KimsKorner: Fun in the summer
Jun. 14—Summertime, what a fun time! For those of you not getting to go on a vacation or are taking a late vacation, I found many things that your child can do from various age groups, that sound fun and most of them seem pretty easy. I found this site from Unicef — https://www.unicefkidpower.org/summer-activities-kids/ and picked out some of the ones I felt you could do in our area. I only have about one-half of the list here today, I will give you the rest next week, or you can go to the website yourself.
DIY sponge balls. This is a fantastic homemade game or yard toss. Buy some fun-looking sponges or use what you got! Drench them in water and soap and get ready to be soaked in the hot summer fun!
Paper plate horseshoes. Cutting off the outside of paper plates, have your kids paint them and toss them around a grounded paper towel roll! This is a great kids' summer activity or game for a rainy day.
Plant flowers or vegetables. Use the summer to teach your kids how to plant! Plant flowers or vegetables in your flower bed or in a pot by your home. They can water it every day and watch them bloom!
Go to the farmer's market. You don't have to travel far to open up your kids' worlds. Going to your local farmer's market can be a fun outing as well as a way for showing them all of the different and colorful foods!
Dig for fossils. Parents, this will mean you'll have to prep, but the fun your kids will have is a lasting effect. Bury different items in dirt-filled shoeboxes and have your kids discover different items!
Egg drop. Obtain a set of eggs you don't mind wasting and have your kids come up with inventive ways to secure and protect and egg so that when you drop it from a window it does not break. This can include placing the egg inside a shoebox filled with foam, or any of other creative method out there.
Plant a butterfly garden. There are over 750 types of species of butterflies, and you can attract all kinds to your garden with these. A list of flowers to start out will feed the attraction, as well as having an organic one. Gardening is a great summer activity that kids can learn and enjoy from!
Go hiking. Pick an easy hiking trail to do with your kids first and then weekly, during the summer, you can choose a more advanced trail. Look up your local parks or trails to see what your area has to offer.
Take an early morning/late night walk. Right when you wake up, take a walk while pushing your kids, before the real heat begins. You could also do a pajama walk right before bed. Either way, you kids will be relaxed on this awesome summer activity!
Blow bubbles. Whether it's with a bubble machine for $5 or a single set of bubbles to blow out of, bubbles lighten the mood and do wonders for entertainment. Younger kids will enjoy running through them or blowing them!
Fly a kite. Pick a clear area to run and fly a kite of your choice. Flying a kite teaches your kids patience and coordination. A plus is that they are pretty to watch high in the sky, with a bright sun, during a fun summer day!
Color changing flowers. Obtain glasses to hold one flower at a time. After pouring them half full of water, put a couple drops of different dye colors in each. Each glass should have a white flower inside. Slowly, they will begin to change!
Craft with pipe cleaners. By simply taking different color of pipe cleaners and fluff balls, you can create different creatures. This includes bugs, butterflies, animals, etc. Let your inventive kids take the reins on this one
Glow in the Dark Bowling https://www.kixcereal.com/
Glow sticks are the secret behind this nighttime game that the kids will love! It's perfect for summertime fun and great for a family camping trip. However, you don't have to reserve this fun glowing game for summer, it's great for indoor fun as well. Are you hosting a slumber party or having a few friends over to spend the night? Turn off all the lights and enjoy a fun game of indoor bowling!
Aside from some plastic water bottles and glow sticks, you'll need a good sturdy ball, like a soccer ball, to bowl down your glow-in-the-dark pins. You can find glow sticks in the party aisle at discount department stores, or check your local dollar store.
Glow in the Dark Bowling by Amanda Formaro for KixCereal.com
Parents, you will need:
10 water bottles
10 glow sticks in a variety of colors
Soccer ball
Remove any labels from your water bottles. If water bottles are new and still contain water, pour out a little off the top to allow for the glow stick you'll be adding.
Crack the glow sticks to activate them (according to package directions) and drop one glow stick in each bottle. Replace the lid on the bottle securely.
Line bottles up like bowling pins. The back row should have 4 pins, the next row will have 3, next 2, and finally 1 at the front.
To keep the game fair, especially if you have a range of ages playing, set a distance for each age group. Smaller children are allowed to stand closer to the pins while older kids that need more of a challenge should stand farther back.
Glow in the Dark Bowling is a fun game that can be played year round and will provide plenty of giggles and smiles.
Glowing jar project (http://frompankawithlove.blogspot.com/2012)
Ingredients
Mason jar
Glowing paint
Paintbrush
Some water
1. Wash your jar(s), and mix the paint with your brush to have the glowing particles evenly dissolved.
2. Make tiny dots in the inside of the jar. The more dots you make, the prettier the jar will look.
3. You're done. It's this easy. In daylight your jar won't look that fancy, but at night... it will make your room beautiful and cozy. Charge it with a lamp or with daylight and take it to a dark place!
It is early yet and I want to give you and your kids some time to enjoy the summer that can mostly be found in your own back yard, so to say. Have fun and enjoy some of these.
During the summer, it is my goal to possibly have things that will keep your kids from losing what they have learned through this year, whether it be virtual, in person, or a combination. With this school year being as unusual as it was, it was it will be important to keep your children's brain thinking some of the time. Seriously, think about it, you've all become good teachers by now and I'll just add some needed skills for different levels, so you don't have to look up things, just have them do them some different times this summer. God Bless you all and have a good week.
Let me know any ideas you have or what you would like to see and I'll get right on it for you. Email me at kjenkins@aimmediamidwest.com
Remember to be kind and love each other and continue to set a good example for our children. See you next week with new ideas and ways to help your children or ideas that may help you as you raise your children in some way.
Reach Kimberly Jenkins (740)353-3101 ext. 1928
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