After school lets out and summer camp is over, it doesn’t take long for the “I’m boooored”s to start echoing throughout your house. Be one step ahead of your Military Family’s seasonal monotony by keeping this list of easy, inexpensive activities in your back pocket.
1. Photo Scavenger Hunt
All this activity requires is a camera and a little imagination. Jot down a checklist of items for your kids to snap pictures of.
Depending on how adventurous your kids are, the items on your list can be easily found around your home and yard or require them to venture around the neighborhood to track down.
2. At-Home Cooking Show
Get your little ones in the kitchen by staging your own cooking show.
Let them walk you through how to make your military family’s favorite recipes while you play cameraman and capture the process through photo or video.
3. Squirt Gun Paint
Take watercolor to a whole new level with this thrilling summer art experience.
Just be sure to set up your easel outside to avoid rainbow-colored walls. Fire Flies and Mud Pies shows you how to mix up your own paints.
4. Mason Jar Aquarium
Bring the beach to you with these Mason jar aquariums.
Kids can decorate their jars with rocks, plants, and plastic figures of their favorite sea creatures. Get the tutorial on Hello, Wonderful.
5. Water Balloon Baseball
Beat the heat with this unique take on America’s favorite pastime.
Simply replace baseballs with water balloons and have fun slipping and sliding around the bases.
6. Fruit Picking
Take advantage of summer’s bounty by heading to a local farm or orchard to pick your own produce.
In season fruit is delicious straight from the branch, or you can plan some recipes to use it in.
7. Chalk Balloons
Tie-dye your driveway with this colorful take on water balloons. Reading Confetti shows you how to fill balloons with liquid sidewalk chalk made from just water, cornstarch, and food coloring.
Since the mixture will wash off with rain or hose water, you can color your driveway, again and again, all summer long.
8. Indoor Sandbox
A rainy day can’t keep the fun away!
If it’s not beach weather, you can build sandcastles indoors with this mess-free sandbox from An Ordinary Housewife.
9. Make a Nature Collage
Capture the season by turning leaves, petals, and twigs into a collage that can be displayed year round.
Go for a walk in a beautiful area near you and collect your art supplies along the way.
10. Gingerbread Beach House
Who says gingerbread houses are just for winter?
Start by making a beach of crushed graham crackers and blue frosting then get creative adding your own sugary seasonal updates.
11. Stargazing
Take advantage of the warm, starry nights by laying out in your backyard and looking for constellations with your military family.
Apps like Star Chart help you navigate the night sky.
12. Bicycle Parade
Invite the kids in the neighborhood over for a parade around the block.
Everyone can decorate their bikes with ribbons, balloons, and the décor and choose a playlist to ride to.
13. Salad Spinner Art
Take your creativity for a spin with this exciting DIY spin art idea.
The Imagination Tree shows you how to turn an average salad spinner into hours of artistic fun.
The only question is: What will you spin into creation first?
14. Pine Cone Bird Feeder
Entice birds into your backyard with a delicious snack that’s fun and easy to make.
All you need is a pinecone, peanut butter (or sunflower seed butter in the case of allergies), bird seed, and string. Never Enough Thyme shows you how to put together this simple bird feeder.
15. Bedroom Makeovers
Summer is a great time for kids to take stalk of their bedrooms, clean out anything they don’t need anymore, and updated it with new projects.
SpouseLink has plenty of ideas for both boys’ and girls’ bedrooms.
