What are we talking about today?
Summer is a time of “fun in the sun”… but it can also be a hard season of Christian family life with so much unstructured time!
If you’re tired of the “I’m bored” conversations with your kids or dealing with some mom guilt that you can’t entertain them for every minute of the day, this episode is for you.
We’re diving into 12 creative ideas for how your family can enjoy some activities together – and maybe even better, ideas that your kids can take the lead on and entertain themselves.
It’s a win-win!
Whether you’re tired of the rainy day blues or the no-school summer break, try out these ideas and get some creative juices flowing to keep your kids entertained in meaningful ways.
Ready? Let’s dive in.
Listen to Episode 81:
If today’s topic is meaningful to you, you’ll also want to check out these earlier podcast episodes that connect with this same topic:
- Episode 48 // Want more quality time with your kids? Here are my 5 secret weapons to finding those great bonding moments.
- Episode 21 // Ignore Pinterest! 7 simple ways to celebrate the people you love… without spending a lot of money, fuss, or time
- Episode 59 // 25 quick, practical tips for your family’s year: build a happy marriage, peaceful home, and a great relationship with your kids
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Snag your resources here!
If you want even more than these 12 ideas, check out this fun and simple resource in my Etsy shop – a card set of 104 kids activity ideas!
With ideas for around the house and for getting out and about, these are great family activities or ideas for your kids to entertain themselves.
Let me also offer a FREE resource that I know will be helpful:
- If family relationships are feeling stuck in a rut, you need to RECONNECT – and summer is a great time to try some new things! Sign up today for my FREE 5-day email course: 5 Tools Every Busy Mom Needs to Move Her Family From Autopilot to Intimacy.
[This post may contain affiliate links. If a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.]
Today's Episode Highlights
My goal today is not to make you responsible for entertaining your kids all summer.
That’s not a mom’s job!
Instead, my goal is to help you enjoy the summer break, enjoy time with your family, and not get so caught up in Big Fancy Activities that you lose a normal rhythm of life.
These 12 ideas are from my Summer Activity Card Set with 104 ideas, so if you want more, you can grab the full list right here!
12 Ideas For Summer Break & Rainy Days
- Create your own coloring book. You could use a marker and paper, or go online to create one and print it out. And this is something mom OR kid can create… and then, of course, color!
- Use painter’s tape on the floor to create a maze. Again, mom or kids could create the maze and then have fun working through it.
- Hide Lego pieces and have a scavenger hunt. Or there are plenty of variations on this idea – if you have a Noah’s Ark play toy, you could hide the animals and go on a safari. Have a bunch of dolls? hide them and go on a rescue mission.
- Put on a fashion show with runway music and prizes for silly things – the most colorful outfit, silliest outfit, most creative use of a bandana, or whatever you want!
- Pick out a favorite book and read out loud to the kids. (Or, have them read out loud to you or to each other.) This could be a great daily activity, reading out loud on a regular basis or perhaps during a mealtime or while your kids clean up.
- Write your own book of jokes. Or poetry. Or novel.
- Learn about a different culture together. If your kids are old enough, have them take the lead. Then use what you learn! Cook a meal from that culture. Try to dress like folks from that culture. Read a fairy tale from that culture.
- Have a safe, in-the-house-approved “fight” – a pillow fight, stuffed animal fight, or maybe a snowball fight with marshmallows.
- Wash the car together. Add some washable food coloring to the bubbles to get some color going. Maybe you even want to go for a drive first to get the car really dirty… kids love dirt!
- Make a time capsule together. This could be big or small, meaningful or silly. Your child could even do interviews with other family members or friends to collect summer memories.
- Have your kids make a “how to” video teaching some of their favorite activities. Of course, they could post it online if they (and you) want to! Let your kids be the expert and have fun with video.
- Turn on the music and have a dance party in the living room. Or kitchen. Or bedroom. Everyplace works!
Keep a good perspective
I hope you won’t give in to the temptation (and perhaps to your kids’ whining) to think that “entertainer” is part of your mama job description.
It isn’t!
But we all struggle with mom guilt when our kids are bored, and we all want our kids to enjoy their summer breaks. We want them to be engaged in meaningful activities.
These 12 ideas are not an exhaustive list, but they are meant to get your creative juices flowing!
If you want even more ideas, check out the 104 Summer Activity Ideas resource in my Etsy shop!
Friday Faith Follow-up
Even beyond general activities to engage our kids during the summer break, we should be intentional about the opportunities summertime gives us for family discipleship.
If you’ve been relying on vacation Bible school or summer camps to dive deep into faith with your kids this summer, let me encourage you to think bigger, my friend.
In this quick bonus episode, we’re talking about 3 important ways that we can engage our kids in faith-building activities during the summer break (and at other times too!) along with 3 specific activity ideas that might be a great fit for your family this summer. And if you want my full Family Faith Summer Challenge resource, just click here!
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A reminder of the Disclaimers & Disclosures Policy: I am an affiliate with many of the resources I recommend, which means I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase through my provided links. I never recommend products I don’t love! Also, I am a licensed therapist but this podcast is not therapy. It is not professional or personal advice to your specific situation. Get info about professional counseling here.
