Top 5 Educational Summer Activities

With three months of summer to fill with activities, it can be challenging come up with answers when the kids state the inevitable “I’m bored”. It can be even more challenging to find enriching activities that engages kids minds, without boring them. Here are 5 ways to combat the “I’m bored” statement that are educational and fun.

1.  Nature Rubbings/Painting

This educational, yet fun activity will get your kids outside and exploring. Collect sticks, bark, flowers, leaves, etc. and bring them back home. Take a piece of paper and carefully place it over the item from nature. Take a crayon and rub it over the top of the piece of paper. The outline and texture of the item will appear. Taking this a step further, next has your students use the items from nature as their paintbrushes and create naturalistic images.

 

2. Visit the Library

Your local library may be your best source for activities. Most libraries have some activities set up for kids around the Children’s section, while many libraries offer extensive activities, book clubs, and projects for kids to sign up for. If your library does not offer any programming, take your child to the hobbies/How To section of the Children’s area and have kids pick out a book about cooking, cars, how to draw cartoons, or whatever their interest may be. Reading through these books and completing activities that go along with them keeps kids occupied for hours.

3. Check out your local Nature Center, History Museum, or Zoo

Even if your child doesn’t like bugs, or history, or science, they are bound to be engaged at these various locations. Nature centers and museums aim at helping their subject come alive in an exciting way to kids. Most nature centers are free and many museums and zoos have free days! For example, majority of Chicago’s Museums have at least one free day a month for residents to check out their exciting exhibits.

 

4. Take a trip to Barnes and Noble and get a free book

During the summer, Barnes and Noble has a kids reading program where they can earn a free book! Barnes and Noble’s reading program is kids grade 1st-6th and they must complete three out of four different reading challenges. When completed, just bring the completed sheet to your local Barnes and Noble and your child will be able to pick out a free book! Click here to print out the reading sheet from Barnes and Noble.

5. Photo Scavenger Hunt

Head to your local zoo or park with a list of distinguishing characteristics of animals, plants, and bugs and the kids must try and find each one and take a picture. Scavenger list ideas include: find a mammal with four legs, find a animal that is yellow, find an animal that is a bird, but can not fly. Kids will be
using their brains and sleuthing skills.

 

 

What are your favorite educational activities to do with kids in the summer?

Father’s Day

Each year Father’s Day creeps up on us. With Mother’s Day and Memorial day in the books and thoughts turned towards Fourth of July, Father’s Day thoughts often do not dawn until the weekend of the holiday. Plan something special for the fathers in your church community to thank them for the important task they have to be leaders in their homes and examples to their children.

Photobooth areas are a great way to capture a special memory or send a special greeting to your father or a father figure in your life. These photobooth pictures are from Mother’s Day, but could easily be altered to feature a fishing pole, football goal, or an array of comic books.

What are ways that your family or church shows appreciation to the father figures in your life?

20 Things to Do with Clothespins

1. Cover the top and bottom with fun scrapbook paper.

2. Glue to a ruler or a piece of wood. Hang lost socks, art work or notes.

3. Make a caterpillar using small pom poms glued on the top. Put wiggle eyes on the end. Use pipe cleaner for antennas.

4. Use as a photograph holder. Decorate the clothespin. Clip a photo with it. Stand up on the other end of the photo.

5. Soak in Rit dye to make colored clothespins to match a room or decorations.

6. Make butterflies. Fold cupcake liners in half. Cinch together and clip the clothespin over them. Add googly eyes. Or use coffee filters and color or paint them before folding.

7. Play clothespin tag. Everyone places a clothespin on their shirt. Try to grab the clothespins off other people’s shirts. Person with most clothespins wins.

8. Make pinwheels and attach to the end of the clothespin. Attach to anything for decoration.

9. Attach to a cleaned out tuna can to make a planter. Decorate the clothespins before attaching.

10. Play a game. Drop the clothespins in a wide mouthed jar.

11. Attach gift tags to gifts with a clothespin.

12. Attach notes to brown bag lunches.

13. Write the days of the week on the clothespins. Use to pin up chores for each day.

14. Make a catapult.

15. Make a matching game for preschoolers.

16. Make an animal opening his mouth.

17. Place magnet on back. Clip important papers to it on the refrigerator.

18. Use for name-tags.

19. Cut out animals from magazines or draw animals. Cut off legs. Use clothespins for legs allowing the animals to stand up.

20. Organize stacks of papers: to be read, to be signed, discuss.

What are some things you do with clothespins?