A child’s favorite time of year is almost upon us, and that is summer vacation. Children get a couple of months off of school and parents take time off work so that everyone can enjoy the nice weather and all the activities that come with it. However, even though they may not admit it, children can get bored by the end of summer vacation, and some may even look forward to going back to school. They have been to all the parks, gone to the beach, and had endless movie nights.

According to Thinking Tree Psychology, it is still important to keep a summer routine for children. While parents can be a bit more relaxed over the summer, and they may let their children stay up late and watch one more movie, it is still wise to keep some kind of routing. It helps them to know what to expect every day, and it can help to improve their mental health and keep their stress and anxiety calm. While this sounds like it would make for a boring summer, there are ways to keep it fun and exciting.

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Make Every Day Something

According to The Pragmatic Parent, a tip to keep the summer scheduled and exciting, make every day a themed day. For example, Monday could be ‘Make Something Monday’ where mom can find a craft to do. There are countless tutorials online to find, and a lot of them are easy and don’t require a lot of preparation. ‘Water Day Wednesday’ could be another one, and the kids get to do something water-related that day, whether outside or in the bathtub on a rainy day.

The great thing about this tip is that every day and every week is something new, but there is still some routine and consistency. The only downside is that this will require a bit of planning on mom’s side.

Summer Goals

Since the summer is just getting started, now is the perfect time to sit down with your kids and talk about a summer goal list. According to Grade Power Learning, creating a summer goals list will always give children something to do and work towards. If there are 12 weeks for summer break (as an example) Have your child write down at least 12, they can do more if they are really ambitious. Then they can work on one every week. It will always give them something to work towards and something to fall back on if they get bored.

Interactive

The best way to keep a child engaged is to involve them in the planning. This tactic has been used for a lot of parenting decisions, like helping picky eaters try new foods. The same can work with summer vacation. Get your children’s input on what they would like to do and seriously consider it. If their plan seems too extravagant, offer an alternative that is more realistic. This can encourage children to think for themselves when they are bored and help them find ways to entertain themselves.

Should Involve Learning

While children look forward to summer vacation because they are not in school, it is still important to involve learning in their break. Even if they won’t admit it, children love to learn and there is always something new for them to learn every day. Learning also challenges them and can keep things interesting. Mom can find different nature worksheets, and after a child completes one, they can go on a scavenger hunt for various items. Regardless of what the activity is, a learning activity will always keep children engaged.

New Hobbies

Children will always have fun activities that they enjoy doing. Some children enjoy reading and some enjoy playing video games, but the secret to an exciting and fun summer may be exploring a new hobby.

According to Wow Parenting, this is the perfect time to introduce your child to a new hobby that they can learn and enjoy. If your child enjoys reading comic books, maybe they want to try making their own. Make sure the new hobby is somehow related to their interests and hobbies so that they will have an interest. If your child is ready to branch out, you can try a completely different hobby to expose them to different topics and activities.

Summer vacation doesn’t have to be boring, and there are many things that mom can do to keep it engaging. However, it is always important to keep in mind that it is OK for children to be bored at times. It helps them grow their imagination and forces them to think outside the box and get a bit creative.

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Sources: Thinking Tree Psychology, The Pragmatic Parent, Grade Power Learning, Wow Parenting