fun for kids

What do you Feel?

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With this activity, your children are going to be using their sense of feel to figure out what different objects are when they are blindfolded. You can create different themes to play this game (items from nature or the kitchen) or mix things up for a game that is a bit harder.

All you need for this activity is a blindfold and many different objects that are different shapes, sizes and textures. The children have to wear the blindfold and try and guess what they are holding by touch alone.

Examples of items to use from nature:

* Pinecones
* Moss
* Flower (all different kinds)
* Blades of grass
* Leaf
* Stones
* Dandelion seeds

Examples of items to use from the kitchen:

* Sponges or washcloths
* Potato or other textured vegetable
* Pineapple or other piece of fruit that won’t be damaged easily
* Soap in a container, have a cloth handy to wipe their hands with afterwards
* Measuring spoons

You can set-up different stations for the children to go to or having everything laid out on one table. A variation on this activity is to use the sense of smell instead of touch. Still use the blind fold but use items that have a distinct odor to see if the children can guess what the item is. Spices such as cinnamon and pepper are easy to identify.

You can set up different tables where different senses have to be used at each table. A touching table, a smelling table, and a tasting table. The tasting table can be fun, but if you are playing with children that are not your own make sure you are aware of any allergies that they may have.

Also, don’t put anything out that a child strongly dislikes it will prevent them from wanting to play the game again.

Summer Memory Jars

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Instead of keeping a journal or starting a scrap book a child may be interested in making their own memory jar from the summer. If all the memories will not fit into one jar, they may want to make several for special days or outings that happened during the summer break.

What you will need is a large clear glass jar with a lid. This can be used from an empty pickle jar or other food container that is empty and has been cleaned out. If you are having trouble getting the entire label off, you can use nail polish remover to dissolve the glue and paper that is still stuck.

Have the child collect small mementos or other meaningful objects that will fit inside a jar. They can be photographs, a special rock found, something they made, a friendship bracelet, the options are really only limited to their imagination. A good example for a day trip memory jar is one from the beach. Fill the bottom part of the jar with sand or pebbles that were collected from the beach, add in some shells and other interesting finds.

Take a picture of your child at the beach and they can use it as a backdrop for the items.

As time goes on the children may want to open their jars and rearrange them and as long as they are careful with the glass that is fine. Put up a shelf in their room and they can have a collection of memory jars. Put a label on the top of the jar with the date or date range and the location of where the items were collected. These can be kept for years as a lasting reminder of the fun they had growing up and going to special places with mom and dad.

Gardening for Kids

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Here is a summer activity that can last the entire summer. Helping the kids grow their own garden is fun and they will be able to reap the benefits before school starts again by harvesting their own vegetables.

This activity will require some pre-planning and most likely should be started before school is out. The best way to start a garden for children is to germinate the seeds indoors. After it is decided what type of vegetables to grow, get the plants ready inside so they have a better chance of success when they are moved to the outdoors.

Beans, radishes, and carrots are all easy vegetables to grow. Strawberries are a popular alternative to vegetables and are also considered an easy plant to take care of. Have the children make home-made row markers for their vegetable garden using paper and Popsicle sticks. You can have the pictures laminated or do-it-yourself with some clear packing tape to protect them from rain.

Make the garden the child’s responsibility, if there is already a garden plot in your yard give them a section to call their own. Most children can be in charge of their own weeding and watering. This is another good activity that fosters independence and will give the children a sense of accomplishment come the end of the summer – eating vegetables that they grew themselves in their own backyard.

If fruit and vegetables do not interest your child, try a different kind of plant. Growing sunflowers is very rewarding. They can grow up to 8-12 feet tall and the seeds are edible. Or go to the garden center together and let them pick out a small plant or seeds that they want to take care of for the summer or maybe for longer if they pick a perennial plant.

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