With the opening of classes still more than a month away, a big challenge for moms is to keep their children busy in a productive way. Kids are kids, and it’s but natural if they would want to spend the rest of the vacation just lazing around, playing online games with their friends. Sometimes though, kids’ idea of fun is not exactly what parents have in mind as they would like children to spend their days in a more fruitful way. It’s really a challenge to attain the right balance between learning, productivity and fun, but it’s possible. Here are a few ideas to help kids make the most of the rest of summer in a way that they will find enjoyable.
Engage kids thru art
Do-it-yourself art activities like scrapbooking can make the days extra creative for kids. They can start by filling pages and pages with cute pictures, colorful artworks, and other souvenirs such as stamps, tickets, etc. Doing DIY art will not only keep kids occupied while having fun, but also encourage them to be as creative as they can be. You can also teach them to be resourceful and innovative by recycling old materials and household items for their summer project.
Expose them to activities that promote social responsibility
It’s never too early to teach kids about values and social responsibility by helping others and caring for the environment, and this can be done by exposing them to local community efforts. It could be as simple as a tree planting activity, a community cleanup, or a visit to an organization that promotes an advocacy like homes for the aged or animal shelters. This is a great bonding experience not for just mommies and their kids but for the whole family as well.
Explore the great outdoors
Technology allows kids to learn and have fun in the comforts of their own home, but there are some things that are best experienced in real life, like nature. Give kids a break from their gadgets and take them to parks and zoos, where they can have a breath of fresh air, engage in active play, and appreciate the outdoors. A lot of parks offer more than just their picnic grounds – most have boat and bike rentals, zip line rides, petting zoos, and playgrounds – so there is always something for kids and moms to do and bond over. Exposing them to the outdoors is also a good opportunity to teach them about the value of and caring for nature and animals.
Give kids a first-hand experience of history, culture and science
Introduce your kids to a refreshingly different learning environment by bringing them to museums. Not only will they be exposed to art, history and science lessons outside the classroom, but they will also learn in a much more interactive and entertaining way. Together, you and your kids can bond and discover the story of the universe, the evolution of humans and inventions, important history facts and items, and other interesting tidbits of knowledge. The best part about these museum trips is that the kids won’t even realize how much they’ve learned in such a short time because they are too busy exploring and having fun.
Enroll your kids in summer camps that promote fun learning
Look for summer camps where kids can learn the value of work, excellence, and leadership through fun and games – providing them with a well-rounded experience. An example is the Jollibee Mini Managers Camp. During the camp’s interactive role-play activity, kids will be exposed to Jollibee’s best store practices and asked to apply what they have learned as responsible Jollibee Mini Managers. The Mini Managers is open to all Jollibee Kids Club members aged 4-7 and comes with a kit and their very own Jollibee Mini Manager uniform. Interested parents may enroll their kids in any of the 300 participating Jollibee stores nationwide. For more details, visit www.facebook.com/JollibeePhilippines.
For moms, nothing can beat seeing kids having fun and still having a productive time. Just make sure though to ask them first about the things they would be most interested in, so you can plan ahead and make sure that the activity they will engage in will be interesting for them. After all, every mom wants her kids to experience the best and most memorable summer ever.