Parents/Babysitters: Dreading Summer Boredom?

While I am definitely not dreading summer myself (I'm a teacher), I can see where going from having your kids come 4om each to having them from sun-up til sun-down can be scary!  lol  When your on a budget, what in world can you do to entertain the munckins?  I ran across from frugal, cute activities where you never have to leave the house...all FREE!!

Summer Activities for Kids
by Beth Hering
Activities to keep your kids occupied this summer

1. Create a safari.

Pretend your house is a jungle (not much imagination needed
for some of us). Hide stuffed or plastic animals in various
rooms. Send your child on an expedition to find the creatures
and bring them to a designated point.

2. Host a car show.

Have your child group together similar toy vehicles in
separate rooms, such as trucks in the living room, cars in the
dining room, and rescue vehicles in the kitchen. Tell the
child to arrange the cars in a design, such as in rows or in a
circle. Give the young showman a baby wipe to polish the
vehicles for the show. When all the vehicles are looking their
best, the child can escort you into each room for viewing.
Award a small piece of ribbon to the best in each category.

3. Do inventory.

Children like to keep track of their items. Write down a list
of categories, such as action figures, trading cards, and
board games. Have the child count the number of items he owns
in each group. Write that number next to the appropriate
category.

4. Set up an obstacle course.

Use blocks, toy kitchen items, or just about anything else to
create an obstacle course for Hot Wheels and other toy
vehicles. The child can drive a vehicle through the course
while you count or hold a stopwatch. Wild driving won't work;
a five-second penalty gets added to the score for each item
knocked down. Record the result. Repeat with vehicles of
different shapes and sizes. Compare the times at the end and
talk about which vehicles were the easiest or hardest to
maneuver and why.

5. Organize a parade.

Invent a holiday, such as "Mommy Appreciation Day" or "Only 30
More Days until School Starts." Hold a parade to celebrate.
Line up toy vehicles from smallest to largest, letting the
line run from room to room if necessary. Make banners for some
cars. Decorate others with bows and ribbons. Action figures
and plastic animals can join as riders. Stuffed animals can
line the route as spectators. Choose a grand marshal and build
a platform of blocks where he can stand.

6. Host Halloween in July.

Create a costume contest among dolls and stuffed animals by
dressing them up in hats, clothing, scrap material, and
decorated paper bags.

7. Set up a bookstore.

Want to sneak in some reading? Set up a "bookstore" where you
are the customer and your child is the seller. Describe the
type of book you would like to buy and have her recommend one.
Read it aloud to see if it is what you want. Pay for the
purchase with pretend money, or return the book to the shelf
and find another title.

8. Play mailman.

Slip in a bit of writing practice, too. Talk about what sorts
of things come in the mail: advertisements, cards, letters,
bills, invitations, etc. Make some of each. Be sure each piece
contains an address, a return address, and a sticker "stamp."
The young postal worker then puts the mail in a bag or in the
back of a toy truck and delivers it to the appropriate
recipient, such as a sibling, puppet, or pet.

9. Design the world's worst picnic.

Spread out a blanket as the site of an imaginary picnic filled
with the worst guests and food in the world. Drive toy cars
one at a time to park on the blanket, announcing each time who
the guest is and what he brought. Maybe it's Cruella De Vil
bringing rotten puppy chow or Captain Hook carrying slug soup.
Continue taking turns driving vehicles to the picnic until the
blanket is covered. Each vehicle must contain a different
driver and dish.

10. Swap with a friend.

If all else fails, arrange a week-long swap of a few books,
puzzles, or board games with another adventure-seeking family.
A toy doesn't have to be new, just "new-to-you" to be
exciting!