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The dog days of summer are upon us and the ears of parents everywhere are ringing with that time-honored whine, “I’m bored!” The start of the school year is still weeks away and the relaxation of the annual summer vacation is already a distant memory. What’s a mom or dad to do?
Summer doesn’t have to mean a vacation from learning and the last days of summer don’t have to drag. Here are five fun activities you can do with things you have around the house.
Plant a container garden
It’s not too late! Herbs, tomatoes, and even lettuce can still bear fruit this year. A variety of easy to grow basil, rosemary, parsley and thyme will entice your little farmers to try new foods when you sprinkle a bit on their supper. Check out the clearance racks at your grocery or home improvement store and you can snag plants for pennies.
Chief cook and bottle washer
Let them plan the meals, shop for the groceries, and cook for the family. Making a grocery list practices spelling. Planning an ethnic meal can be a social studies or geography lesson. Sticking to a budget and measuring ingredients will engage their math skills. The best part? The rest of the family does the dishes!
Tie dye
Does mid-summer always seem to mean a shopping trip? After a few months of heavy usage, most T-shirts, at least, are beginning to look pretty worn. By the 4th of July summer wardrobes have stains that don’t seem to come out no matter how many times they go through the spin cycle.
A box of fabric dye costs less than $1. Mix up a batch and find some twine or rubber bands to make designs. And the fabric doesn’t have to be white. Apply blue dye to a pink T-shirt and you will get a lovely shade of violet….dip a yellow shirt in that same blue and you’ll find a fun bright green.
All the world loves a parade…
So have one! Make a float out of a wagon and musical instruments out of whatever you can find in your recycling tub. Unearth your last year’s Halloween costumes or make new from whatever you have on hand. Invite your neighbors to get in on the act and soon you’ll have a parade to rival Macy’s.
Make a “Story of Summer” poster
Give each kid a piece of poster board and some felt tip pens. Keep a bottle of leftover school glue or a glue stick nearby. Affix ticket stubs, photos and other souvenirs to the poster and by the end of summer, you will have an easy to store, keepsake collage.
Make new memories and extend your summer fun with these great ideas.
Julie Sellers is a freelance writer and single mother of two children whom she adopted on her own from Russia. They reside in Fort Wayne. She can be reached at
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