4 Activity Ideas for Summer Break

4 Activity Ideas for Summer Break

Just because it’s summertime doesn’t mean that kids should spend their time away from school staring at the television.  Going brain-dead isn’t anyone’s idea of how to spend summer break.

Kids should be able to enjoy their break from studies while still practicing healthy habits and filling their time with worthwhile activities.

Here are some of the best ideas for activities to keep your kids busy this summer while keeping their minds active.

Volunteer

One of the most important values that you can pass on and instill in your children is the importance of compassion and helping others.  It’s one thing to tell your children to help those less fortunate than them, and it’s another thing to act on it.

Encouraging your children to volunteer for a cause is a great way to give them a dose of the real world and teach them compassion.  Through doing service for others, they’ll be more likely to grow into less privileged adults who are grateful for what they have.

Even though they may groan about it initially, usually kids realize that it’s not only fun volunteering, but the rush of good feelings that accompany volunteer work can be downright addictive.

Grow a Garden

When the sun is shining, and the weather is clear, it’s a great time to grow a garden!  Whether you have an apartment or a big backyard you can still create a garden of plants of your choice.

You can create a vegetable garden in your backyard using seeds purchased from the store and watch them grow as the summer months progress.  Your kids will learn to take care of the watering and fertilizing and be overjoyed when the vegetables finally grow!

If you don’t have a backyard, you can grow flowers or herbs on your windowsill.  Nurturing and caring for your indoor or outdoor garden encourages your children’s sense of responsibility.

Take Swimming Lessons

If your little one doesn’t know how to swim yet, it may be a great idea to teach them sooner than later.  Since summer is often packed full of water activities from pools to the beach, it’s essential that they know how to swim.

Signing up for a swim class at the local swimming pool can be a great way to expel energy while learning an important life skill.

Join a Book Club

If your child has begun learning to read, the summer months have the potential to be a great time to improve their reading skills.

Joining a book club encourages them to follow along with a story and interact with others about their interpretation of the plot!  You can take turns reading to each other and help them with any parts of the story that they don’t understand.