I’M BORED! Those dreaded words that make any strong mother or father drop to their knees and scream, “What on earth can I do to keep them entertained?!” If this kind of describes you and your summer with the kids, then this topic is for you! I have pulled together some great summer entertainment ideas that will help keep your kids entertained (at least for a little while!).

I have included credit and links to websites where I found some of these ideas. I encourage you to visit the sites – they are wonderful and worth the visit!

 

Photo Credit: OverTheBigMoon.com
Photo Credit:
OverTheBigMoon.com

Homemade Ice Cream in a Baggie! My girls did this yummy project in elementary school, and it is a surefire winner in entertaining the kids! This project is great for older and younger children alike (even us moms and dads!). Recipe credit goes to OverTheBigMoon.com– Adorable website with great craft ideas and more!

Ingredients:

  • Half and Half
  • Sugar
  • Vanilla
  • gallon Ziploc baggies
  • quart Ziploc baggies
  • Ice
  • Rock salt

For each serving you need 1 cup of  half and half, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Pour ingredients into a quart bag and seal. (Blogger did about 3/4 cup half and half and 1/4  cup whipping cream. She said, “the whipping cream made it really smooth and creamy. Do not use all whipping cream though because it kind of whips up and doesn’t freeze as well.”)

Fill a gallon Ziploc bag a little less than half way up with ice and then add 1/2 cup rock salt and the quart baggie with the ice cream ingredients. Then shake it! It takes about 5 minutes to get it a really thick consistency. (Best of all, the kids will be exhausted by the time it reaches the right consistancy!) Once is it done, you can add chopped fresh fruit to make it a little extra special.

When everyone has enjoyed their treats, ask the kids how they think it became frozen. Challenge them to research the answer online. A teachable moment!

 

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Photo Credit:SheriSilver.com

Crafty Orange Bird Feeders. Most kids are naturally drawn to any project that helps animals.  And the reward of creating a bird feeder that attracts beautiful, colorful birds into your yard is a real treat, plus it demonstrates the immediate benefit of the project. This idea comes from SheriSilver.com, a website full of crafty ideas!

Materials:
orange
(4) pieces of twine, yarn or string, cut into 24? lengths
bird seed

With a sharp knife, cut the orange in half – scoop out the flesh. Pierce 4 small holes on opposite sides, about 1/2? from the top edge of each half . Thread one piece of twine through a hole, and out the opposite end. Repeat with the second piece of twine in the remaining holes (you’ll have an “X”). Gather the ends together and tie in a knot. Repeat with the other half. Fill with bird seed and hang from sturdy branches outside.

Photo Credit: wallcoo.com
Photo Credit: wallcoo.com

Family and Friend Dog Show! Gather together the sociable dogs of family and friends, a few props (you can use chairs, skateboard ramps or the slide in the backyard), and lots of treats, and you have the makings of a great dog show!

Let the kids take the dogs into the backyard and have them “train” the dogs to run an obstacle course, perform tricks, or just sit and look cute. The kids get to be creative with their pups, and the dogs get some much loved attention!

 

 

Vine Movie MakerThe Mini Movie Challenge! Encourage those budding movie directors with the Mini-Movie Challenge Using Vine. Vine is an application for your iPhone, iTouch, or iPad, that allows you to create short (6 seconds), looping videos.  I watched my teenager and her friend spend over an hour creating their perfect movie – it had drama, humor, and a murder mystery all in 6 seconds.  Best of all, you can share the movies with family and friends!

For the younger “directors”, you might want to give them a theme to start from.  For the older kids, let them do it freestyle, and just step back and let the creativity flow!

For a Challenge – Try a challenge like the international, 48 Hour Film Project: Break them up into teams. All teams must incorporate the same prop and the same phrase into their movie.  You’ll be surprised how different each film will be!

 

Photo Credit: MommaDidIt.blogspot.com
Photo Credit: MommaDidIt.blogspot.com

NightTime Ring Toss: This simple and inexpensive idea is sure to keep the kids entertained in the evening hours.  Two glow-in-the-dark bracelets, attached together with the connectors (included in packages) and reinforced with tape, make perfect rings for ring toss! Place two wooden poles approximately 10 feet apart, and you have a simple ring toss pit! To make things a little easier, paint the wooden poles with glow-in-the-dark paint.

You can find packages of glow-in-the-dark bracelets CHEAP at places like Hobby Lobby, The Dollar Store, Target, Oriental Trading Company. (15 bracelets/$1.00)

Check out MommaDidIt.Blogspot.com to see this idea, plus many more great, nighttime activities!!

For more great summertime activities, I recommend checking out a few Pinterest Boards:

Summer Ideas For Kids: Terrific ideas to keep the kids entertained throughout the summer! Compiled by Lisa from OverTheBigMoon.com.

Summer Board: Cool summer ideas for decorating, food, games, and more, compiled by Megan Mathis.

Summer Lovin’ Board – A Round up of activities, recipes, style, and decorating ideas compiled by SimpleSolutionsDiva.com.

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