by Rebecca Ritchey//
We are in the glory of sweet summertime. The days are longer, the nights are shorter, and couch potatoes unite. This is the season where “I’m bored” abounds and “What can I do?” is second only to “I’m hungry!”
The first week of summer break, I let laziness and Netflix binges take over, but then I decided my family needed alternatives to electronics. I made a list and posted it front and center on the refrigerator.
PLAY GAMES
In our family, playing cards was a rite of passage with my grandparents. We enjoy a fun game of Kings In the Corner, Phase Ten or Skip Bo. We also enjoy playing a game of memory, charades, and Heads Up. There are many games that can be played with a deck of cards or a set of dominoes. Gather the family around the kitchen table and have a fun time laughing and making memories!
CRAFTS
Slime is the popular craft this summer (recipes can be found on Pinterest). Make some slime and see how many different creatures you can create with it. Coloring is a simple pastime and it takes no time to print coloring sheets from the internet and color the afternoon away. The children also can paint new art for their room. Just buy a small canvas from a craft store, paints and let them paint what they can imagine. Crafts are great bonding times for families, and they allow creativity to grow.
READ AND LEARN
Dr. Seuss said “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Reading takes you on new adventures with every page turned. The Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osborne are favorites for us to read because each book takes you on a new adventure and a new lesson is learned. In our family, each child who can read takes a chapter and I also find resources to go along with the book for additional learning.
WRITE A LETTER
Old-fashioned letter writing is becoming a lost art, so write letters to special people in your life and mail them. A grandparent, aunt, uncle and even a teacher would be happy to receive happy mail. Your child can decorate the letter and include a special memory in it.
Summer doesn’t have to be spent sitting in front of the television. Summer can be spent learning, growing and making memories!
Ritchey is CEO of the Ritchey household, the mother of three children and wife to Jonathan. Reach her at rebeccaritchey@ymail.com.