10 Things your kids can do this summer vacation
10 Things your kids can do this summer vacation,
Despite the lockdown restrictions
Alright, so summer 2021 won't be the idyllic ‘trying different sports’ camp you might have envisioned for your kid. But there are lot of things you can engage your kid with, that aren't necessarily a dull affair as compared to the real thing. In fact, your kid could have a pretty great summer doing many of the same things they'd do at traditional camp, like learning cool things, practically applying their creativity and picking new life-skills (not to mention staying out of your hair).
Here are some ways to keep kids busy and happy during the summer holidays:
Virtual museum tours
A great way of staying updated with history, science and culture is by taking virtual museum tours. Google Arts & Culture teamed up with over 2500 museums and galleries around the world to bring anyone and everyone virtual tours and online exhibits of some of the most famous museums in the world. Now, your kids get to “go to the museum” without having to leave their couch. A great way to make them learn new things from around the world. Check out this link for various museum tours: https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours
Scavenge for cool objects around your home and revamp them!
Do you have furniture, art, frames, or other pieces of decor lying around that could use an upgrade? Or even something you were planning to discard because it doesn’t look as great anymore? Here’s an idea – hand them over to your kids! Now is a brilliant time to tackle those DIYs at home and upcycle your old finds into something fresh. Get your kids to look up videos on YouTube for inspiration. Treat it like a project where the kids can discuss what they have in mind and you can help them get started.
Mastering Magic
Magic tricks have always aroused the curiosity of kids. For self-learners, there are umpteen tutorials and YouTube videos on the net that serve as great guides. Magic helps to improve creativity, dexterity, stage presence, communication and confidence in children. The idea is for children to have magic on their finger tips and standout in a crowd. Here are some tricks they can learn with things easily available in the house
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a1mxddahYo
Gardening
Getting kids involved in gardening is a great way to instill a sense of appreciation and love for nature in them. Growing microgreens like methi, herbs like mint, basil etc. are an ideal way to introduce them to healthy eating. Growing succulents, painting pots, transforming baskets or bottles to planters and basic terrarium making are some other popular tasks to keep children engaged constructively.
Check here to get started:
India Parenting
https://www.indiaparenting.com/home-and-decor/62_639/gardening-with-children.html
Eartheasy
https://learn.eartheasy.com/guides/gardening-with-children/
Better Health
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/gardening-for-children
Camp in your house
You don’t have to trek to a far-off wilderness location to have any fun in nature. Pitch a makeshift tent at home using old curtains or sheets, a mop stick for the pole and some fairy lights to add some bling. Get your child to decorate the tent the way they like. Let them drag out a mattress and roast some potatoes together. Click some cool pictures for the gram. Absolutely no judgment if they sneak back into their bed to sleep the rest of the night.
Start a virtual book club
Get your kids to lose themselves in Hogwarts or take a tour of the chocolate factory with Charlie. Make them call up some friends and see if they’d be interested in reading the same novel and meet up once a week or so on a Zoom call to discuss—with a glass of chocolate milk in hand of course. A great way to encourage kids to read more books and increase their reading speed.
Fundraiser or charity event
An idea that’s free to execute and benefits people in need! Help your child to plan the event and decide on a theme. They can set up a virtual dance marathon with friends - a charity night with talented friends who can sing or do comedy, or even a virtual craft night where you can sew or make items that can be donated. They can also opt for something simpler - a game of housie with relatives, friends etc. and give the entry ticket money to help those affected by COVID. Now is a great time to be of help to the society and getting kids involved in a project like this is the perfect way to make them understand the importance of helping those in need and being kind while also putting them in charge to develop leadership skills and a sense of accomplishment from an early age.
Learn about your family History or culture
Kids love new projects! Put them on a mission to learn more about your culture, where your family came from and what did your ancestors do. Get them to talk to relatives and grandparents for stories. Take it one step ahead and ask them to make a presentation of the family history and culture which they can later show the family over a zoom call. Help them with pictures you have and any information that will be useful for their project. The result? Kids will be busy doing something fun and you will get your kids to understand your family heritage in the process.
Learn a new language
Learning a new skill is a great way to spend free time. And learning a new language is a super fun process that boosts the thinking process and helps improve memory. You can also play a game with your child where they become your tutor and teach you one new word everyday in the language they learn.
Here are some resources to learn other languages:
xQ Summer Camp
A one-of-its-kind, one-month online learning fest where kids get to learn new-age life skills like video content creation, photography and communication which are not just fun to learn but will also give them an edge. The hands-on, project based courses cover a broad spectrum of subjects that promote Creative Thinking & Effective Communication in kids along with developing Emotional Skills like empathy, resilience & positivity. The sessions are conducted live online by trained professionals and include masterclasses by Cyrus Broacha and other industry experts, allowing kids to learn from the best in the industry.
Know more about it here: https://toiing.com/collections/new-age-life-skills-for-kids-online-courses-activities/products/toiing-life-skills-summer-camp
With summer vacations just round the corner and the fact that travel and vacation plans are likely to remain cancelled, the annual holidays are definitely going to be an extension of the lockdown days for both parents and children. The ideas above will make the vacations a little less daunting for parents and a lot more fun for the little ones.
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