Guest Post By: Carey Cruz

Summer is here. Everyone is happy. Your kids are glad that school is over:  no more getting up early and no more homework for at least two months. For you, it means getting up at your own pace in the morning, sipping that cup of coffee in peace before going out for work or starting your morning chores before the kids wake up. Yes, summer is indeed here. If you decide to Stay at home for the summer, whether for financial or personal reasons, don’t panic. There are projects you can do with your kids to ensure that they won’t be bored and or feel left out, moaning “everyone is going somewhere except us!” Here are some fun ideas to try:

Learn a Language

Hola! Learn Spanish with your kids. If you can’t afford to go to Spain, why not bring Spain to you?  You can order a CD online and if you’re on a tight budget you can even buy it second-hand.  There are also a lot of websites that have free online Spanish lessons and other activities as well.  Have fun with complimentary activities with your kids like cooking or trying to name every single thing you see in Spanish, seeing who can name the most.  Be as creative as you can. Try watching Spanish films with the subtitles of (Pans Labyrinth) is good for this among others.

If Spanish isn't the language for you, try French, or better yet, discuss it with your kids and whatever language that gets the highest votes, wins!

Learn a Sport If your kids are active it might be best to learn a sport together.  They play different sports at school, so  it may be good to learn something different, something like horseback riding, canoeing or water-polo and if you’re lucky enough to live near the sea, why not learn how to dive?  Watch out for holiday time sports training programs in your area. However, if they have a particular sport they know but want to master, do it.  The important thing is to listen to what your kids want to do.

Learn a Craft If you mention the word “craft”, don’t be surprised to hear comments like “But that’s boring!” or “that’s for old people”. Now is the time to change that impression.

Crafts can be anything from knitting or painting, to complicated and fun, paper mache or decoupage projects.  If your family is already into crafts, the idea of making their own toys will certainly appeal to them. All kids are different, with varying interests and ideas of what is fun.  When thinking of enjoyable and educational projects to do over the summer, remember it’s not about you, it’s all about them. Whatever they choose, it’s also important that you do it as a family activity.  Doing these fun-filled activities will also teach your kids that while traveling to far and exotic places is a great way to spend your vacation, staying at home could also be fulfilling.

Bio:

Having more than 8 years of tutoring experience in K 7-10, Carey decided to dedicate more time to family and shifted to part-time essay writing job at bestessay.com.  Here core interests include, but not limit to e-learning perspectives, sustainable development, traveling and parenting.