Parents, we are well into summer. Are we keeping the doldrums at bay? Here are some more fun ideas for keeping our kiddos happy and busy as the temperatures rise.
Dig This Treat!
We’ll start out with a classic that is simple enough for the kiddos to help out and enjoy all their hard work with a yummy dessert. Obviously, I am referring to the well-loved dirt cup.
Who doesn’t love the mixture of whipped chocolate pudding, crushed oreos, and gummy worms? They might be made for kids, but let’s be honest: Parents LOVE them, too. So consider this a win-win activity for you and your little one.
The recipe is pretty simple. You’ll want to combine a 3.4 oz box of chocolate pudding mix with two cups of milk. Once mixed, let it sit for about five minutes. Then slowly add eight ounces of whipped cream. Once thoroughly combined, you can add the mixture to your cups.
If you so choose, you can layer pudding, crushed oreo, pudding, crushed oreo. Or just opt for pudding on the bottom and oreo on top. From there, add a couple gummy worms and voila! Dirt cup! I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.
A Page-Turner Idea
My next suggestion is still in the realm of summertime fun for our kiddos, b. But this one requires a lot less preparation. This is a great way to spend a day, get out of the house, and go on a little adventure.
What is this perfect magical idea you ask? It’s storytime at your local public library! Depending on what your library offers, this could be something you and your littles can do weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. It can become a great way to introduce some routine or schedule into those summer days that blend together.
Regularly attending your local public library is also a wonderful way to encourage reading with our little ones. Your kiddo can roam the stacks of books to find a few new books to bring home to read at bedtime.
Creating a low pressure, fun activity that encourages a love of reading.. Doesn’t sound too bad huh? You can even stop for lunch or a treat on the way back home. A perfect day.
Ice, Ice Baby
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming of activities that require a little bit of prep and possibly a bit more clean up afterwards.
This suggestion came from my good friend, co worker and mom of two kiddos under 5. Ice painting! She loves to get use ice because these summers just keep getting hotter! The prep is minimal and fun is hard to beat.
How does one ice paint? All you need is an ice-cube tray, food coloring and some popsicle sticks. The night before or a few hours before you want to initiate this activity, fill your ice tray with water. Then, add food coloring to each individual ice cube. You can mix red and yellow to create an orange. Or blue and yellow to get some green going. You might need to repeat some colors depending on how many cubes you’re making.
Once you’ve perfected your color selections, you will want to add something to use as a handle, such as popsicle sticks. They most likely will sit at a slight angle in the tray, but that’s ok. Pop those bad boys in the freezer and wait!
Now, for this activity, you can complete it inside or outside. If you opt for inside, it might be helpful to put a towel down underneath the paper your kiddo will be painting on. You can pop the ice cubes out of the tray and let your little one get creative!
The effect of the melting ice and food coloring resembles water color. And the popsicle stick handles are really great for younger kiddos.
There you have it: Three more ideas to keep your summer activities fresh, fun and full of amazing memories! Have fun!
Sophie Hamel is a freelance writer and works as a crisis responder. Her son is three years old.
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