What do you think of when you hear “summer”? Usually long days and hot nights, relaxing, and an easy-going attitude. With a family, it means the kids are out of school and it can be chaos! There are great ways to entertain your kids, like having a movie night or even pulling an all-nighter with video games.
Don’t let vacation settle in so hard that you become bored. Summer is a great time to find ways to be productive while still having fun. There’s no better feeling than rolling up your sleeves and getting some work done on a sunny day. Here are some fun, and productive, ways to spend the summer –
Plant a Vegetable Garden
Kids love getting dirty. What better way to get dirty and be productive by planting a vegetable garden? There are so many fun things that you can teach your kids about when it comes to gardening. They learn about the process of how plants grow, and how to grow their own food.
Let the kids pick out which veggies they want to grow, and they’ll be more than happy to eat the rewards! Research has even proven that growing your own vegetables encourages kids to eat healthier, too! So grab some gardening gloves and get outside.
Home Improvement
The last thing kids want to do is chores during their summer vacation. However, there’s no better time to do some home improvement projects around the house together! Do some landscaping in the backyard, mowing the lawn, plant some flowers, or hang a hummingbird feeder.
Show your older children some of the responsibilities of taking care of a house, such as doing a few repairs you’ve put off. Before the real heat of summer hits, you should have your air conditioner serviced, too. Some things are just better left to the professionals, so call Ocala AC repair or Fort Myers AC repair if you need a new unit or repair service.
Teach Your Kids About Pool Safety
Pool safety doesn’t sound fun, but it is definitely a topic that your children should know about. According to the CDC, ten people die every day due to unintentional drowning. Out of those ten, two of them are children aged between two and 14. If you own a pool, here are some things you should keep in mind, and teach your kids, to stay safe.
- Install a child safety pool fence. There are several options out there for a pool fence, so do your research. It should be about four feet high, and self-latching. Make sure to keep all outside furniture from the surrounding areas, so children don’t use them for climbing over the pool fence.
- Teach your child to swim. If you’re not the best teacher, that’s okay. Check your local YMCA or ask around about swimming lessons.
- Take a CPR class together. A great way to prepare for the worst is to learn how to handle it.
- Talk to your child about the importance of swimming with an adult present. They should understand that unless an adult or trusted minor is in the pool area, they shouldn’t be in it alone.
A pool safety fence is the best option for safe and fun backyard pool time!
Learn a New Skill Together
A fun way to bond and spend time productively together as a family is to learn a new skill. It can be something like yoga, a new language, or even something simple like a new recipe. Put on a YouTube video and learn a new dance together. If you have some home improvement repairs that need to be done, you can do some research and learn how to do it together. There are limitless possibilities, so it might be better to let your kids take the lead on this one. You’ll be surprised at the things they come up with!
Summertime is great for relaxing and unwinding, but it can be a great time to be productive too.
