Summer is in and school is out. Can you already hear your kids say, “Mom, I’m bored?”
For parents with toddlers and school-age kids, summer could be a very challenging season. Kids stay at home and you have to find ways to keep them busy, that is if you don’t want them throwing tantrums all day. The key here is to be creative with summer activities, letting your kids try out different things, and making them a part of the decision-making process as to what they want to do all summer long.
Growing families living in condominiums have the upper hand on this one. Condominium communities are not only located near establishments, they also offer common amenities that could keep kids occupied while they are at home. At Siena Park Residences, a medium density condominium village in Parañaque, kids can enjoy different indoor and outdoor activities. Apart from the amenities, you can keep your kids productive this summer with different activities that can boost their creativity and enhance their imagination.
Create an arts and crafts station
Are your walls and furniture filled with kiddie drawings? Instead of telling the kids to stop, spare them a small corner in the condo where they can draw, paint, and get crafty. Warning: things can get messy.
A small table, small chairs, and a bunch of craft kits are all you need. You don’t even need to buy new ones. Old crayons, colored papers, magazine pages, old colored pens, and other nature items such as twigs, dried leaves, and stones should keep the kids busy. Coloring books and drawing pads are also recommended. Just keep basic supplies like kiddie scissors, glue, and paper handy. You might also consider laying out a used tarp under the table so you don’t have to think about paint, water color, etc. spilling on the floor.
Awaken their green thumbs
There’s something about sand or soil that kids love so much. Children do not mind getting their hands or their clothes dirty, and you shouldn’t too. Get them started early on the green and healthy pastime of gardening. You don’t need a backyard garden for this. Clay pots you can put indoors or in the condo balcony will do.
This is one of the most productive summer activities for kids because it doesn’t just stop with kids planting a seed. They have to water it, make sure the plants get enough sunshine, and grow and maintain them. This means they have something to do all summer long. The bonus for everyone is that house plants help keep the air clean and healthy.
Get them started on household chores
It’s never too early to teach your kids about responsibility. This summer, make chores fun by instituting a chore chart. This can include simple tasks like making their beds, watering the plants, dusting off drawers, taking out the trash, and feeding the pets. Just make sure the chores are age-appropriate.
Make it more exciting by assigning stars or prices to the chore. For example: taking out the chores = 3 stars, while making the bed = 5 stars. If they reach a certain number of stars, they are entitled to prize such as fun day in an amusement park or whatever they feel like doing. Yes, there’s some investment but if you do the rewards game right, it could be truly beneficial. You may also give money as a reward, just make sure you put some thought into how to teach kids to manage their money.
Explore the outdoors
Never mind if your house is not in a meadow or near a waterfall. You can be living in a condo and still expose your kids to the outdoors. In the morning, walk or jog with your kids in the landscaped jogging path at Siena Park. You can also teach them how to bike, which every parent knows is a major achievement.
Just when the sun is about to set, walk around the community and let your kids appreciate nature. Siena Park has landscaped gardens everywhere, an open lawn and picnic grove, a koi pond, and a playground. Let them pick up stones, smell the flowers, and play under the shade.
A splashing summer
When it comes to kids’ favorite summer activities, swimming is definitely on top of the list. There’s a kiddie pool in the condo community where they can go splashing without parents having to worry about safety. The whole pool area also has a leisure pool for adults, water features, and a pool deck.
Make swimming time more fun by organizing simple games that you can do as a family. Don’t forget those colorful floaters. You may also share pool party snacks that are very easy to prepare.
Pick from an activity bucket
Afraid you’ll run out of activities for kids this summer? Why not make your own activity bucket? Write down potential activities on a piece of paper and make kids pick them out from a bucket. Write down activities such as making homemade ice cream or fruit pops, building a hammock inside the house, building a play tent, making crafts out of recycled stuff, and taking photos outdoors. Just make sure you include activities that you can do with things that are already lying around.
Of play dates and scavenger hunts
Keep kids occupied this summer by scheduling play dates with other children. As parents, you should encourage your kids to interact with other kids in order to develop their motor and social skills. Set up play dates in the playground or right inside your house. You may also arrange scavenger hunts indoors or outdoors. This improves the child’s leadership and decision-making skills.
Take this summer as an opportunity to develop the skills of your children while keeping them busy at the same time. Ask them what they want to do, find out their interests, discover their skills and build on them. You don’t have to have an expansive backyard for this, just a child-friendly condo community would be perfect.
