Disclosure: As a #PlayLikeHasbro Ambassador, I have the opportunity on occasion to try out new toys with my family. Although I have received some products mentioned in this post for review, all opinions expressed within are my own and have not been influenced in any way.
Summer Boredom. Is that even possible? I remember the slow and steady (and engaging!) days of camp as a child as being some of the most fulfilling moments of my life.
My oldest, though, has different expectations for how summer should work. He is the kid who cries big, ugly tears for days leading up to the end of the school year. He begs to go back to school. And then his behavior turns ugly…defiant, exhausting, and sometimes mean, he lashes out at all of us because we are denying him school.
It is not as if we are not “entertaining” our kids all summer. We just spent 4 weeks in the Keys (poor babes, right?), visited Disney, and have a month of day trips planned before they head off to camp later in the summer. However, keeping their interests piqued (and the oldest’s attitude at bay) requires some creative thinking.
Our best tip for beating summer boredom is to get outside. When we get out, there are some toys and tools that make our time a bit more enjoyable!
1. Prepare for a Zombie Attack.
The Nerf Super Soaker Zombie Strike Dreadside Blaster is our choice for cooling off. We love that it shoots multiple streams of water at the same time.
2. Put your Fingers in the Sand.
Our sand table lets us bring a little bit of the beach to our home. We fill it with play sand and put diggers, cars, and shovels in for the kids to use. All three kids are often found around this table, building, zooming, and sculpting.
3. Head out for a Walk.
Our goal each day is to get the kids enough activity that they fall asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow at night. We like to get “out into nature” and we enjoy walking some of the beautiful preserves near our house.
4. Skip It. Literally.
One of my favorite toys as a kid was the Skip-It. It is baaaaaaack! Our family has been having competitions with the Twister Moves Skip-It. Even my husband gets involved, since Skip-It counts as both “activity” and “steps” in our Apple Watch activity tracking (another daily competition in this house). I was particularly excited that I still have my Skip-It abilities, and am the best skipper in our house. This may be one of the parenting achievements I am most proud of, since I am notoriously uncoordinated.
5. Stage an Outdoor Superhero Scenario.
My middle son is much more interested in using his imagination than most other types of play. He particularly loves figurines and play sets, like the Playskool Heroes 4-in-1 Helicarrier. He will spend hours making up his own adventures with his superheroes. Yesterday he staged fireworks with some paper and projectiles…and I think his “guys” were impressed with the show.
6. Ride.
It seems we need a third garage bay just to fit all of the kids’ vehicles. We race around the driveway daily, gliding on the Plasma Cars, crab walking on the gym scooters, or acting all Fred Flintstone in the Little Tikes car. Sometimes they will map out a town or racetrack on the driveway with chalk or set up a pumping station. Its an incredibly active and imaginative way for them to spend time together outside.
The countdown to school continues (T minus 7 weeks), but I am not going to rush it. Instead, we’ll continue to beat the summer boredom blues until it is time for camp. How are you and your family keeping entertained this summer?
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