Summer is finally here! My kids (and I) look forward to hunting for ladybugs outside, riding bikes, eating snow cones, and swimming in the pool. But sometimes the South Carolina heat and humidity just flat wear us out, and we eventually retreat back inside. This occasionally happens as early as 10 in the morning! So now what? Homeschooling is over, and our day is much less structured than before. I refuse to allow them to watch TV (the harmful effects of watching too much TV have been well established). So, what are some fun activities besides watching TV?
Don’t worry, there are plenty of activities for kids to do indoors when summer gets too hot (or rainy, in our case) besides watching TV. I’ve compiled a list here that is low-cost, easy to implement, and will keep your kids entertained and active during those hot summer days!
So Instead of watching TV, or getting scorched outside, try these indoor activities:
- Build a fort or tent.
- Make homemade playdough. Here are several recipes, depending on the ingredients you have on hand.
- Bake cookies, cupcakes, or any other yummy treat!
- Play board games (Twister, Guess Who, Monopoly or Sorry are classic favorites).
- Play card games (Uno, Go Fish, or these other fun card games for kids). Card games can even be educational!
- Play dominoes, or play with dominoes.
- Read a book aloud, which is quite beneficial to your child’s academic success.
- Make crafts. If you don’t have many of craft supplies on hand, nature provides lots of stuff to use (but you might have to go outside to gather a few things). Or, you can upcycle plenty of things around your house!
- Do a fun science experiment. Educational, hands-on, and fun…so much better than watching TV!
- Play dress up.
- Practice still photography using objects around the house.
- Do yoga or a workout video together. This might involve the use of TV, but it’s not the same as watching TV!
- Color. Even adults still enjoy coloring…try these mandalas..
- Try some origami.
- Play dress up.
- Organize or declutter your home and donate your unused items to charity.
- Look through photo albums together.
- Turn on some loud, dancing music and clean! Reward everyone’s efforts with a sweet treat afterwards (my go-to is always ice cream).
- Work on a jigsaw puzzle.
- Make your own smoothie blends.
- Write a letter or make a card to send to a loved one in the mail. Grandparents are always happy to receive one!
- Rearrange or redecorate your room.
- Have a spelling bee (see some lists for grades 1 – 12). Once again, educational and fun!
- Have a indoor scavenger hunt.
- Paint rocks or salt-dough ornaments if you don’t have any rocks.
There you have it, 25 activities besides watching TV!
The magical thing about these activities is that they are the kind that your children will want to do again and again (did you see all the fun science experiments!). Better yet, they don’t cost too much time or effort to put together!
With a little bit of pre-planning, you’ll be able to provide your children with plenty of activities besides watching TV when the weather becomes uncooperative this summer. Use the summertime to encourage your children to explore new hobbies (besides texting) and expand their minds, even if it means staying indoors for a bit during the heat of the day!