activity

Sure, all the experts agree that giving kids some down time to explore their own creativity and imagination ~ yadda, yadda, yadda is a great way for them to mature into their own personalities. Still, at this point in their Summer Vacation, your children are probably complaining about being overly bored and starting to go a little stir crazy in the process (or if you have multiples or toddlers or even multiple toddlers {yep, that’s me}, you’re probably the one going stir crazy). I don’t know about you, but I’m craving something FUN, AFFORDABLE, and EDUCATIONAL to throw into our daily mix.

Fortunately, I’ve found just the thing to put an end to Summer Boredom for good. The Summer Activities Challenge 2009, is a fun program Education.com has put together for parents and kids alike. With over 1,000 activities available and something for every age group, this site is like a breath of fresh air for parents this summer. They’ve even given you a little incentive to do these activities with your child … if you complete just 20 of these activities by August 31st (you’ve probably already done a few on your own), you’ll be entered to win a Dell Latitude 2100 Notebook or one of 100 Lego Creator mini sets.

There truly is something fun for everyone … from “Simon Says” and “Mother May I” to Backyard Astronomy and everything in between, the activities are easily sorted by grade and/or school subject and they even have a special section for preschoolers and outdoor activities.

I hope you’ll take a moment to sign up for this fantastic challenge and stay tuned to see which activities the Kids Stuff World toddlers complete over the next few weeks.

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Five fun, FREE activities to try with your kids … more ideas coming soon …

1. Let ‘er rip, tear, and cut
Children LOVE the shredding sound paper makes, the feel of crinkling pages between their fingers, and the act of cutting from old magazines. Put your old magazines to good use while providing hours of fun for your toddlers.

Age Appropriate: 6 months & up ~ Shredding & tearing for younger children, save the cutting for 2 & up

2. Flashlight games
Turn off the lights, close the blinds, grab a flashlight, and lie back on the floor for a rockin’ light show with your little ones. Dance the light beam along the ceiling and walls, babies will stare in delight while toddlers giggle with glee. On rainy days try a game of flashlight tag or shadow puppets to burn off some of that toddler energy.

Age Appropriate: 3 months & up

3. It’s a plane!
Check with your local airport to see whether it has an observation tower – or a room with huge windows where your toddler can watch planes take off and land. Bring along some lunch and enjoy the show.

Age Appropriate: 2 & up

4. Bathing in the pink
Or the green, or the blue… A few drops of food coloring go a long way toward making bath time something special. It’s especially fun to mix colors together, to make special shades like purple, turquoise, or orange. Don’t worry, a few drops of food coloring diluted in a tub of water won’t dye your child’s skin.

Age Appropriate: 2 & up

5. Camp in
Wait for a dark and dreary day. Now suggest that you go camping – in your family room. Make a “tent” with sheets and blankets draped over chairs. If you have sleeping bags, dig them out – or just create some bedrolls with blankets and pillows. Tell stories and sing songs around an imaginary fire. And when the lights go out, make a beautiful galaxy appear on the ceiling of your tent by shining a flashlight through a colander.

Age Appropriate: 3 & up

Ideas from Cheap fun for kids: Baby Center
Haba Igloo Collapsible Tent Shown

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