education KIDS& JULY THERE’S NOTHING TO DO By Ronda Ady While your kids may look forward to summer, you probably dread it due to the boredom that typically sets in after a few weeks. You must come up with ways to entertain your kids without breaking the bank. Here are some suggestions. Make and play badminton. To make the racquets, bend wire hangers into an ovular shape and twist the ends together. Stretch some nylon across the top and wrap tightly around the handle. Secure the nylon to the handle with string. Use a soft ball for the birdie. Stretch some long string between the trees to make the net. Find out how handy you are. Dismantle old machines, like telephones and radios, to see how they work. Then try putting them back together. Tour your state capitol. Before you go, have your kids research the history of the state government, how it is run and relates to the federal government, and how a bill becomes a law. Make some ice cream. You will need a gallon-sized plastic bag, a quart-sized plastic bag, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt and ice. Place 1 c. milk, 1 T. sugar and 1/2 t. vanilla in the quart-sized bag. Place 1/3 c. salt in the gallon-sized bag and fill 3/4 of the way with ice cubes. Place the smaller bag inside the larger bag and seal tightly. Shake vigorously for five minutes. Put on a play. Have your children write the screenplay, design the sets and costumes, and make the tickets and advertising. Check with local appliance stores for large boxes to use for the sets and dye some old sheets for the curtains. Make costumes from old clothes. Tour a local factory. Before you go, have the kids research the history of the business, what it makes, how it markets its products and what it means to the community. Plant a garden. Find a suitable site and help your kids figure out what will grow best there. Once everything is planted, have your kids take turns caring for the garden, watering and weeding it. Help your kids harvest the vegetables and cook a meal using them. Go on a scavenger hunt. Hide a list of items for each kid and give them a certain time to find them. Have an egg and spoon race. You will need a raw egg and spoon for each kid. Line them up at the starting line and instruct them to try to race to the finish without dropping the egg from the spoon and breaking it. Should they drop the egg and it remains intact, they must return to the starting line and start over. The first kid to reach the finish line without breaking the egg wins. There are many other ways you can keep the kids entertained for the rest of the summer. You can: • Pick up some books from the library and read them together • Learn a foreign language or sign language • Start a collection or hobby • Organize a neighborhood block party • Visit a zoo, museum, nature center or some other place of interest • Volunteer at a shelter, hospital or senior home • Go biking, hiking or backyard camping • Walk around the city and observe the architecture • Visit a farmer’s market and cook whatever you buy • Redecorate a room • Hold a garage sale • Play games indoors and outdoors • Make crafts With some thought and creativity, you can keep the kids entertained this summer and away from the TV, computer and video games. How cool is that?
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