Summer Projects To Keep Your Kids From Being Bored

As long as the weather is nice, take your kids outside. *Make sure to apply sunscreen to your kids 30 minutes before hand.*

Go to a local park - The park has swing sets, slides, and even walking trails. It's not the same as your own back yard to a child. It's a treat (a free one). You could also pack a picnic lunch and a blanket. If you are new to an area, you can go to KaBOOM.org to find local playgrounds in your area.

Have a treasure hunt - You can make a list of items that would be found in your yard and give the kids a baggy to go find the items. Set a time limit and see who finds the most. You could write down 6 blades of grass, a red leaf, a stick shaped like a Y, or even a broken toy :) Have fun with it.

Plant a kid's garden - Go the your local home improvement store, nursery, or even Wal-Mart and pick up a couple of small annuals. Let the kids pick out their favorite colors. You can get then plastic tools and gloves if you want to. Go home and let them have their own section of the garden to plant. You can even put up a little sign on a stick in it that says "Kaitlyn's Garden" or whatever your child's name is. They will love to show it off to all of your visitors.

Let them draw - Sidewalk chalk is the best! The kids can get creative on the sidewalk, porch, driveway and even the deck. Best of all, the rain will clean up the mess. If it doesn't rain quick enough for you, just wash it off with a garden hose.

Make fun crafts - This is fun for kids that are bored in the Summer or for kids being homeschooled. If you want some ideas for ecucational crafts to do at home with your child, go to FreeKidsCrafts.com and get a ton of ideas.

Sometimes the weather doesn't cooperate and the kids are stuck indoors. You just have to get a little creative about how you let them spend their time.

Do an art project - You can let the kids go crazy with this. Give them crayons, water colors, finger paint, or markers and let them be tiny Picassos. You can print off free photo frames and put the pics on the fridge or your child's wall. If you start to accumulate too many pictures, you can put a line strung across your child's ceiling or along the wall and hang up their pics with laundry clips. Just rotate them out over time.

Start a summer scrapbook - Take snapshots of all the things you and your kids do this summer. You can add pics of their garden, foods they cook, the pictures they draw outside, anything. Be creative. Then you can add captions and stickers and enjoy it all summer.

Go to the library - Not only are the books free, but some libraries check out movies too! They also offer free story book readings and toddler classes. Just check out the bulletin board for a schedule.

Have a family movie night - Pick out a movie that you and the kids will enjoy, throw some blankets and pillows on the floor, and pop some popcorn or make ice cream sundaes before hand. My family does this every week and it never gets old.

Make play dough - My toddler can stay busy for a long time with this stuff. How much more fun would it be to make the stuff! Here is a colorful and great smelling recipe:

Kool-Aid Play dough

2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups boiling water
2 packages unsweetened Kool-Aid

Mix dry ingredients. Add oil and water. Wearing gloves, knead for 10 minutes. Store in zip lock bag in refrigerator.

Make an activity jar - You can put some of these ideas or some of your favorite things to do on separate pieces of paper them put them in a jar. You can even have fun decorating the jar if you want to. Whenever your child comes up and says "I'm bored", reach for the jar and let them pull out an activity. Problem solved.

Children love to help mom in the kitchen. Instead of shooing them away, tide them over by letting them help you with these fun recipes that everyone will enjoy.

Here is a great lunch time salad:

What you need

1 C lettuce
1/3 C slivered carrots
4 sliced strawberries
1 stick string cheese sliced
1/4 C cubed ham
1/2 C buttermilk
1/2 C light mayonnaise
1/2 T apple-cider vinegar
2 chives

1. Snip the lettuce. Wash a pair of kid scissors and let the kids cut it. If they aren't old enough to use scissors, let them tear it.
2. Put the veggies, lettuce, berries, cheese and ham in a clear container and cover with the lid. Let the kids shake it up.
3. For the dressing, whisk the buttermilk, mayo, and vinegar together in a bowl. Let your child cut the chives into pieces with their scissors and gently mix in.