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Beat Boredom
Creative Summer Games By Julia Rosien
"Mom, I'm bored. There's nothing to do around here." Second day of summer vacation and already the kids are bored. Never mind that a week ago, you couldn't drag them inside to eat supper. If you're ready to jump ship, hold off a minute. Help is on the way. These moms keep their kids thinking and amused during the summer months.
What do kids do when company arrives? Act up. Kids love to dress up and be center stage. Liz Sharp lets her kids put on their own play. "They write the play, make tickets, advertise, design a set, make the costumes and prepare snacks." Sharp helps her three children, ages 6, 8, and 10, get the ball rolling. "We brainstorm ideas and I write while they talk." Once they're working together Sharp lets them plan the details of who plays which character. "It's nothing fancy and the plot is usually pretty silly."
Let your kids go through closets and old clothes boxes to find costumes. If it can't be glued, tied or pinned, offer to help out with some sewing. Sharp lets her children dye old sheets for capes or curtains.
Sets are easy to make with a refrigerator box from a local furniture store. Sharp says, "I usually call once or twice during the summer and see if they have any deliveries in my area. If they aren't too far away, they'll drop the boxes off." Kids can paint and cut as needed.
Encourage the children to make posters advertising their play and tape them to fences around the neighborhood. Sharp's children also make tickets to pass out to the neighborhood kids, parents and grandparents. "We don't charge admission," says Sharp with a grin. Let the kids plan the entire event, including a simple snack of popcorn and lemonade.