After just a couple weeks of summer break, my kids and their friends are already bored with the activities at our house. Sound familiar? Here are 10 ideas to help keep the kiddos busy.
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Hold an A-to-Z scavenger hunt where you have to find something that starts with every letter.
Practise your origami skills and make construction paper crafts to hang from the ceiling. Fun ideas can be found here.
Make a sidewalk chalk mural and invite the neighbourhood kids to join in the fun.
Collect rocks and paint them to use as paperweights or pet rocks.
Set up a tent in the backyard and use as a summer playhouse. You can even plan a backyard camp out for a night!
Take a kid’s workshop at stores like Michael;s Lowe’s, Indigo, Home Depot or Pottery Barn. Some classes are free; others require a nominal fee – typically $10 or less.
Make some goop. Get the recipe here. Or playdough. Get the recipe here.
Create an obstacle course – Build a backyard obstacle course with hula hoops, jump rope and balance beams, then time the kids.
Play hometown tourist. You don’t have to leave town to go on a vacation: Get to know the town you live in. Look into local landmarks, call the local historical society for some fun hometown trivia, and ask a neighbour for their favourite restaurant recommendation to try somewhere new.
Fly a kite.
Explore Toronto. Remember that children 12 and under ride for FREE on Go Transit. Check out this article for 50 things to do with kids in and around Toronto this summer.