CHRISTMAS CAROLS

Back to School with Franklin Special

SUMMER ACTIVITIES

DEAR FAMILIES,

HERE YOU HAVE A SHORT LIST THAT YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR CHILDREN DURING SUMMER HOLIDAYS, HAVE FUN!!!

·        Pick your own...whatever. Find a farm with blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, flowers, etc., and get picking.

·        Play outside in the rain. Smell the rain on the pavement; splash in puddles; make mud pies.

·        Make your own rain. Douse everyone with the hose or sprinkler.

·        Cook out...frequently. Go beyond the burgers. Try veggies or fish. The kids might like them more if they come off the grill!

·        Make "smores." Chocolate + marshmallow + graham cracker = summer

·        Camp out. First-timers, try backyard camping.

·        Camp in. Put the sleeping bags on the floor and have a family slumber party.

·        Stargaze. Invite friends and make a party of it.

·        Catch lightning bugs. And then watch them flicker away into the night.

·        Rearrange the furniture. Give the kid's graph paper and have them draw out a plan first.

·        Take family naps together. Parents can snooze too!

·        Make your own pizza. Try this kid-friendly recipe.

·        Invite friends over for a game night. Have a kids' games table and an adult one too.

·        Go to the demolition derby. And expect to see some major crashes.

·        See an air show. And hope for no crashes.

·        Stop to smell the flowers. (Go to a botanical garden.)

·        Talk to the animals. (Go to the zoo.)

·        Get wet. (Go to a water park.)

·        Have a puzzle race. Use 100-piece puzzles and see who finishes first.

·        Play a card game. Maybe crazy eights, spoons or poker. Take your pick.

·        Play a board game. Candyland, chess or Monopoly, depending on age and inclination.

·        Make good use of nearby parks. Go to your local park's website, print the schedule of activities and tape it to the refrigerator.

·        Pack a picnic. And plop down to eat it just about anywhere, at a free concert, in a state park or in your own backyard.

·        Start the back-to-school shopping early. The farther from the start of school the more fun kids think it is.

·        Get the summer homework done. Not exactly fun, but you'll be happy to get it out of the way.

·        Experiment with new hairdos. Let the kids try out not-permanent colors or braids. Or maybe a spiked look.

·        Dig in the sand at the beach. Doesn't matter if it's in the ocean, lake or bay.

·        Set a goal and complete a home project. Find ways to let the kids help.

·        Take an early morning bird walk. 

·        Grow vegetables. And then eat them.

·        Grow flowers. And then arrange them.

·        Let the kids cook dinner. In fact, make a tradition of it.

·        Host the kids' friends for a sleepover. And then maybe your kids will be invited next—giving you a free evening.

·        Go to a nearby museum that you've never been to before.

·        Go to your favorite local museum...again.

·        Go to a carnival or county fair. Eat cotton candy, fried dough or something really bad once this summer.

·        Decorate your walkways with chalk. 

·        Take a hike. Choose a route near your house or take a drive to a more distant park.

·        Plant a butterfly garden. Watch the butterflies flutter by.

·        Make fresh lemonade. Maybe even sell it at a lemonade stand!

·        Take a road trip to a nearby city. Spend the night if you can or just make it a day trip.

·        Show the kids science is fun. Try these experiments.

·        Go to a matinee. Find a bargain movie houses and pay less.

·        Go to the drive-in. If there isn't one nearby, look for one near your vacation spot. Every kid should go to the drive-in at least once!

·        Watch family movies. Kids can't get enough of themselves on the big screen.

·        Read a chapter book aloud. Or even go on and read a whole series together.

·        Listen to a classic as an audiobook. Or try these newer audiobooks.

·        Teach the kids a game you haven't played since you were a kid.

·        Meet friends at the playground. Not groundbreaking, but always popular nonetheless.

·        Visit a historic house. Kids will be amazed at what the old-timers lived without.

·        Make ice cream. We use this recipe with great success.

·        Use bikes as a mode of transit. Show the kids the way to the store or a friend's.

·        Take bike rides for fun. Either leave from your own house or drive to biking trails.

·        Go fishing. In many states, kids can drop a line in without a license.

·        Paddle a kayak or a canoe. Or if you're really adventurous try white water rafting.

·        Jump rope. Chant these jump rope rhymes.

·        Press summer flowers. Make a pressed flower picture.

·        String beads. Beading for kids can be as simple or complex as you choose.

·        Blow bubbles. Make your own!

·        Play miniature golf. Can you make the last hole-in-one for a free game?

·        Eat at the counter of a diner. And let the kids spin on the stools.

·        Find a new place to play. Easy idea: Clear out the basement or garage. Complicated idea: Build a tree house.

·        Build a Lego castle. Clear off a table and make it a family project.

·        Master a new skill together. Learn to juggle, play harmonica, do the hula hoop, etc.

·        Teach the grandparents to use Skype. And show off your new skill.

·        Build a fort. Try pillows in the living room or cardboard boxes in the yard.

·        Make fairy houses. Use moss, bark, and leaves in a dwelling fit for Thumbelina.

·        Write/illustrate a comic book. Make it a group effort or let everyone do their own.

·        Build your brain. These brainteaser games can help.

·        Find a free concert near you.

·        Fly a kite.

·        Run in the yard. Kickball, wiffleball, Frisbee, and the tag will keep you moving.

·        Visit a local farmers market. And feast on the fruits and veggies of the season.

·        Create art with beach items. Check out these seashell crafts

·        Have breakfast in bed. Take turns being the server and the served.

·        Play with clay. Then bake your creations to make them permanent.

·        Make play dough creations. Then rip them up and do it again.

·        Make paper airplanes. See whose goes the farthest.

·        Join a summer reading club. Parents can list all their books read over the summer too, but I doubt you'll get a prize.

·        Keep a sketch diary.

·        Write in a journal. At the end of the summer share selections with each other about the highlights of the season.

·        Teach the kids to skip stones.

·        Make photo gifts online. Grandma will love them.

·        Take lessons together. Cooking, yoga, tennis, music, etc.

·        Play croquet on the lawn. And try bocci too.

·        Set up a badminton net. You could use it for volleyball too.

·        Play HORSE. With little ones, set up a mini basketball net next to the real one.

·        Create a treasure hunt for kids. Do it on your own property or around town.

·        Erect a bird feeder. And then watch the show from your window.

·        Join a Junior Ranger program. Both national parks and many state parks have them.

·        See a dramatic performance together. Doesn't matter if it's a puppet show in the park or a touring Broadway show.

·        Put on your own dramatic performance. Write a script, sew costumes or just do a little improv.

·        Play charades. Turn all that drama into a game.

·        Make music. Either make your own instruments or play traditional ones.

·        Break out the family movies. And the popcorn too!

·        Have a garage sale. Kids can earn spending money by selling their old stuff.

·        Go to a flea market or garage sale. And they can spend that money they just earned. (See if the kids are better negotiators than you.)

·        Climb trees together. Of course, only if the kids are big enough, and you are brave enough.

·        Get a book of riddles. See if you can stump each other, then write your own.

·        Keep your kitchen cool. Make no-bake cookies.