How To Make Your Summer Break Spectacular For Almost Nothing

By Author: Fran Swift
Total Articles: 5
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Summer months are the best time for family fun while the little ones are at home during the day. It can get expensive taking them to amusement parks, even more so if you're short on cash. If you are in the same situation as most Americans are, don't worry, because there are a lot of money-saving fun things to do at home. These fun things to do are ideal for children under 10 years old. Many of these ideas are concentrated around activities and learning in tandem.

How Regular Household Items Can Be Used in Your Games

Everyday things from your home can be the props in the mock scenes you create. A fun activity to do at home is to pretend you run a medical clinic. Have the children gather a Teddy bear or other toy and then use things from around the house that can serve as pretend surgical instruments. Most homes are chock full of odd trinkets that can be imagined into medical instruments. You can also do another version of this game by imagining that everyone is a news reporter. A stuffed animal or other toys can be used as part of the make-believe scenes that you and your child are describing to the imaginary ...
... viewers.

Create Quality Time and Get Active

A very inexpensive, yet really active thing to do is to go out as a family for a ride on mountain bikes. If you have smaller children, you can include them in a trailer attachment where they can be seated in a secured cart. For shorter distances, some younger ones might want to use their skateboard to get around. To make it even more interesting, take your time and call out different items for them to spot while you're out, like a treasure hunt. Things like lizards, airplanes, or dragonflies can all be great things for everyone to call out as they spot them. This game also works wonderfully on a hike and can be a learning tool about nature and their environment.

Escape to the Wild Outdoors

A game that is particularly entertaining is to create the illusion of being out in the wild, such as on a safari journey. Take out large sheets and tie the ends into chairs, the sofa, or to anything in the room that will hold steadily. Wrap the sheets so that thekids feel like they are hidden by large forest trees or in the thick brush where the wild critters can't see them. If you have a pair of binoculars, give them to the kids to make it feel more real. Have your kids gather all of the stuffed critters and creature figures they can find and arrange them throughout the area, mostly hiding from view, and then use the binoculars to spy on them. Ask the children to call the names of the animals as they find them and then make the sound of that animal. They always have a blast with this game!

Fun in the Evenings

As the sun sets, the fun doesn't have to be finished! Set up a tent in the back of your house along with binoculars for star gazing. If you have a fire pit or a small charcoal barbeque, you can make a wood fire for them. Have the kids gather some long sticks for roasting s'mores. If you have several free days this summer, go camping at a nature preserve or forest and extend your time outside! These ideas will surely give you and your children some quality time together to learn, grow, and laugh.

About the author:

Fran Swift's blog discusses topics on children's toys and games, including RC toys and arts and crafts for children so that parents can teach end entertain their children.