Guest Blog by Tiffany Nettles of Columbia SC Moms Blog
School is out, and kids everywhere are excited about the endless possibilities the days of summer provide. We’ve teamed up with our friends at Terminix Service to provide some great ways to enjoy your summer with your friends and family. Here are a few creative outdoor activities to beat the summer blahs and keep kids entertained … perfect in your mosquito free backyard!
Scavenger Hunt – Create your own scavenger hunt! Have your children collect items from the yard and make a pile of their findings. If your child can read and write, you can have them write the list of items to find. If they are too little to write, send them after one item at a time and have them bring it back to their “pile” each time. When you determine theitems on the list, be as vague as possible to see the most amazing results. Instead of asking the children to “find a green leaf” ask them to “find something green” or “find something on the ground that came from a plant.” Little minds come up with wonderful surprises with this activity.
Obstacle Course – Set up a creative obstacle course in the backyard and time yourselves completing the run. Steer clear of the normal orange cones and go for items that you already have in the yard. Be creative and use what you have on hand. Slide down the slide, jump on the trampoline, weave through the swings, stack 4 sand buckets up in a tower, and tag the fence for one event.
Nature Design – Have your children collect rocks, sticks, shells, pine-cones, or whatever natural materials you have available. Let your children use them to “sculpt” works of art. Stacking flat stones makes a really neat sculpture. Piles of rocks or words spelled out with sticks let children show their creative side. It may take a while to get them started, but don’t giveup and keep encouraging them to create. Once they have completed a masterpiece or two, praise their work and take pictures. The hardest part is remembering to print the picture out (which is the most rewarding part)! Surprise them and find an inexpensive frame from the thrift store or dollar store, and present them with their framed nature art.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with letting your children run and play with their toys when in the outdoors. So save these gems for when they come to you with that dreaded statement, “Mom, I’m bored!” And nip those feelings of boredom in the bud!