Neighbor News
26 Summer Boredom Busters for Elementary Schoolers
Don't let your kids fall to the summer slump! Activities like summer camp will keep them entertained and active until school starts again.
It’s official: “Bored” is not allowed to be said this summer! When elementary schoolers are home for the summer months, entertainment may sometimes be lacking. Rather than plopping down in front of the television, put some of these boredom busters into play. Summer should be fun, engaging and educational.
- Attend summer camp: There’s a reason why there are so many movies about summer camp. It’s a time-honored tradition of fun and education. In fact, studies have shown that kids who attend camp perform better academically when school starts again in the fall.
- Press flowers: Find new flowers to press between wax paper or parchment paper. Choose rare flowers or different colors in order to learn new kinds.
- Make an ice cube painting: Freeze water with food dye in ice trays. Once frozen, use the colored ice to paint a new kind of picture.
- Build a snack necklace: Bring together different types of snacks (cereal, pretzels, and anything else with a hole) and make a necklace. Not only is this snack delicious, but it also helps younger children with hand-eye coordination and counting skills.
- Grape kabobs: Freeze grapes on a kabob-style stick for a snack on a hot day. Building the kabobs is a great opportunity to learn about the life cycle of grapes, raisins, and other similar foods.
- Throw a stargazing party: Have a family night in the backyard learning about the constellations. Find where they are on a map and seek them out in the sky!
- Paint your yard games: Use spray paint or a plant friendly paint base to create yard games. Twister, hopscotch and foursquare are great children’s games where they’ll need to paint a perimeter to play them. They will not only get to learn a new game while staying active but they can also use their creative design skills in the process.
- Water balloon toss: Have a friendly competition with water balloons and milk jugs as a net. Children can build the game themselves, work on their hand-eye coordination and win a prize!
- Write a bird journal: Go bird watching! Keep a journal of all the birds the child sees throughout the summer. Opening their awareness to nature and animals around them will make future outings more entertaining.
- Printable sewing practice: Find and print a template for sewing practice. Learning to sew is a dynamic skill for children of all ages to develop. As always, have parental supervision when working with needles or sewing machines.
- Plant a garden: Flowers, food or spices all work! Children have the chance to learn about plants, lifecycles and the work that it takes to keep them alive. The hard work will pay off with beautiful flowers or new produce for the kitchen.
- Keep a summer journal: The first question that a student gets asked when they return to school is “What did you do this summer?” Keeping an activity journal helps children to develop their writing and storytelling skills. They will also have a great answer prepared on the first day of class in the fall!
- Learn the business craft: Create a stand, selling either lemonade, baked goods, or produce. Giving children the chance to build a stand and create a business of their own gives them lifelong skills. Break out the inner entrepreneur!
- Act it out: Create a play or movie and produce it! Have your child write a story and present it, either to a family member or in front of a camera. Following a narrative from beginning to end is a thorough creative process and great skill to develop.
- Redecorate: Let your child pick a new design theme for their bedroom. Choosing a new paint color or theme for the room can bring new life to the space! With parent supervision, children can see their idea through by designing and painting the room themselves!
- Plan a meal: Let your child choose a meal for dinner. Let them make a list, purchase the ingredients and see the meal to completion. The whole family will be happy about the treat!
- Learn an instrument: The summer months are a perfect time to learn an instrument; the radio is full of new music to use as inspiration! Musical skills are proven to advance cognitive skills and educational endeavors. Plus, they’re just fun to play!
- Take an educational trip: Spend a weekend day in a new place. Choose a museum, zoo, or activity center to get active while learning.
- Join a team: Many sports have summer leagues or kick-around groups to join. Keeping active during the summer is a sure way to fight off any boredom!
- Make a road trip game: Play the alphabet game on a long road trip. Starting with A and ending with Z, find each letter on a street sign. The first person to get to Z wins!
- Use masking tape with paint: Add masking tape to a canvas as a barrier for painting. Adding paint colors and designs to the canvas with the masking tape will create a unique design. Remove the tape once the paint is dry to reveal the new creation!
- Go on a nature hike: Spend time in the outdoors learning about nature. Bring a plant identification book or choose a few plants before the hike to try and find. Getting outside and getting active while learning about nature is a great way to break away from the television.
- Visit a new place as a family: Research and choose a new location to visit as a family. Finding a place with history or somewhere that is special to your family will create memories and stories for years on end.
- Join a neighborhood book club: If you live close to friends and peers, create a neighborhood book club! Adding a conversational and educational aspect to the playdates will help the whole neighborhood stay involved and working throughout the typical summer slump.
- Volunteer: Find a cause that your child is passionate about. Spending time doing new activities and helping others will develop a hardworking and compassionate spirit.
- Spend time with public safety: Learning about public safety from a young age helps children feel comfortable with the uniforms. Children who feel comfortable with public safety always respond in an active manner if an emergency situation were to arise. Call your local fire department or police station to set up a tour and a visit. Both firemen and police are open and accepting to showing children around the offices.
Keeping the summer months active and busy will help prepare students for the school year ahead. Fight off the boredom with these interactive activities. Have a favorite summer activity? We would love to hear about it! You can still enroll your child into the Delphi Santa Monica summer camp. Learn more here.
