-);<-:67:-/768):-6<2]Ta
A few suggestions for summer boredom busters
LJs/Z'/E/:h^d/
^ƵŵŵĞƌďƌĞĂŬŝƐƚŚĞƟŵĞŽĨƚŚĞ
year when parents are most likely
to hear those two short words that
can reduce grown-ups to tears: “I’m
ďŽƌĞĚ͊͟^ŽǁŚĂƚ͛ƐĂƉĂƌĞŶƚƚŽĚŽ͍
Keep the kids busy with
ĂǀĂƌŝĞƚLJŽĨĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ͘
While no one is
guaranteed a boredom-
free summer, here are
a few ideas and that
should help parents
keep the whining to
ĂŵŝŶŝŵƵŵ͘ƌĞĂƟŶŐ
Ă͞ŽƌĞĚŽŵƵƐƚĞƌƐ͟
ĮůĞŽƌŶŽƚĞŬǁŝůů
be worth the invest-
ŵĞŶƚŽĨƟŵĞͶďƵŝůĚ
a weekly schedule, but
ŬĞĞƉŝƚƐŝŵƉůĞĂŶĚŇĞdž-
ible. Learning should
be part of the mix, so
start by browsing these
websites.
ŝƐĐŽǀĞƌLJĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ (www.
ĚŝƐĐŽǀĞƌLJĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ͘ĐŽŵͿ͘dŚŝƐ
awesome site provides teacher re-
sources that parents can use (they
have a parents resource page, too)
ǁŝƚŚƚŚŝŶŐƐůŝŬĞWƵnjnjůĞDĂŬĞƌ͕ǁŚŝĐŚ
helps you create individualized
word search and crossword puzzles.
This site provides links to virtual
ĮĞůĚƚƌŝƉƐ͕ďƌŽǁƐĞͲĂďůĞďLJŐƌĂĚĞ
level and topic.
^ĐŚŽůĂƐƟĐ;ǁǁǁ͘ƐĐŚŽůĂƐƟĐ͘ĐŽŵͿ͘
This well-known publisher of chil-
dren’s literature products has built
this site with resources for teachers
ĂŶĚƉĂƌĞŶƚƐ͕ĂŶĚŝŶƚĞƌĂĐƟǀĞŽŶ-
ůŝŶĞŐĂŵĞƐĨŽƌĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ͘^ĐŚŽůĂƐƟĐ
ĚŝǀŝĚĞƐƌĞĂĚŝŶŐĂŶĚĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐŝŶƚŽ
age-appropriate levels.
KƌĞŐŽŶWƵďůŝĐƌŽĂĚĐĂƐƟŶŐ
(opb.pbslearningmedia.org). Or-
ĞŐŽŶWƵďůŝĐďƌŽĂĚĐĂƐƟŶŐƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƐ
resources for parents and teachers
to enrich learning. The site has links
ƚŽŝŶƚĞƌĂĐƟǀĞŽŶůŝŶĞůĞĂƌŶŝŶŐŐĂŵĞƐ
for children (pbskids.org). You’ll
ĞǀĞŶĮŶĚƐŽŵĞƉĂƌĞŶƟŶŐƟƉƐĂƚ
www.pbs.org/parents.
KŋŝŶĞ͕ŚĞƌĞĂƌĞƐŽŵĞŽƚŚĞƌ
ways to keep boredom at bay …
Script and perform a play: Have
children create their own play with
costumes and have a performance
ĂŌĞƌĚŝŶŶĞƌĨŽƌƚŚĞĨĂŵŝůLJ͘
Plan and plant a vegetable gar-
den: You can start your garden in
ƚŚĞŚŽƵƐĞďĞĨŽƌĞƉůĂŶƟŶŐŽƵƚƐŝĚĞ͘
WůĂŶƟŶŐƐĞĞĚƐŝŶĂĐůĞĂƌƉůĂƐƟĐ
ĐƵƉƐƚƵīĞĚǁŝƚŚǁĞƚƉĂƉĞƌƚŽǁĞůƐ
is a great way for children to see
how seeds become plants. Encour-
age children to try the food items
they grow; this is a good way to
get them to experiment with new
foods. Have your kids work togeth-
er to create a chart assigning water-
ing, weeding and other gardening
chores for everyone.
Scavenger hunt͗DĂŬĞĂůŝƐƚ
ŽĨϭϬŽƌŵŽƌĞĞĂƐLJͲƚŽͲĮŶĚŝƚĞŵƐ
inside or outside your house.
The winner gets a small reward.
For older children who can spell,
ƐĐƌĂŵďůĞƚŚĞůĞƩĞƌƐŽŶƚŚĞůŝƐƚƐŽ
they have to unscramble the words
before they can search.
ĚŝďůĞĮŶŐĞƌƉĂŝŶƟŶŐ: This is
great for outdoor fun or an indoor
area that is easily cleaned. Use
oversized T-shirts
to protect cloth-
ŝŶŐ͘DĂŬĞǁŚŝƚĞ
chocolate instant
pudding accord-
ing to package
ĚŝƌĞĐƟŽŶƐ͕ĚŝǀŝĚĞ
the pudding into
several bowls,
ƚŚĞŶĂĚĚĚŝīĞƌ-
ent food coloring
to each and mix
ǁĞůů͘'ŝǀĞĞĂĐŚ
child a piece of
freezer or parch-
ment paper and
add a teaspoon
or more of
colored pudding to their paper.
Children can paint with pudding
ĂŶĚĂƌĞĨƌĞĞƚŽůŝĐŬƚŚĞŝƌĮŶŐĞƌƐ͘
ĞƐƵƌĞƚŽƚĂŬĞƉŝĐƚƵƌĞƐŽĨƚŚĞĮŶĂů
ƌĞƐƵůƚƐͶŬĞĞƉŝŶŐƚŚŝƐƐƵŐĂƌLJĂƌƚ-
work around is not recommended
ďĞĐĂƵƐĞŝƚĐĂŶĂƩƌĂĐƚďƵŐƐ͘
Build a blanket fort: Use blan-
kets and sheets with furniture to
create a fort for a picnic or reading.
Don’t forget: children must clean
Strategies
ƵƉƚŚĞŝƌĨŽƌƚĂŌĞƌƉůĂLJƟŵĞŝƐŽǀĞƌ͘
Paintball art͗WĂƌƟĂůůLJĮůůƐŵĂůů
water balloons with poster paint
using a funnel. Set pieces of paper
on an easel; the distance to the
easel can be adjusted according
to the age of the child. Children
should wear old clothes or cover up
in case of paint splashes. Have kids
ƚŚƌŽǁĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚĐŽůŽƌĞĚƉĂŝŶƚďĂůůƐ
at their paper to create their own
unique piece of art. Use clothespins
ŽƌƚĂĐŬƐƚŽĂƩĂĐŚĂƌƚǁŽƌŬƚŽĂůŝŶĞ
or fence to dry.
There are many other easy and
inexpensive projects you can do to
avoid boredom during the summer;
ŵŽƐƚĐĂŶďĞĚŽŶĞǁŝƚŚůŝƩůĞƉůĂŶ-
ning. A quick search on Pinterest
ǁŝůůƌĞƐƵůƚŝŶƐĐŽƌĞƐŽĨƐƵŐŐĞƐƟŽŶƐ
ĨŽƌĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ͛ƐĂĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ͘>ĞƚƚŚĞ
/ŶƚĞƌŶĞƚďĞLJŽƵƌĐŽŶŶĞĐƟŽŶƚŽƚŚĞ
ideas and experiences of other par-
ents who are happy to share.
________
WĞŶĚůĞƚŽŶƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƚsŝƌŐŝŶŝĂ:ƵƐƟĐĞ
ŚĂƐďĞĞŶĂƐƵďƐƟƚƵƚĞƚĞĂĐŚĞƌĂŶĚ
a parks and rec volunteer. She and
her husband have two college-aged
daughters.
Early Childhood Education Classes: Preparing our youngest learners.
The Early Childhood Education Program
equips students with the tools needed
to work with young children from birth
to eight years of age.
GET STARTED ON YOUR NEW CAREER: 541-278-5941 | getinfo@bluecc.edu | www.bluecc.edu