The long, hot days of summer have arrived, so it's time to turn off the TV and head outside to play.
Keep children entertained with these fun outdoor games and activities.
If children are kept busy, it's unlikely you'll hear the words "Mommy, I'm bored” all summer long!
•Send them on a scavenger hunt. Your children can do this activity alone, with a friend or in teams, says Lisa Hall, director of the Eastern Start School Age Program in Oriskany, N.Y. Give your child a list of items to find in nature, such as a rock, dandelion, leaf or something a bird would like to eat.
•Chalk it up to fun. An inexpensive box of colored chalk can keep children busy for hours. Have younger children draw pictures on the sidewalk or driveway. For the older children, try a game of Tic Tac Toe or hopscotch.
•Bet on bug races. See how many critters the children can spot — without actually picking them up — in the backyard for a short period, such as five minutes, says Penny Warner, author of "Kids Outdoor Parties” (Meadowbrook Press).
•Knock 'em over with backyard bowling. Find household items that will tumble easily, such as empty cereal boxes, empty soda cans or small stuffed toys, and align them in rows like bowling pins, Warner suggests. Then, using a smaller ball for older children and a bigger ball for the young ones, have the children roll the ball.
•Create an outdoor canvas. Hang an old sheet on a clothesline, or tape paper to a fence for your budding artist to paint on. Encourage the child to try creating artwork with different kinds of brushes, Warner says. "Try dipping grass into paint and swishing it on paper, then try painting with a leaf or a twig. The kids can also try painting rocks and creating little people or bugs with them.”
•Host a mini-Olympics. Get the youths competing in running and wheelbarrow races, obstacle courses, water balloon tosses and jumping competitions, Hall suggests. Finish off the fun with a mini-Olympic awards ceremony to honor all of the athletes. Buy medals at the local dollar store or make some with construction paper, colored pencils and string.
This information is provided by St. Anthony Hospital. For more information, please call Saints physician referral at 231-8866. Additional information provided by health.kaboose.com.
