LearningTip
#9:
Turn "I'm Bored, What Can I Do Now?"
into
A Fun, Learning Summer, Part I
By Joyce Melton
Pagés, Ed.D.
Middle School Instructional Specialist
President of KidBibs
"I'm bored, what can I do now?" As the summer progresses, this question is typically heard with increasing frequency. After the swimming lessons, family vacation, and summer camp, many children turn to TV or video games for entertainment. Parents play a vital role in guiding children toward activities that engage their minds and keep them actively involved.
ResearchBit: Watching too much TV can affect the child's ability to concentrate while reading and learning. Since concentration and active involvement of the reader are necessary for comprehension to occur, too much TV can affect comprehension; TV can cause children to become passive in the way they respond to information. Further, too much TV viewing can affect the reading choices that children make; when they read, they often choose books with small portions of text such as the Guinness Book of World Records instead of reading books that require them to maintain attention from chapter to chapter. Finally, watching too much TV reduces social interaction and physical activity.
Running, jumping, climbing, and playing outdoors are fun activities for children to do in the summer. But what can they do indoors during the hot time of the day? What kinds of activities will engage their minds, keep them involved and entertain them during all of those summer hours at home? The following ideas and those included in next week's LearningTips article are intended to help stay-at-home parents keep children involved in fun, meaningful activities. Further, these ideas are intended to help working parents take advantage of the time that they have with their children. Finally, these activities are also intended to:
promote reading and writing,
provide children with opportunities to use the skills and information that they learn at school,
promote creativity, thinking, and problem-solving,
help children grow in their ability to get along with others,
provide children with learning experiences that support future learning,
promote fine motor development,
teach children how to persevere when tasks become difficult,
encourage children to complete tasks and projects, and
increase attention span.
If these are goals which you support for your child(ren), please continue reading. Many of the activities described in this article can be done with materials that you have around your house. A wide variety of books, hobby kits, and craft kits are listed for your convenience in the FunStuff section.
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Parenting
Activities
Provide your child with opportunities to engage in: 1. Reading! Take advantage of your local library's story time and summer reading program. Expose your child to books, authors, and different types of literature that s/he may not have experienced. Read to your child. Read with your child. Let your child read to you. Encourage your older child to read to a younger sibling or neighbor. Further, encourage your children to read to themselves. Young children often enjoy listening to read-along audiocassettes that go with their books. A future LearningTip will include a list of children's books that come with audiocassettes. Strategies for motivating reluctant readers to read will also be the subject of a future LearningTips article. 2. Playing with Paper! Supply your child with scissors, tape, construction paper, glue stick, markers, string, and a hole punch. Allow him/her to design, cut, tape, and decorate animals, vehicles, people, or anything else. After reading a story, your child might want to create a hat, cape, apron, etc. to use in acting out the story. The planning and creation of objects in this way promotes higher level thinking, fine motor skills, and language development. 3. Drawing and Painting! Supply your child with paper and/or a sketchpad, colored pencils, markers, and drawing books. Provide fingerpaints and or watercolors with appropriate paper and paintbrushes. Encourage him/her to practice drawing and painting things that s/he is interested in. Allow the child to experiment and play with the colors, shapes, and designs that she can create. Face painting and nail art may be fun for some children. As older children move toward more sophistication, watercolor activities or oil painting activities that guide the child's development in technique and color mixing might be appropriate. 4. Mixing, Molding, and Sculpting! Many different kinds of fun-dough with varying consistencies can be prepared with just a few ingredients. Children enjoy measuring and mixing the ingredients. They also enjoy molding and sculpting their own creations. Painting the creations and decorating them with sequins, eyes, glitter, and fabric can make this even more fun for children. 5. Paper Folding! Children learn about following directions and strengthen their fine motor development when they engage in paper folding. This can be done by making tissue paper flowers, folding paper airplanes, creating origami animals, or making paper chains. Children are often amazed by the things they can make with paper and directions. 6. Playing! Young children enjoy playing with toys, stuffed animals, puppets, dress-up clothes, soap bubbles, shadow games, hopscotch, etc. After a period of withdrawal from TV and video games, today's children often discover that they enjoy many of the children's activities of yesteryear. As children get older, activities involving juggling, yo-yos, jacks, pick-up sticks, soap carving, marbles, string games, magic tricks and harmonica playing might capture their interest during the "off-TV and video game hours." 7. Growing Things! Children enjoy growing things. Whether the child is planting tomato plants or starting watermelons from seeds, they enjoy watering plants and monitoring their growth from day to day. Some children's books describe outdoor and indoor gardening activities. 8. Creating! Children enjoy creating things. Fabric scraps, string,ribbon, socks, fabric paint, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, beads, beans, etc. can be used to make things like puppets, hair bows, jewelry, shoe decorations, etc. Crafts such as weaving, leatherwork, and knot-tying are also appealing to some children. Craft and hobby kits supply children with the directions and materials for creating these things as well. Nine more types of activities are included in LearningTip #10! |
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If you choose to purchase books, hobby kits, or craft kids for your child(ren), you need to consider several things. The age of your child, his/her favorite subject in school, and his/her interests provide important direction for the selection of resources. In addition, some of the materials require more than one child to play; many of the materials are appropriate for a single child to play with alone. Finally, some of the materials require supervision; other materials can be used without close supervision. For your purchasing convenience, these materials are linked to the secure web site of Amazon.com. The age range for which the material is appropriate (if limited) is in brackets.
Resources for Drawing and Painting!
I Can Draw Animals (book) by Tony Tallarico; Publisher: Little Simon Books. [5-8]
I Can Draw Sports (book) by Tony Tallarico; Publisher: Little Simon books [5-8]
Draw the Marvel Comics Superheroes (spiral-bound)
Draw Science: Horses and Ponies (book) by Susan Coleridge; Publisher: Lowell House [8-12]
Draw Science: Whales, Sharks, and Other Sea Creatures (book) by Nina Kidd: Publisher: Contemporary Books [8-12]
Draw Science: Reptiles and Amphibians (book) by Nina Kidd; Publisher: Lowell House [9-12]
Draw Science: Wild Animals (book) by Nina Kidd: Publisher: Lowell House [9-12]
Draw Science: Cockroaches, Stinkbugs, and Other Creepy Crawlers by Christine Becker and Nina Kidd; Publisher: Lowell House [9-12]
Kids' Art FunStation (book with paper, pastels, water colors, and art pencils) by Annie Horwood; Publisher: Price Stern Sloan [8-12]
Fabric Painting FunStation (book with paint, embroidery thread, fabric patches, brushes, googly eyes, gold glitter fabric pen) by Melanie Williams and Paula Turnbull; Publisher: Price Stern Sloan [8-12]
Paint Works: Pets (art instruction book, 8 watercolors and pencil with easel) by Kevin Jones Associates: Publisher: Thunder Bay Press [8-and up]
Paint Works: Trucks and Tractors (art instruction book, paint, and easel) by Kevin Jones Associates: Publisher: Thunder Bay Press [8-and up]
Watercolor for the Artistically Undiscovered (with paints and brushes) by Thacher Hurd and John Cassidy; Publisher: Klutz Press.
Art Works: Oil Pastels with Book/Easel by Jane Hughes; Publisher: Thunder Bay Press [9 and up]
Face Painting (book and paints) by the Editors of Klutz Press
Nail Art (book, nail polish, and decorations) by Sherri Haab; Publisher: Klutz Press
Blitz Cartooning Kit (book, sketch pad, tracing paper, "add a body" chart, drawing pencil, cartooning pen, and a sharpener in a recloseable carry case) by Bruce Blitz; Publisher: Art Products, Inc. [9-12]
Funny Pictures: Cartooning with Charles M. Schulz (book with 8 watercolor markers and personal sketchpad [9-12]
Draw the Marvel Comics Super Heroes: A Mighty Manual of Step-By-Step Instructions (book with 4 markers and a pencil) by the Editors of Klutz Press.
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Resources for Mixing, Molding, and Sculpting!
Kids' Crazy Concoctions: 50 Mysterious Mixtures for Art and Craft Fun by Jill Frankel Hauser; Publisher: Williamson Publishing Co. [Parenting Book]
The Official Icky Poo Book (book of 33 icky solutions and one icky poo ball with string) by the Editors of Klutz Press
The Incredible Clay Book (book with 8 1-ounce bricks of clay) by Sherri Haab and Laura Torres; Publisher: Klutz Press.
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Kids' Paper Airplane Book (book with 16 models, pull-out airport poster, pilot's license, flight log, and field guide to common aircraft) by Ken Blackburn and Jeff Lammers; Publisher: Workman Publishing Company [4-8].
Super Wings: The Step-by-Step Paper Airplane Book by Peter Clemons; Publisher: Lowell House [8-12]
The Best Paper Airplanes You'll Ever Fly by the Editors of Klutz Press [9-12]
Origami Magic (book and origami paper) by Florence Temko and Sandra Denis; Publisher: Scholastic [9-12]
The Usborne Book of Paper Flowers: Kid Kit by Usborne Publishing Co. [9-12]
Paper Chains: A Klutz Guide by the Editors of Klutz Press
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Jump Rope Rhymes (book with jump rope) compiled by the Lady with the Alligator Purse; Publisher: Klutz Press
Chinese Jump Rope by Anne Akers Johnson; Publisher: Editors of Klutz Press
Official Koosh Book (book with three glow-in-the dark Koosh balls) by the Editors of Klutz Press
Klutz Book of Marbles (book with marbles and marble bag) by Ed Taber; Publisher: Klutz Press
The Klutz Yo-Yo Book (book and yo-yo) by the Editors of Klutz Press [9-12]
Pick-up Sticks (book and pick-up sticks) by the Editors of Klutz Press
Cat's Cradle: A Book of String Figures (book with string) by Anne Akers Johnson; Publisher: Klutz Press [9-12]
String Games from Around the World (book and string) by Anne Akers Johnson; Publisher: Klutz Press [9-12]
The Klutz Book of Knots: How to Tie the World's 25 Most Useful Hitches, Ties, Wraps, and Knots by John Cassidy; Publisher: Klutz Press
Juggling for the Complete Klutz (book with three block bean bags) by John Cassidy; Publisher: Klutz Press
The Foxtail Book (book with foxtail ball) by Mike Callaghan and Ed Taber; Publisher: Klutz Press.
The Klutz Book of Jacks (book with jacks) by Ed Taber; Publisher: Klutz Press.
Klutz Book of Magic by Jack Cassidy; Publisher: Klutz Press
The Unbelievable Bubble Book (book with bubble-making tool) by John Cassidy and David Stein; Publisher: Klutz Press
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Gardening with Pooh (book of poetry and planting pointers with gardening tool and a packet of seeds) by Lisa Ann Marsoli; Publisher: Mouseworks, Disney [4-8]
Kids Gardening: A Kid's Guide to Messing Around in the Dirt (book with 15 varieties of seeds for planting outdoors or indoors) by Kevin Raftery and Kim Gilbert Raftery; Publisher: Klutz Press [4-8]
Gardening Wizardry for Kids (book, tools, and canvas belt) by Yvette Santiago Banek; Publisher: Barron's [9-12]
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Resources for Creating Things!
Puppet Theater FunStation (book, patterns, and materials for making a number of different puppets) by Susan Niner James and Emma Carlow; Publisher: Price Stern Sloan [8-12]
Disguises and Fantasy Faces FunStation (book, paints, and sponges for painting numerous animal faces, etc.) by Christine Edwards; Publisher: Price Stern Sloan [8-12]
Beads: A Book of Ideas and Instructions (book with different kinds of beads) by Laura Torres; Publisher: Klutz Press (8-12)
Braids and Bows (includes book with different kinds of bow-making materials) by Anne Akers Johnson and Robin Stoneking; Publisher: Klutz Press.
Friendship Bracelets (book with embroidery thread) by Laura Torres; Publisher: Klutz Press [4-8]
Knot Now! A Complete Friendship Bracelet Kit (book of 10 patterns with 5 9-yard skeins of string) by Margaret A. Hartelius; Publisher: Price Stern Sloan [9-12]
Knot Again! A Complete Lanyard Kit (book with plastic craft lace and books for making bracelets and keychains) by Margaret A. Hartelius; Publisher: Grossett and Dunlap [9-12]
Pipe Cleaners Gone Crazy: A Complete Guide to Bending Fuzzy Sticks by Laura Torres and Michael Sherman; Publisher: Klutz Press [9-12]
Dream Catchers (Native American Craft Kit with book) by Donald Tso and Sylvia Tso; Publisher: Troll [9-12]
Kachinas (Native American Craft Kit with book) by Catherine Nichols and Pamela Johnson; Publisher: Troll [9-12]
Balloon Animals (book with balloons for 20 creations and pump) by Aaron Hsu-Flanders and Albert Y. Hsu; Publisher: Contemporary Publishing Co.
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Teaching Activities
1. Provide children with a journal to write in over the summer. Stapled sheets of paper and a cover that children can decorate provide them with an opportunity to continue their writing throughout the summer. 2. Collect extra activity sheets through the school year and supply children with them in packet form at the end of the school year. Some children simply enjoy doing them; others will play school or use the sheets for drawing paper. 3. Inform parents of community summer activities. These activities can include story time at the local library or bookstore, the local library's summer reading program, swimming lessons, classes at museums, zoos, and parks, etc. 4. Supply a FunSummer Reading List of books that your students might enjoy reading. 5. Have children write to penpals or keypals during the school year. Encourage them to continue writing to their pen/keypal during the summer. 6. Supply a list of appropriate web sites for parents and children to use during the summer. 7. Have children keep a FavoritesFile. Have them list/write their favorite books, poems, jokes, tongue-twisters, riddles, etc. in their FavoritesFile (a spiral notebook or folder with dividers, etc.) during the school year. This provides fun reading later. Encourage them to continue adding to their FavoritesFile during the summer. This will keep them reading! Encourage them to share their "finds" with their friends throughout the summer. 8. Supply children with a list of classmates, their addresses, and e-mail addresses as appropriate. Encourage students to write to each other over the summer. |
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There are lots of fun TV-less summer activities for children to enjoy. For more fun summer ideas, visit LearningTips article #10!
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