Gather your family and go have some summertime fun
Warm, sunny days are the perfect setting for making family memories, but they’re also ideal opportunities to encourage kids to get creative and let their imaginations soar.
There are many ways to do that, and there are lifelong benefits for everyone, said Maria Stone, director of the Seton Hill University Child Development Center.
“You’re forming bonds and making memories you can’t replace,” she said. “Spending time together as a family leads to better academic outcomes, better health and better cognitive development for kids.”
Stone said studies from the National Association for the Education of Young Children show that positive family interactions have both immediate and lifelong benefits for children.
A bonus, she said, is that “these experiences lead to more organic ways to learn, develop and apply skills.”
Parents can incorporate simple math, language and other learning exercises into fun activities.
“Children don’t realize they’re learning as they play, and parents may not even realize they’re teaching,” Stone said.
These ideas for summertime activities encourage family interaction, and the more kids get to help plan and organize the details, the more engaged you can expect them to be.
Visit your local park
Pack all the kids’ favorite snacks and beverages to keep cool and hydrated. Choose your spot under a big shady tree and spread out for an impromptu picnic. Be sure to bring along outdoor toys for a game of catch or lighten the load and create a nature scavenger hunt with different types of leaves, rocks and flowers for kids to discover.
If they come across an unfamiliar plant or animal, snap a picture with your phone so you can do some research on it when you get home. Encourage the kids to draw or design a piece of art reflecting the things they saw.
Create watercolor paintings
Away from the school setting, kids sometimes have fewer opportunities to practice expressing their ideas and getting creative. Fun tools can make an artistic session more exciting, so look for unique methods like blending Zebra Pen Mildliner Brush Pens with water and a paint brush to create pastel watercolor paintings with minimal mess.
The pens are double-ended with a paintbrush-like tip on one end and fine marker tip on the other, so you can precisely draw a design then create softer swirls of color using water and a brush.
Water sponge challenge
Cool off with a fun and refreshing water fight with a few creative twists. First grab sponges, or water sponge balls, and a full bucket of water. The sponges are reusable, so you can use them all summer long.
Make it extra fun by organizing teams with kids against adults or everyone fending for themselves. Encourage kids to devise their own blockades and targets or adapt a classic game like baseball or dodgeball using water sponges in place of the usual balls.
You could also do a sponge scavenger hunt to load up everyone’s buckets before the dousing begins.
Make oven s’mores
On a rainy night (or any night) make a s’more by putting it in the oven. They turn out just as melty and gooey as the campfire version but with easier prep and cleanup. Experiment with different candies, such as peanut butter cups in place of chocolate bars. Or add different ingredients and have other family members guess the flavors.
Find more ideas for creative inspiration this summer at zebrapen.com.
Find the animals
Visit your local Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited zoo or aquarium and have your kids find as many animals as they can from the AZA SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction species list. It’s a good opportunity to talk about the concept of extinction and why these animals are on the list.
Follow up the visit with an activity that reinforces how everyone has a role in conservation and look for ways to help protect each family member’s favorite animal.
Field trips
There’s plenty to do around Western Pennsylvania. Here are some ideas for a day trip or an afternoon outing.
•Step back in time and learn Western Pennsylvania history with your kids at Fort Pitt Museum, Fort Ligonier, Historic Hanna’s Town or Compass Inn Museum.
•Trek through nature at one of the area’s numerous local, county or state parks. Many have playgrounds and walking paths or trails.
A park is a good place to learn about local flora and fauna. See how many plants or animals you can spot and then identify.
Take a dip in the lake at Keystone State Park, try out the new giant slides in Mammoth Park, or shoot the Flat Rock water slide at Linn Run State Park.
• Combine learning with fun at kid-friendly Pittsburgh sites like the Carnegie Science Center, Carnegie Museum of Natural History and Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh.
“There are so many benefits to hands-on making — social, emotional learning and collaboration — that these activities provide,” said Max Pipman, Children’s Museum spokesperson. “We are so excited to be open, and providing experiences that families can safely enjoy in a fun and friendly environment, especially after so many of the live and in-person activities that kids love were limited due to covid-19.”
Homespun fun
Here are some more ways to have family fun without leaving home, courtesy of parents.com:
Backyard obstacle course — Raid the garage or basement for hula hoops, jump ropes, sticks, hoses or other materials that can be laid out to test kids’ speed and agility. Fastest time wins a prize.
Backyard camping — Pitch a tent or stretch out under the night sky to count the stars or listen to the night sounds. The best part of the experience? There’s indoor plumbing nearby.
Backyard picnic — Make sandwiches or other simple lunch foods and set the patio table or spread a blanket on the lawn. Even PBJ tastes better eaten al fresco.
Backyard bonfire — Portable fire pits are available at big box and home improvement stores. Light up and roast hot dogs, apples or marshmallows, or assemble s’mores. Get fancy and wrap the dogs in bacon.
Backyard games — Put away the electronics and set aside an evening a week for cornhole, croquet, kickball or another favorite game.
Branch out
Get out of the backyard for these activities:
Bike parade — Decorate your bike, trike, scooter or other ride with flags, streamers, stickers or whatever is on hand and head down the sidewalk. Invite the neighborhood kids to join in.
Toy swap — Are your kids bored with their toys? Chances are their friends are too. Have them pick out a few to exchange at an impromptu, outdoor swap meet. Ensure fairness by having kids pick numbers to see who goes first.
Hometown tour — Explore the history of your town or something that makes it special. Visit a neighborhood, park or landmark you’ve never seen before. Try a new restaurant.
Community service — Pick up litter along the street or in a local park. Gather food, household goods, clothing or other items to donate.
Everyone’s an artist
Explore kids’ creative sides with an easy art or craft project:
Rock painting — No expensive canvas or paper needed for this one. Pick up some nicely shaped stones from the yard or nearby natural space. Rinse off any loose dirt. Serious artists will even sand their rocks for a smoother surface, but that isn’t really necessary. Acrylic paint works best on rocks.
Let the shape of the material inspire your subject matter, or paint on a friendly greeting. For more fun, place finished rocks around the neighborhood for others to admire, or incorporate them into a flower or fairy garden.
Homemade goop — Pour a cup of water into a large mixing bowl, add a few drops of food coloring (if desired) and slowly stir in 2 cups of cornstarch. As the mixture thickens, it may be easier to blend with your hands.
Pair your goop play with a reading of Dr. Seuss’s “Bartholomew and the Oobleck,” the story of a boy who rescues his kingdom from a sticky, green, goop-like substance.
Chalk art — Many an artist has started out with some colored chalk and a sidewalk. Draw a friendly greeting, a colorful scene or a hopscotch grid.
Make your own chalk bombs by filling water balloons with a mixture of 1 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and a few drops of food coloring. Pour the mixture into a pump dispenser bottle to fill the balloons.
Draw a target on the ground and let kids practice their aims, or just let them fly to create an abstract art masterpiece.
The best thing about chalk art is that a little water from the hose or a rain shower will wash it away.
Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley by email at smcmarlin@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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