Summer Fun for Kids of All Ages

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

15 Jul 2009 06:54 PM

A friend of mine has eight children ranging in age from 11 months (her adorable twin boys) to 11 years (her equally adorable daughter). Needless to say, finding a single activity that will please the entire lot of them at the same time is not an easy task. You can imagine what she goes through during the summer when they're all home together. To her credit she has come up with a few creative ways to keep them all content despite their difference in age.

Here are some of her favorite sanity savers:

FOR TODDLERS:

Purchase some plastic bins and fill them with inexpensive toddler-friendly things, such as empty paper towel rolls and toilet paper rolls. Toddlers can use them as makeshift kazoos and drumsticks. Fill another bin with old paintbrushes and cups of water, and then let them "paint" small toys, such as plastic animals or cars.

FOR PRESCHOOLERS:

Sun Board

Materials:

Cardboard

Yellow paint

Orange tissue paper

Yellow streamers

Gold glitter

Glue

Directions:

Paint the cardboard yellow.

Cut out a circle.

Crumple up little squares of tissue paper and glue to cover the circle.

Glue yellow streamers for the sun's rays and sprinkle glitter all over the circle to make sun shine.

Hang anywhere that needs a little brightening.

FOR TWEENS:

Tree Scavenger Hunt: Borrow a book from the library that features different trees and see how many your kids can find in your neighborhood. The person who identifies the most trees wins a prize.

Stage a Play: Suggest a few topics and have your kids stage a play about each. Have your kids work together to write it, act it out, and find appropriate props and costumes. When they are done, they can present the play to friends and family members.

Related Articles:

Summer Fun for Kids in the Great Outdoors

Super Summer Sanity Savers for Parents

Affordable Ways to Keep Kids Busy This Summer

Super Summer Fun for Kids

Edible Sand Castle and Other Summer Fun for Kids

Serious Summer Fun

Fun and Affordable Family Activities

Ways to Have Fun on a Budget

Family Fun for Less

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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