by their imaginations (and your box supply).
Summer Masterpieces Summer is the perfect time for the Young Masters to create art outside:
10. White bedsheets and water color paints. Simply wash the sheet after every use for a new canvas every time.
11. Paint terracotta planters, and plant summer annuals or a container garden.
12. This is the perfect time to bust out the pottery wheel and clay.
13. Playdough is always better outside, right?
14. Don't forget to use nature's bounty: paint without paint brushes - use flowers to dip in paint.
15. Garden stones. Paint rocks, or even golf balls!
It's ALL Therapy! Let's have fun working on Occupational and Physical Therapy goals:
16. Make an obstacle course. And then break it down, and make it different, and do it again!
17. Consider hanging a tire or adaptive swing, or investing in a slide or a mini trampoline. Check Craigslist or Want Ads for used but well-cared-for items.
18. Cornhole or washers
19. Play catch, kick the ball back and forth, chase each other, have sack races, ride a bike: these are all excellent examples of fun and functional play.
20. Animal crawls. Put the names of the animals on popsicle sticks, have kiddos take turns pulling a stick and crawling like that animal.
A Hard Day's Night The fun doesn't need to stop after the sun goes down.
21. Glow stick ring toss
22. Gow in the dark bubbles - just add glow in the dark paint or fluorescent paint to your bubble juice, and you're ready to glow!
23. Find constellations in the sky based on your current location using the Sky Guide app.
24. Roast hot dogs or marshmallows, or just sit around a fire pit.
25. Catch lightning bugs in a jar.
Celebrate the Holidays Help the kids celebrate the summer holidays, July 4th and Labor Day.
26. Bike parade through the neighborhood. Decorate bikes, trikes, wagons, wheelchairs, walkers or any other adaptive device with streamers, flags, paper flowers or whatever other decorations you can think of.
27. Create homemade musical instruments and sing patriotic songs.
28. Tie-dye white undershirts with red, white, and blue for a unique show of pride.
Science Experiments Everything the kids have ever asked to do, but you were afraid they might destroy the house!
29. Homemade volcano
30. Ant farm, ladybug house, horticulture experiments
No matter what you and your family do this summer, remember that these moments are fleeting. The wonder of childhood only lasts so long. And our kiddos get to enjoy their childhood, too. We included some therapeutic activities, but don't forget to just sit back and enjoy the summer together.
- MSNN