When young children get bored, they'll tear your house apart and drive you up the wall. Nobody knows this better than the parents of busy preschoolers. Don’t let your kiddos drive you bananas all season long. Get them outside for some cheap summer fun. Here are some tried and true summer activities to keep your youngsters from grinding on your nerves.
Scribbling With Sidewalk Chalk
If you have a sidewalk or driveway, it’s fair game for kids who are armed with chalk. Sidewalk chalk is perfect for drawing hopscotch games and creative masterpieces. Don’t worry about the mess. Sidewalk chalk can be easily rinsed away with water. Just turn on the garden hose and spray! You can find chalk in a variety of colors at local school supply and dollar stores.
Planting a Small Vegetable Garden
Gardening is a chance to let little ones get their hands grungy. Gardening also provides an opportunity for youngsters to interact with nature and learn a few things about self sufficiency and nutrition. All you need is a small space in the yard, a bit of fertilized soil, a few seeds and some water to get started.
If you don’t have any yard space, don't panic. Kids can have just as much fun planting veggies in pots or old containers like buckets, sandboxes and wagons.
The summer sun can get pretty hot and cause some serious damage to children's delicate skin. To help the kiddos avoid the ravages of Mr. Sun, slather them with sunblock and let them work in the garden early in the morning or late in the evening.
Splashing in an Inflatable Kiddie Pool
An inflatable wading pool is just the right size for your preschoolers to beat the summer heat. Toss in a few small water toys and watch your kids have a blast splashing around. The best thing about an inflatable wading pool is that when the children are done playing, you can easily drain the water out, deflate it and store it away for future use.
Inflatable pools come in a variety of shapes, styles and sizes; so no matter what your preschoolers prefer, you’ll have no trouble finding a pool they'll adore. You can purchase an inflatable kiddie pool for less than 50 bucks at a large chain discount store like Target or Wal-Mart, or from an online vendor such as Amazon.com.
Spare yourself a few gray hairs this summer. Keep those preschoolers busy by letting them scribble on the concrete, splish-splash in a kiddie pool and grow their own pint-sized vegetable garden.
Charlina Stewart - Charlina has dedicated more than a decade of her life making a positive difference in the lives of children. During her time as an early ...
