Top Summertime Activities for the Children

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Summer is the season of warm weather, long days, and lazy days sleeping in. The best part about summer is children are free from the structure of the classroom. While most parents are happy that their children have the opportunity to be spontaneous and less stressed, two and a half months of unstructured time can make parents want to pull their hair out at times. After about three weeks, children start to get bored and may even wish to be back in school to have something to do. Planning fun summertime activities for children is key for both parents and children to embrace summer while it still lasts.

Eight Awesome Summertime Activities for Children

1. Camping

Camping offers a variety of fun activities for the price of one. Children get to experience sleeping in a tent, making a campfire, roasting marshmallows, fishing, and even playing with bugs. While many people spend money to go to a campground, camping can also be done right in the backyard. Sometimes, vacation is not too far from home.

2. Gardening

Many schools and organizations are crazy about making children eco-friendly these days. Gardening allows children to contribute to the environment, learn responsibility, and have fun. After all, summer vacation was started on children needing to work on farms to ensure an abundant harvest for the fall. Children can plant flowers to beautify a garden or fruits and vegetables to eat when they are ready to be harvested.

3. Time by the Water

Water adds refreshing fun to scorching summer days. People who live on the coast or vacation at the coast have the advantage of digging their toes into a soft blanket of sand, listen to the sound of seagulls, and be knocked down by crashing waves. However, people who live all over the country most likely have a swimming pool or waterpark nearby or a sprinkler in their garage.

4. Sports

Miniature golf, bowling, basketball, volleyball, etc. can all be done at local miniature golf courses, bowling alleys, parks, or backyards. Sports provide exercise for children and promote teamwork and good sportsmanship. The emphasis should be on fun and making memories, not winning or losing.

5. Crafts

Art provides many health benefits, including shifting focus to the present moment, use of the right hemisphere of the brain, and relaxation. Children do not have to be future Pablo Picasso or Mary Cassets to enjoy art. Drawing, coloring , and painting are the most simplest crafts, but a variety of crafts can be purchased at the local craft store, supermarket, or dollar store. Pinterest offers a plethora of ideas that can be made from household items. Emphasis should be on fun and relaxation, not being the next greatest artist.

6. Educational Games

Many children are appalled by the idea of any educational activity to be done in the summer because they have associated education with sitting in a classroom and being censured by a teacher if they fall out of line. Children can realize that learning can be fun by playing games that teach them academic-related skills. Monopoly is an example of one educational game because it teaches about buying, selling, and handling money. Instead of investing in Super Mario Brothers, parents can invest in educational video games.

7. Trip to the Library

The library is a great place to spend hot summer days because most of them have strong air conditioner, offer silence that parents with multiple children often do not get while at home, and allow children to learn and play quietly on the computers and children’s area. Children can pick up several good reads that will not cost parent’s a dime if the books are returned on time. Young children will take great pride in receiving their own library card with their signature on it.

Squeeze the Most out of Summer

Summer is often wasted by children who are bored and parents who want to pull their hair out. Children grow up fast, and summers sail by. Engaging in fun activities that promote learning and health will make summer more fulfilling for children and parents.

Looking to Liven up Your Home with Potted Plants? Here’s What You Need to Know

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Whether potted plants are inside or outside, they can make a home more cheerful. Green foliage can liven up a dull patio, balcony or interior space. With proper care, most plants will last for years in their original plastic pots. Just add a saucer and place inside a beautiful sleeve (pot without holes).

Interior plants usually thrive well in higher moisture locations within the home, like the bathroom or laundry. Of course, an array of different plants thrives in less moisture and with less light. Consider placing plants in locations that are beneficial to the plant, not necessarily where they look best. To ensure that plants flourish, the relative humidity of a space makes the biggest difference. Plants, such as orchids and ferns, thrive under these conditions. Other types of plants can do well in less humid conditions.

For areas that do not have as much light, try lilies, which grow profusely, but they do require regular watering. Another low-maintenance plant is aloe vera. It is not only pleasant in appearance, but it has medicinal qualities, as well. Be careful with succulents indoors and water them sparingly. Not all will survive the lack of outside air. Usually, they are happy in full, direct sunlight if the temperature in the house does not drop too low.

If you have a covered patio, you can create a soothing tropical oasis. The endless variety of available plants allows you to decide between low-maintenance plants or those that require much more upkeep.

Indoor plants can enhance your mood by perking up dull spaces. Colorful, eclectic pots in different sizes and shapes create charming decor in a room as much as art and furniture. Large plants or a series of grouped plants make a visual statement that are not only attractive, but can help improve air quality.

Living plants provide energy in a room. Tall plants, or those heightened with the use of stands or tables, have great visual appeal. Cordon off a reading area with green plants, and, not only have a private space to indulge in a favorite pastime, but also benefit from the energy and naturalness of the plants. Filling the area with color and texture brightens the room. Even more special is the addition of one or more tall trees.

Place an herb garden on the windowsill or a nearby patio or balcony. Its concurrent beauty and practicality add zing and flavor to your dishes.

One idea for those who have a “brown” thumb is to root a plant from a cutting in water using a clear vase. This is simpler than you might imagine. The taller the cutting, the more impressive it is. Maybe use a branch or a frond. That is one way to get a taller version of a plant without having to wait for a smaller one to grow.

Plants make a room feel bright and cheerful. If you have the space, add as many plants as you can to create a collage with different sizes, colors and shapes. Do not underestimate the appeal of glass or other reflective containers. Another appealing vignette is a grouping of all white containers in varying shapes and sizes. Top them off with white pebbles or clear marbles for a more sophisticated look.

Use your imagination to create whimsical pots using paint or decoupage. Try this in an unfilled space, corner, nook or cranny, and watch how your mood is enhanced.

Small, colorful plants add life to dull walls or corners. Choose from myriad plants that are available at local garden centers and nurseries. There are many plants that require little sunlight if that is a particular concern of yours. Plants, such as philodendron, dracaena, bromeliads, and snake plant are all good choices that you can grow and enjoy indoors year round.

Plants will require water and fertilizer depending on their individual needs. Pay close attention to the instructions and how to care for plants that will be included with those from home centers. Plants in nurseries may or may not have instructions. Ask the nurseryman or check online for care of any plant with which you are not familiar. If you have one that has no instructions, and you have no idea how to care for it, snap a picture and take it to the nearest home center or nursery for professional advice.

To really make a statement, combine an unusual plant in an unusual container, and it is sure to be an attention-getter. Go for a dramatic focal point with a grouping of large plants. When you have no floor space, go vertical. It will draw the eyes upward and make the area appear larger. Keep all containers clean and free of stains and grime. Prune plants as needed. Nothing is more unsightly than dry or dead leaves, spindly legs or vines with no foliage.

Tall pots can be expensive, but keep in mind that you can use many different items that you probably already have around the house. The basket that you use for a close hamper, for example, can be used as a sleeve. That broken pottery on the side of the house can be repurposed into a planter. Purchase one dollar plastic pots from a nursery and stack them 10 or 20 high, depending on the height you want. Paint them. Cut the bottom out of the first one or two pots. Fill with potting soil and voila! You have an interesting planter for very little money.

One of the most important things to remember is that plants need to be able to drain freely. Different plants have different drainage needs, but the majority will not survive sitting in water. All plastic pots from the nursery have drainage holes. Most of the time, you can leave the plant in the nursery pot and place it in an attractive sleeve. As plants become root bound, you may want to transplant them into a larger plastic pot with drainage holes. This makes it easy to replace any plants that you may lose.