Entertaining Kids

Q: When my kids were toddlers, summers were just like any other days. Now that my kids are older, I am having trouble coming up with ways to entertain my kids during the summer months. Any suggestions?
 
A: I'm not the Martha Stewart of Parenting, but you could juggle, sing, dance, do gymnastics. Serve them tea and cakes every afternoon, along with little cucumber sandwiches and perhaps some caviar. What will your kids be doing while YOU entertain THEM? Or, do you mean to ask "What kinds of activities can be children do this summer to ENTERTAIN THEMSELVES? I can answer that one.
 
First, you should establish some kind of summer routine. Each child should be responsible for cleaning up after him/herself after meals, making their beds, and whatever chores you assign them to.
 
Reading is a pleasurable activity, so be sure to visit the library and bookstores. If your children don't have hobbies, summer is a great time to start one!
 
Keep a variety of craft materials on hand. There are Junior cookbooks, let your kids experiment with making simple meals. They can start by choosing what they want to cook for their breakfasts and lunches, and then progress to planning and cooking a meal for the family.
 
Outdoor play is best, depending on the weather. Bikes, basketball, badminton, volleyball and so on are great for fun and exercise. Get some of the neighbor kids together and give them each a bag of marbles. If they don't already know how to play, instructions for many games can be found online by Googling for instructions.
 
Gardening can be a great kid adventure, especially when you can eat the fruits of your labors! A butterfly garden will attract gorgeous butterflies all season long. Growing sunflowers and other flowers for seed, you can grow your own birdseed and then feed the birds during winter.
 
You don't need to entertain your kids. In fact, why not gather up some old clothes and costume jewelry, get them a book of plays (or have them make up one of their own) and let THEM entertain YOU! The three girls of a friend of mine used to write their own commercials and act them out...it was hilarious and we still remember those days fondly.
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Julie Clark is a freelance writer as well as the Web Manager for DrDaveStein.com, www.StopRAtoday.com  and www.AskMeanMom.com Julie also responds to parenting questions on the members' side of DrDaveStein.com