Ah, summer. That magical time of year when the kids are home all day, every day, and suddenly your house feels more like a zoo with poor management. The school year ends, and your children emerge from the bus like caffeinated meerkats, full of energy, questions, and a mysterious ability to make a mess with just a thought.
You're thrilled to spend time with them, of course. But let’s be real: there are only so many crafts, popsicles, and reruns of Bluey one human can handle.
So, how do you keep them busy, happy, and not duct-taped to the wall (which, for legal reasons, I do NOT recommend)? Read on, brave parent.
1. Outdoor Activities (aka Just Throw Them in the Yard)
The outdoors is nature’s babysitter. That’s why it exists.
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The Sprinkler of Salvation: Hook up a sprinkler, throw them in swimsuits, and tell them it’s a water park. Bonus: it’s also a bath!
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“Nature Scavenger Hunt”: Translation: "Go find weird stuff in the backyard and leave me alone for 20 minutes."
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Sidewalk Chalk Olympics: Give them chalk, a stopwatch, and an unnecessarily long list of challenges. Example: “Draw a giraffe. Now hop over it 12 times. Now name it.”
2. Camps: Send Them Away, Legally
Camps are a great way to outsource both supervision and enthusiasm.
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Day Camps: Expensive? Often. Worth it? YES. Let someone else teach your child how to make a lanyard while you enjoy a silent cup of coffee.
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“Camp Mom”: If camps are too pricey, just rename your home. Print a fake schedule. Create fake t-shirts. Pretend you're a counselor named “Linda” who doesn’t tolerate whining.
3. Arts & Crafts (and Other Activities That End in Glitter Everywhere)
Crafts are great… until you’re vacuuming googly eyes out of the cat.
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DIY Slime: It keeps them busy for hours, and also teaches them important life lessons like “never trust your little brother with glue.”
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Recyclable Robots: Give them cardboard boxes, duct tape, and markers. If you’re lucky, they’ll make a robot. If not, they’ll at least be quiet for 30 minutes.
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Painting Rocks: It’s free. It’s outside. It involves paint. Enough said.
4. Screen Time (Let's Not Lie to Ourselves)
Look, we all try to limit it. But sometimes, screens are the only thing standing between you and a mental breakdown.
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Educational Apps: So you can pretend you’re enriching their minds while scrolling Instagram in peace.
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Movie “Marathons”: Also known as "Mom's Nap Time."
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YouTube Yoga: They’ll do it for three minutes, fall over, and then start a pillow fight. Still counts as physical activity.
5. Old School Parenting Hacks
Desperate times call for retro measures.
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Make Them Clean: Call it “The Cleaning Challenge.” Put on music. Offer prizes. Pretend this is fun. Sometimes you will believe it, too.
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Sibling Olympics: Turn chores and errands into competitions. “Who can fold laundry the fastest?” “Who can find Mom’s sanity?”
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The Magical Cardboard Box: Give them a big box. That’s it. They’ll turn it into a spaceship, a submarine, or a weird puppet theater. Kids are weird. Embrace it.
6. Embrace the Chaos (and Lower the Bar)
You’re not running a Pinterest-perfect summer camp. You’re surviving. If everyone is alive, occasionally fed, and moderately entertained, you’re doing great.
Remember:
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It’s okay to say “go play” and walk away.
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Boredom is just creativity in disguise (also whining, but mostly creativity).
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Your house will not be clean until September. Accept this now and move on.
Final Thoughts
Summer with kids is like juggling flaming swords while someone yells, “I’m hungry!” every five minutes. But it’s also a time for memories, laughter, and yes, even a little madness.
So grab your sunscreen, hide your good snacks, and brace yourself. You've got this, Camp Director.
Now go find the kid who just filled the dog’s bowl with cereal.
Get you Kids summer planner at https://digitaldivas.shop/products/kids-summer-planner?utm_source=copyToPasteBoard&utm_medium=product-links&utm_content=web to make this summer a walk in the park