.

What child does not love an adventure? Why not take them for a walk? Exploring Mother Earth and all her creation can make a lovely lifelong memory for your child. Keep in mind that they remember these moments into adulthood.

Let them help you plant a garden. A small herb or flower garden will do. Children love to make things grow, and they learn how to grow food for themselves in the future. Give them a carrot and they can eat. Teach them to plant a carrot and they can eat for a lifetime!

Teach them to play the games that you played as a child. Believe it or not, your children are quite interested in the things that you did when you were little.

Teach them to cook. Here, you are killing two birds with one stone. You are preparing a meal and teaching them something that will stay with them their entire loves. Some of my older children’s fondest memories have been made in the kitchen while making French bread pizza.

It’s never too early to start planning your decorations for the holidays. Kids love doing crafty things. Set them at the table with paper, markers, crayons, scissors, colored pencils, watercolors, glue, popsicle sticks, some of those pine cones they collected while out adventuring, glitter, anything and everything you can find to get their little minds and hands working and let them go to it. Don’t be afraid to jump in and play, too. They love to watch you and learn how you do things. One day they will be teaching your grandkids these same things!

Get busy! Watching movies and playing video games can get old pretty quick. Want lazy kids? Set them in front of the television all day. Want your children to know how to live and learn to love to work through enjoying the fruits of their labor? Get them active, keep them busy and teach them.

Any of your ideas are also very much appreciated. Enjoy this beautiful weather!