For most of us the school year has come to an end and now we are trying to figure out exactly how to keep the kids active and entertained during the summer months. For us personally, since we homeschool our year ended at the end of April. We took a short little break and are back to it for a couple of hours a day. What to do with the remainder of the day? Being on a budget means no awesome beach vacations or heading to the zoos or aquariums to help fill our day. We live in a small town so we have to drive a minimum of 2 hours in one direction to get to most of those activities. That doesn’t mean boring by any means.
Run A 5K
It’s pretty much a family tradition at this point that we run in the Color Run. Sure, it’s a fun run, but that doesn’t mean that the kids don’t enjoy training for it. They love heading out in the early mornings before the heat of the day hits for a run. Luckily for us, we have our makeshift track in our hay field by our house. Two laps are a mile, so that’s usually what they run. There are times when they want to continue which is great! This will be our third year running the Color Run, the second year for my five-year old. He says he’s got it this year. Last year, I ended up carrying him on my back for a mile and a half. So running is fun and is a great way to get them moving!!
Take A Hiking:
A lot of people think that the kids have to be a certain age to take out hiking which isn’t the case. If they are too small you can always wear them in a carrier. We started out introducing ours to hiking at a very young age and they adore it. They love being outside, but there’s just something about heading out for a hike that gets them super excited. Exploring new areas, the uniqueness of different areas. It’s not only a great exercise, but can be an awesome learning opportunity as well. Just remember that with younger ones, let them set the pace.
We love biking as a family. It’s an activity that we have done for years and the older the boys get it, the more they enjoy it. The challenges of taking the trails, beating their previous time, or riding more miles. It encourages them to head outdoors and have fun!
Camping:
You may be wondering what exactly they can learn when it comes to camping, but really there are tons. To name just a few, they learn to put up tents, start a camp fire, cooking over the fire, and so much more! At the end of the day, I can honestly say that nothing beats sitting outside the tent; stargazing while listening to nature.
Plant a garden (Veggie, Flower, or both)
Planting, growing and harvesting a garden is an amazing way to learn. It’s such a fun and physical activity, and they also learn and understand how to produce healthy, organic foods. We learn about what it takes to grow different plants, compost and the different bugs you’ll find in the garden. My oldest even keeps a journal of the different types of insects we have discovered in and around the garden area.
