Halfway through the summer, life can slow down a bit. Perhaps your family has already gone on a vacation, taken part in a Vacation Bible School program, or visited relatives. But with at least another month before it’s time to shop for school supplies, what activities can children do? Here are some inexpensive, time-tested winners you may want to revive in your schedule.

• Game night. Whether it’s a card game, like Crazy Eights, or a board game, like Yahtzee, games provide a natural platform for interacting with your kids. With a variety of choices, children can learn patience, strategy, taking turns, communication, and being a good sport.
• Hiking. This free activity can also serve as a learning platform. Find a safe, woodsy place to explore, pack your water bottles and a snack, and take a walk on the semi-wild side. Use a search engine to learn about the plants and animals you encounter and take plenty of pictures. Discuss how to be respectful of our environment and how to conserve our natural resources. Go on a scavenger hunt or search for one particular plant or animal life on your trek.
• Paint rocks. On one of those hikes you take, collect a variety of smooth stones. After washing them, view online images of stoney masterpieces to inspire your children. Then grab acrylic paint and a brush and let your kids create their own pieces of art. For fun, ask them to include a message, like, “God loves you,” or, “You are amazing.” Later, kids can hide their painted treasures in the neighborhood for other people to find. [Photo credit: photo by Sigmund on Unsplash]
• Recycling Art. Want to make good use of the scraps around the house? Gather scissors, glue, crayons, markers, stickers, paper, and any clean materials you have in your recycling bin. Old boxes, empty water bottles, and milk caps can be transformed into original artwork. You might be surprised to see what your child creates with a few tools and their imagination.
• Build a pillow fort… and then read in it. If the temperature gets too hot and there isn’t a pool available to cool off in, gather pillows and blankets together and build a fort. Once everything is secure, add a flashlight and a box of books. Kids will love reading in their squishy stronghold. If you’re looking for an interesting Christian picture book to read, our blog offers many choices written by our blog authors. They include titles like I Love You Bigger Than the Sky, My Arms Will Hold You Tight, The Creation, Too Many Pigs in the Pool, Evie’s Field Day, and more!

Do you have an activity you can add to the list? Please put it in the comments below. And…have fun!

Lori Z. Scott

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