Raising boys

My kids love electronics – playing on the iPad, my phone, or computer. We didn’t have those options when I was a kid – but I do remember when Nintendo came out and I loved it. Mario Brothers sucked me in – I didn’t want to stop until I’d beat the dragon and WON the game. That’s how felt with just ONE game. Now our kids have endless games to choose from on their multiple electronic devices.

Recently I asked George to go play outside and found him like this…

That is NOT what I had in mind!

Here are 80 ideas to get your kids off those devices.

Instead:

• • playing real games,

• • exploring,

• • discovering,

• • learning and

• • using their imaginations

• all while having tons of fun!!!!

• Make and play with playdough – Click here for a recipe. We like to make a batch and then I give my boys ideas things to make: a snake, a snowman, a fidget spinner!

• Free Draw – Set out Pencils, markers or crayons and blank paper – Set the timer for 15 minutes and encourage everyone to sit and draw. I’m amazed at some of the things they will come up with. If they don’t know what to draw, set a stuffed animal on the table or pull out a favorite book and ask their favorite page!

• Read a book – When my oldest son says he’s bored, I’ll hand him a book to read to his little brother. I try to keep lots of interesting books around that peek their curiosity. It might be a book about a state we are visiting, or a comic-strip style book. I also like to read a few pages of a chapter book to my kids each day. The “Who Was” series is great! Or…

• Create a “I’m Bored” Jar – If your kids say ‘I’m Bored’ – they have to pull a paper from the jar. Each paper lists a chore or activity.

• Tell stories – Give them a title and let them create the story.

• Make a book – at the beginning of last summer I gave each of my boys a blank book. Nearly every day I had them draw a picture or write a few words about what they/we did that day. It’s now a “Summer of 2017” memory book. This summer I’m going to do the same and make it a “Gratitude” journal. Each day they can draw a picture and write one thing they are grateful for. You can make a book by folding white paper together and stapling it…or purchasing a pre-made on amazon.

• Play I Spy

• Play Tag – everyone will have fun and get some exercise, too!

• Watercolor painting – paint the rainbow!

• Cook together – my boys love helping make any type of dessert. But they are also good “sous” chefs – peeling potatoes and carrots, etc. Last summer I taught George had to make some basics for his brothers – things like mac and cheese and grilled cheese. This summer I’ll be adding a few things to George’s list and including the younger ones as well. It’s not easy, but it build confidence in them and is a huge help once they know what to do. Other ideas of things to make with your kids: Pancakes and Personal Pizzas

• Balloon games –  Blow up balloons and work together to keep them from touching the ground. Or, use a tennis racket outside with balloons.

• Take a bike ride

• Turn up fun music and have a Dance party

• Fill a plastic tub with water, measuring cups and other toys

• Wash the car together

• Play Hide and Seek

• Do a Puzzle together

• Park Hop! We go park-hopping in the summer and try out as many as we can.

• Create an obstacle course in your yard or around your house.

• Backyard games – Soccer, sharks and minnows, kickball, catch

• Turn on the Sprinklers and play in the water or find a splash park around town

• Jump Rope – we do competitions to see who can go the longest without tripping. It’s great exercize and FUN! I definitely recommend you purchase the segmented jump ropes (pictured above). We bought several so we could all jump rope together.

• Build with legos or megablocks

• Do a craft together – lots of ideas on Pinterest

• Have a Lemonade stand 

• Write a letter to a friend or relative

• Play a card game or a board game  – Memory/Skipbo/Uno/Go Fish/Chess/Checkers – Last summer George and I played endless rounds of Skipbo. (I forgot how much I love that game.) The boys received “No Stress Chess” as a Christmas gift. This set helps you learn how to play chess. Now my boys love the game!

• Tickle tackle – I stay in the middle of the room and on my knees. My boys try to run past me without getting “tickled and tackled!”

• Play charades – even little ones can play this. Whisper what you want them to “act” out and let the sibling(s) guess what they are doing.

• Go on an adventure – with four boys, there is always “one” who doesn’t want to do what I have planned. So I’ve learned to tell them we are going on an ‘adventure’ – this might be as simple as a hike, but it gets everyone out of the house!

• Build a fort – with boxes, or pillows and blankets. Read a story in the fort! Or “Go on a Bear Hunt.”

• Paper dolls are fun to create, color and decorate, and then to play with in pretend worlds. Print up a set for free. Or purchase this design kit – something I loved when I was a kid!

• Create Kinetic Sand

• Exercise! It’s easy to be fit with these ABC moving games in the link.

• Take dominos, playing cards or stones and create a path for their cars and trains.

• Be a rainmaker. Fill a cup with water and top with shaving cream. Drip food dye onto the top of the fluff and watch it rain through to the water.

• Play with sidewalk chalk on your driveway – trace each other, then draw clothes, a face, etc.

• Sing a song together – one that requires whole body motions! We like “Going on a Bear Hunt” or some of the songs we learn at church.

• Make a ping-pong ball or marble roller coaster. You can make this one from cardboard tubes and magnets on your fridge or tape on a door.

• Rube Goldberg machines are fascinating! Look around your house and see what you can use to create your own giant machine.

• Simple play ideas are the best! Line a set of stairs with open boxes and drive your cars down them.

• Play Four square – draw a square with chalk on your driveway.

• Melt Ice with salt – It’s cold and fascinating! Fill cups with colored water, freeze them, and watch the ice mix and melt as you add salt to the blocks.

• Build a tent or make one – Tape ends of a tarp together and add a fan, the result is fun!

• Have a balancing battle – Stack a book on your head and walk around an obstacle. Try it again with a pencil on your nose. Or holding a basket on a ball.

• Mix oil and water together with whisks. Watch how the globs stay separate. Add a couple eye droppers and food dye for an afternoon of play.

• DIY marble maze –  Your kids can make them with an empty cereal box, straws and glue! Swap to solve the maze puzzles.

• Build a tower out of disposable cups – Use straws or nerf guns  – throw darts at your tower to watch it topple.

• Garden – Plant some seeds in your backyard and watch them grow.

• Practice an instrument – Piano, keyboard, xylophone, harmonica, recorder or drums…make it a family band.

• Blow bubbles –  Make some bubbles using dish washing soap, water, and sugar (for consistency).

• Have a garage sale –Have fun (and make money) getting rid of all of your stuff. A successful garage sale helps you meet your neighbors too!

• Visit a Vacation Bible school – There’s one going on each week in your town. Some are free and they teach your kids awesome life (and eternal) lessons.

• Have a picnic – Instead of eating lunch at your kitchen table for the umpteenth time, breakout the picnic basket and blanket.

• Go to a farmer’s market, festival or county fair. Check out your community calendar and find free events in your area. Click here for a list of FREE Things to do in Colorado Springs.

• Volunteer. Find a local person or organization in need (it could be your older neighbor). Offer to help out for an afternoon.

• Have a parade (or at least see one).Find a Memorial Day, Independence Day, or any other day parade to attend. Or, start one yourself and lead the way.

• Diet Coke and Mentos Geyser

• Ice excavating – freeze some little things in a bowl of ice and let the kids dig them out

• Nature or City/Mall Scavenger Hunt – Create your own or click here for a printable.

• Build a volcano – click here for instructions

• Race on Plasma cars – This is the best toy we’ve every owned. We’ve had one for ten years and it gets used constantly – rain or shine. My son received this as a gift from his grandparents when he turned 1 and he’s still using it almost 10 years later! We now own three because it’s still their favorite ride on toy. They all want to ride it and the neighbors love to borrow them too!

• Make Ice Cream – Recipe here

• Go to all the indoor playgrounds at McDonald’s, Chick Fill A or any others you have in your town!

• Visit the pet store

• Nerf guns – have a battle or shoot at targets

• Go to the zoo

• Get a joke book from the library or Amazon and tell each other jokes!

• Visit the library and participate in the summer reading program!

• Sponge Bullseye – Draw rings on the driveway, get water balloons or wet sponges, stand back and try to throw it in the target.

• Play Simon Says

• Go Geocaching

• Fly a kite

• Throw a frisbee or go to frisbee park!

• Play “Would you Rather?” – Click here for questions 

• Old school Parachute – My mom bought this 12 foot parachute from Amazon and it’s a super fun game from my kids and their friends! You can use an old sheet too!

• Play Duck, Duck, Goose or Duck, Duck, SPLASH!

• Do some texture rubbings on leaves, grass, and other items you find outside.

Luke at the Bear Creek Nature Center

• Visit a Nature Center

• Play “Pass the Water” – click here for instructions

• Do shadow drawings as seen below:

If you are in Colorado Springs, CLICK HERE for 20 additional ideas of FREE Things to do around town!

I hope this inspires you to get out and play!

What is your favorite summer time activity? Leave me a comment!