summer is here

[janny108]

what are you doing with your kids this summer? We are out of town for a few days now

 

[janny108]

anyone?

 

[BFine]

I will write something... Janny, we don't have any children of our own
but if some of my step-children come for a visit, we usually take them
and their little ones to the water-park, movies and out to eat.

If we get to go see them, we do the same thing in their own area.

We are limited due to my husband's loss of leg and on-going medical
issues.

 

[Puptart]

We are childfree! I have one husband, two dogs, and NO kids

However, I'm looking forward to getting the furbabies outside to the dog park much more often, and I'm hoping to take them to a dog-friendly beach for the first time this summer!

 

[janny108]

furbabies are still kids

 

[tturt]

What are their ages? Most of these are free or can be purchased at Dollar Tree type stores.

Picnics (inside and out), use those little plates with animal faces, breakfast with linens, etc eaten outside, scrapbook of summer activities - drawings or photos or both, play doh recipe projects using various shaped items, snow fight with socks, learning about money including savings and tithing - open up saving accounts and put dates on tithing envelopes rubber banded together), large chalk for driveway/sidewalk drawings, fashion show (boys usually want to judge or wear Halloween costumes or both - the announcer describes the outfits - this can be all their imagination while model walks up and down the special "runway" which can be silk flowers strategically placed, fashion show of pets, ten commandments and other Bible verses (write them on slips of paper and let them draw them out of a jar and tell the others about it), on freezer paper make a human timeline with corresponding pictures (act out as much as possible -make "drawings" and hang on the inside their caves (popup tents) for the Stone Age and for the last 200 years, they pick the things they're interested in pursuing to add to the chart on the freezer paper, movie night, practice fire drills, behavior modification such as when they insult the others they have to give them several sincere compliments, build a fort or tunnel or maze out of cardboard boxes, crafts such as using old magazines to make posters to learn the seasons or just their favorite things, papermache projects, "cooking" opportunities such as making fruit popsicles, jello (or make various flavors of jello ahead of time and let them "create" their own dish), make ice cream - throwing container to each other for about 5 min., science projects, put titles such as Scientist or Investigator on small pieces of paper and pin on them and arm with magnets or magnifying glass or rulers to see things in a different perspective, computer time - daily a few words of another language they select or identify various musical instruments using audio files, on grocery store trips - they pick an item that they've never eaten before, trips around town pointing out businesses and describing what type of jobs are done there and later play "pretend" to act out those jobs, duplicate "emotions" chart in the mirror and identify, and have a costume box which can be out of style clothes or torn linens. Introduce a new food by raising their interest - once the food is on the table, drape a plastic tablecloth over it then let them know it's time to eat and let them reveal the dish. Also, select several personal characteristics that I want to encourage or help them see in themselves and increase as summer passes. Lastly with kids in a circle with their backs to each other, toss balloons to each other.

 

[powerpoint]

I have no kids, I do have a youth group though.

I think football (proper football, not glorified rugby) will be the order of the day, probably with frizbees as well.

 

[janny108]

age is 13

 

[tturt]

Weekly they plan the menu, grocery shop, and execute for a weekend meal. They're given a price range and they plan a summer and/or fall vacation including route, select hotels, etc. Pursue a recreational sport that they've not tried their hand at previously. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, the church, and/or a daycare. Invite friends overnight for watching a movie series. Read to younger kids at the library. Form a book club. Do you think they would like to be an entrepreneur? Arrange for them to shadow someone in that field or investigate the vocation of their choice at this time or study the top people in that field. Study and become an expert of a subject of their choice.

 

[janny108]

she's not that interested in doing anything. We did have a short vacation and she does chores. I told her about a place that offered free swimming and I hope to do that with her. She's not entrepenurial at all.

 

[gideon123]

"age is 13"

A tough age.
I've got one older teenager, and one kid who's still 8.
I am not looking forward to the second kid getting to 13.
that's a painful year ... at least it was for us.

I suggest various activities that coincide with her interests. i absolutely understand when you say she's not entrepreneurial. Some kids are, but many are glued to the internet, social networks and texting. IMO, it is a fantastic waste of their time. But that doesn't mean that you can stop it. i would suggest that you don't hesitate to push on her a little bit to learn some basic skills that would be helpful in life. you will get a lot of pushback, and enormous griping. but do it anyway - later on they often concede that the learning was quite useful.

the swimming is a really good idea, by the way

good luck!
gideon123

 

[tturt]

Give her some choices and tell her to pick one and pursue it. Thought of some more - make a solar oven (she'll need to always wear the correct sunglasses though), write a story (perhaps getting some things off her chest might be helpful), beginner's drawing classes (some free ones on internet), crafts (there's thousands of possibilities with that), visit a museum, learn CPR.

Just a thought - determine her love language and fill her up this summer http://www.amazon.com/The-Five-Love-Languages-Children/dp/1881273652

Then get a list of characteristics and encourage her as you see them even a glimmer such as Character Traits

btw, I understand, I've had teenagers.