Your kids are probably thrilled to be off school all summer long. No homework, no tests, no getting up early. Even if you love the chance to spend extra time with them, you still might be feeling a little overwhelmed at the prospect of keeping them busy. There’s a lot of truth in the old saying “busy hands are happy hands.”
You feel like you’re running out of ways to keep those hands busy. You’re surrounded by arguing, whining, moping, and statements like “I’m bored.” Consequently, summer isn’t quite feeling like the “vacation” from school and normal life that everyone was expecting.
Sound familiar? Time to shake off the summer blues. We’ve got you covered with 14 ideas to keep you and yours from going crazy because of all the summer free-time! So buckle up for some fun things for kids to do in and around a mobile home this summer.
First, a word about our ideas
To keep things organized, we’re going to divide this up into four categories. First off, let’s talk about what the littlest ones can do to stay occupied. Next, we’re on to kids who don’t want to be called “little”. These are the ones who are getting a little too old for baby dolls and toy cars after all. But they aren’t quite teenagers yet.
Then, we’re going to address what the older kids can do to beat back the summer boredom. Finally, we’ll give you our ideas that cross all three of those age categories and bring the family together. That’s where you’ll find things that you and your kids can do around your mobile home together.
Little kids
Sometimes kids in this age group seem to need constant attention from parents. Their own attention span is sometimes short, too, which can make keeping them busy a challenge. Here are some things to get these youngsters into.
In the mobile home
- Make a tent. Who knew that draping blankets or sheets over chairs and couches could make for so much fun? Kids seem to love these makeshift tents. To enhance your child’s tent experience, make up a little bed in there for naptime. Next, hand out a snack.
- Dish up some edible playdough. Since you can make it yourself, there’s no need to spend money on this stuff. Whip it up yourself. Hop over to Seeme & Liz for 10 Super Easy Edible Playdough Recipes For Babies & Toddlers.
- Make a “crayon silo.” Punch holes in the top of an empty oatmeal container. Next, grab a handful of colorful crayons and have your little one feed the crayons through the holes. You’ll be surprised at how entertaining little kids can find this.
In the great outdoors
- Create a rock box. Once you procure a sandbox (new or used, as long as it’s clean), head over to your local home improvement store. As soon as you get some small stones or gravel, you’ve got it made. Kids will love driving dump trucks through here. Plus, they’ll have fun using their sand shovels to fill up buckets of rocks.
Middle kids
These kids may not need constant attention or supervision (they’re not still putting everything in their mouths). However, sometimes you might feel like they need endless intervention. You’ve got to break up their squabbles. Plus, you find yourself fielding these words over and over, “I’m bored.” Let’s explore how you can get these kids into the great outdoors.
Get outside
- Set up a badminton net complete with shuttles and rackets.
- Play a good ol’ game of baseball. You don’t have to actually have teams and a proper game to have fun. Just get out there for some pitching and catching!
- Set up a trampoline. Kids get a lot of fun out of these. Let’s be honest, adults do too. Be sure your trampoline has a net, and keep the kids supervised while they jump away!
- Encourage the kids to have a lemonade stand. Sounds cliche? Well, what kid doesn’t want to make a little summer cash? Besides which, they can always drink the leftovers.
You may not have to direct these kids much. Still, you could use some ideas to fill their vacation with happy memories. Dive into these thoughts.
Big kids need fresh air too
- Get a basketball hoop. This is a great way for kids to spend time with their friends. Additionally, they’ll be getting fresh air and exercise.
But there’s stuff to do in the mobile home too
- Provide some new board games. This offers the added benefit of getting them interacting with siblings or friends.
- Host a movie party. Here’s another way to get them having fun with others. Provide some food and games to make the time even more fun.
All kids (and adults, too)
Fun family time
- Stage a puppet show. This can be a fun way to get the whole family together. Have the adults do the show to get gales of laughter from the little ones. Better yet, get the little kids doing the show themselves. They’ll have plenty of fun planning and pulling it off.
- Have a whole-family movie party. No reason why you can’t have one of these for the whole clan. Grab the popcorn and pull up your favorite chairs.
And lastly…have them pitch in on work!
Don’t forget that what might seem like a boring chore to you can seem like loads of fun to your kids. Even something like painting, if you’ve decided to remodel your mobile home over the summer, can be a joy to younger people.
With these 14 ideas, buckle up for a fun, engaging summer.
