Summer Activities 

 1.  Let’s play “Feeling Faces.”Play a feeling faces game. You can find examples on the Internet. (Search for “feelings faces games.”) You can purchase a game you discover, use one available online, or get ideas about how to make a homemade version.

2.  Let’s do music. Sing, play music, or dance together. Plan a “show” that you can perform for your family or neighbors. When you are willing to show your talents, you teach your child it is OK to be talented and to enjoy your talents.

3.  Let’s play with a pet. Take your child and a pet out to play. If you don’t have a pet, borrow a neighbor’s pet. Where to take the pet will depend on the type of animal. For many it might be a park. For others it could be your yard or just letting them out of their cages in the house for some free playtime.

Cautions:

• Be sure to select a place that will be safe for the type of animal.
• Be sure birds are protected from predators and from flying away.
• Some pets can’t be “taken out to play” at all because moving them is dangerous to them – like fish.

4.  Let’s make a calendar. Make a calendar with the birthdays of relatives and friends that are important to your child. Use the calendar to send cards. You can have your child make a card on the birthdays as they come up. Or, if the child is old enough, you could teach him how to send e-cards or notes.

5.  Let’s play an alphabet game. Play an alphabet word game. Start with the first letter of your name and name a place or thing that starts with that letter. The next person takes the next letter in the alphabet and does the same thing. Take turns back and forth until you have done the whole alphabet. You can name a category first, if you like. For example, each word has to be an animal, fruit, street name, food, etc.

6.  Let’s learn about jobs. Arrange for a field trip or tour of a place where your child can see people (and maybe talk to people) who are working at a job that she plays about when she is pretending or if she is older that she seems interested in as a future occupation. It can be a virtual tour by looking for a TV or video that is about that job. Talk over all that you learn. Art or writing projects are great ways to make a record of an experience.

7.  Let’s bake. Bake a cake or cookies. Let your child help decide what flavor, color of icing, and decorations to use. Share the results with a relative or neighbor.

For more summer activity ideas see Summer Activities for Children Part 1 .

Watch for Summer Activities Part 3 on June 24.