Family & Parenting Articles - 11 Awesome Ideas of Things To Do This Summer
Hold a family meeting where kids can choose an activity they are interested in. Older children can help younger children which can help siblings bond to each other and teach them respect for each other.
Some suggestions of what to do so children don't get bored and you don't pull your hair out:
1. Plan a picnic. If you don't have a park nearby or you don't have time to travel to a park have it in your backyard. Encourage children to plan the menu and help to shop for the necessary supplies. This is a great time to talk about nutrition, help them shop using a budget and teach them how to pack.
2. At the beginning of the summer plan to let each child make a scrapbook of everything they do this summer. Or get a journal to record their activities. This is a great time to help them learn how to declutter as they will learn to keep only the most important things, that keeping everything is not necessary or important. They can take photos for their scrapbook or draw pictures of each activity. Have a family night once a week where they can share their scrapbook with other family members.
3. Have someone decorate a jar and label it "Brag jar". When someone does something nice for someone else a family member can write down what the person did and put it in the brag jar. This will encourage your kids to do things for others. Make another jar with suggestions of things they can do for others. It sounds a lot better than "chore jar". Put fun things they can do for others in the jar as well as jobs.
4. Make a list of things children can do to earn money and put the amount of money they can earn for each job. Children always need money for this and that and it teaches them responsibility and accountability for money.
5. Plan the most outrageous "Staycation" (vacation at home) that your imagination can think of. Lonelyplanet.com/destinations/ has wonderful information about other countries where you can get ideas about your favorite place you want to travel to.
6. How about putting on a play? Have the children write the play, make the costumes, create the set and send out invitations.
7. Plan a couple of hours once a week to organize clutter. Help them go through their toys and down size. Take a look at their clothes in the drawers and in the closets and get rid of what they don't wear or have grown out of. Donate them to a charity or give to other children in your home that can wear them.
8. Set up a reading program to encourage reading. With the child set a goal of so many books they will read and give a prize when they have reached their goal. They could give an oral book review of their favorite book to the family after they have read 10 books or so many pages depending on the age of the child.
9. Learn how something works and then explain it to the family.
10. Assign a different child one night a week to cook, or a lunch to fix. Encourage them to try new recipes from a simple cookbook. There are wonderful, easy cook books for beginning cooks. Twice during the summer have them make a dish that they have created. Even if it is something as simple as putting nuts in a salad the family likes but it doesn't call for nuts.
11. Blow up balloons, put notes inside and hand them out to neighbors and friends. Blow up 100 water balloons and have a water balloon fight.
Letting children make summer plans at the beginning of the summer gets them thinking creatively, learning new things and helps make "I'm bored" obsolete.
Marilyn is a professional organizer and invites you to visit her website www.marilynbohn.com, She is a sought after public speaker and author who is passionate about teaching ways to organize your life and how to reduce clutter. She works with women in their homes and offices. On her web site she teaches you to get rid of clutter by using her Lights On Organizing System. She provides practical information on how to declutter your home, office and life. In her blogs, articles, and videos she gives timely tips on how to clear clutter and how to declutter everything in your home and office. She is the author of a book called Go Organize! Conquer clutter in three simple steps which will be in major bookstores in December 2009.
Related Tags: clutter control, how to declutter, professional organizer, getting rid of clutter, clearing, clearing the clutter, reduce clutter, clear your clutter
Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Be Your Self Improvement Leader By Getting Organized
Being organized isn't hard to do because it only needs a matter of self discipline, patience and a p - Four Points To Consider When Choosing A Shed Plan
So you've decided to build a storage shed to get rid of all the clutter in the basement and garage, - Dry Erase Wall Decals Are Amazing
Back to school season is officially upon us, and it's time to get the kids (or yourself!) all set to - Spring Cleaning: Organize Your Closet To Live Hip, Healthy & Sexy Over 40
For better or worse, we spend time in our closets everyday. The state of your closet and clothes can - 5 Ways To Be More Organized Without Organizing Anything!
1. Get sleep! - Ever notice how the world looks different after a solid 8 hours? Consistent quality - Home Improvement Articles - Tasteful Kitchen Cabinets Storage Solutions
Kitchen storage is one of the biggest problems for a homemaker. With all the pots, pans, dishes and - Family & Parenting Articles - 8 Must-Have Tips For Holiday Clutter Clearing
I like the song "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town". It is upbeat and happy and something I can sing alo - Business Articles - Turn your Unwanted Car into Cash
Have a car sitting around doing nothing? Why not turn it into cash and help America's children at th - The Beginners Guide To Stay Home Moms Club Organization
Establishing a Stay Home Moms Club in your area is just like planning any other event. The only diff - Advice Articles - The Way the Law of Attraction Can Have for You an Organized Home
The law of attraction broadly says that what you focus on and put your purpose on will manifest in y
Most viewed articles in this category:
- 6 Survival Tips On How to Be A Working Mom
Do you remember the first time you left the house just after your first child was born? There were s - Organize Paper at Home With These Tips to Manage & Reduce Paper Clutter
If one of your biggest home organization challenges is how to organize paper, maintain incoming pape - Why are Some Organizational Meetings So Drab?
Recently I attended a couple of organizational meetings where the families of the members were also - The Fear of Filing
If we are in a society of emails, online banking, e-invoicing, and SPAM, why in the world do we have - Pantry Pandemonium
Cindy is at Sam's Club shopping with her two youngest children. She loves Sam's Club because the - Eliminate Procrastination - Now - Short Article
We have all heard the adage, "We all get the same 24 hours," and still wonder how some people are ab - Get Organized For Growth
Getting organized is one of those tasks that come naturally to some people, and equally unnaturally - Clutter Control Patrol - Tips to Clear Clutter in Your Home
Who's guarding against clutter growth in your home? Do a clutter control patrol to take back your ho - Why Closet Organizers Could Help You
People accumulate a lot of junk around the house and the problem they often face is that they never - Chess, Soups and Life
What do chess and cooking have in common? Admittedly, not much. However, at the height of a hard-fou