Can you believe that summer is right around the corner? Summer - full of family bar-b-ques, swim parties, fireworks, lightening bugs, family vacations, lazy mornings...and at some point, that spoken sentence that almost all parents hear and fear, "Mom, I'm bored!"
 
In response to this age old complaint, we've compiled a list of 101 ideas to keep your children's minds and bodies busy during the heat of summer.  Kids can choose any activities they are interested in and complete them in any order they'd like. Many are suitable for kids to complete on their own, some require parental permission and others can be achieved with the entire family thus promoting family togetherness. Some of the 101 ideas made the list last year, but many are new. So, print out the list, (complete with check-off boxes), and hand it to your children when they state they have nothing to do.
 
And if you're homeschooling through the summer, consider using Time4Learning. Whether you use it for summer skill-building, to prevent backsliding or to get ahead for next year, their online education program offers your kids a productive outlet to stimulate their creativity and promote mental exercise into the summer months.
 

101 Things To Do This Summer

  1. Have an old fashioned weenie roast - and make your own mustard. There are over 100 recipes for mustard in the following link. http://www.melborponsti.com/inxmtd.html

  2. Interview your grandparents. They're interesting people! Find out what games they played when they were young, what their parents were like (your great-grandparents), what kind of clothes they wore, etc. If you can, record the interview. You'll be glad you did. http://genealogy.about.com/cs/oralhistory/a/interview.htm

  3. Learn a new talent. What do you really wish you could do? Talk to your parents about it--they can help you achieve your goals.

  4. Build a fort. This can be in your living room--made out of blankets, or in a tree with wood and braces. If actual construction is involved, you will need an adult's supervision--and depending on where you live, you might even need a building permit or approval from a Homeowner's Association. But think of how much fun it will be!

  5. Learn to play an instrument. Many music teachers are reaching out to homeschoolers on our Local Homeschooling pages. http://www.homeschool.com/supportgroups/ Piano, violin, guitar, voice and more! And yes--your voice is a beautiful instrument!

  6. Slide down a hill on a piece of cardboard--but first, check out this link! http://wings.avkids.com/Curriculums/Forces_Motion/sliding_howto.html

  7. Learn about musicals. Watch Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, West Side Story and Fiddler on the Roof. Note how modern music has incorporated musical lyrics from these productions. Discuss how these musicals would be different if made today. These are FUN musicals--you will enjoy them.

  8. Read The Little Prince. This is a phenomenal piece of literature with multiple layers, and it's a short read. Discover why it has been translated into more than 180 languages and why it has sold more than 80 million copies making it one of the best-selling books ever.

  9. Go to the beach or the lake and build a sandcastle. Get your family and friends involved. http://www.ehow.com/how_7470_build-sand-castle.html

  10. Lie outside at night and watch the sky for shooting stars. Find out why shooting stars aren't really stars at all. http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/questions/question12.html

  11. With your parent's permission, redecorate and rearrange your bedroom. You can purchase Oops paint for as little as a dollar a gallon at your local paint/hardware store.

  12. Make your own play dough. There are lots of fun variations at the following link. http://www.simplymoms.com/art/playdoh.html

  13. Spend one afternoon of quality time with each individual in your family. Have a tea party with your little sister, play cards with you brother, and hang out with your Dad. Enjoy spending time with those that love you.

  14. Go camping--even if it's in your backyard! If you happen to have a trampoline--trampolines make great sleeping surfaces.

  15. Turn into an expert. Pick a topic you're really interested in and research it online. Better yet, pick one subject per week. You'll be impressed with all you've learned by the end of the summer.

  16. Read Summer of My German Soldier, by Bette Greene and watch the video starring Kristi McNichol and Bruce Davidson.

  17. Check out your local paper to discover any neighborhood, free-admission activities. Lots will be going on in your community and you don't want to miss a thing.

  18. Get up at dawn and appreciate the coolness and peaceful feeling of the early morning. Compare it to the sweltering afternoon.

  19. With your family, float down a slow river on an inner tube. Or maybe, a not so slow river--tubing is a blast!

  20. Play badminton. It's a fun game. Compare it to ping pong and tennis. Just because you're good at one doesn't mean you're good at the others. Why is that? http://www.badminton.org/badminton-rules.html

  21. Learn about bats, why they are important and why they are beneficial. Did you know that a bat can eat as many as 1,200 mosquitoes in an hour? Try building a bat house. http://wildlife.state.co.us

  22. Have a piñata party. First, make your own piñata. http://www.makepinatas.com/

  23. Take a fencing class! Did you know that fencing is a source of college scholarships? Many fencing teachers are reaching out to homeschoolers. http://www.homeschool.com/supportgroups/

  24. Attend your sibling's game and REALLY root for him/her.

  25. Bake a cake and then decorate it. There are a number of cake decorating shows on television--watch a few and then see what you can do. Have fun with it. http://www.wilton.com/decorating/decorating-basics

  26. Designate theme days--Blue Day, Backward Day, Funny Hair Day, etc. The options are endless.

  27. Have a Silly String fight, a water balloon fight or a pillow fight. Have some raucous fun! Get permission first.

  28. Spoil your pet for a day. Give your dog a bath, play ball with him, and take him for a walk. Likewise, cuddle your cat, pet your hamster, talk to your bird, etc. Spoil your pet several times over the summer. Turn it into a habit.

  29. Do something especially nice for Father's Day (June 19th). Show your Dad how much he means to you. Write him a letter expressing your love or make him something he'll enjoy. Possible craft ideas can be found at the following link.
http://www.parenting.com/gallery/7-easy-to-make-gifts-for-fathers-day?pnid=109116

  30. Roast marshmallows and make S'mores. If you can't roast the marshmallows over a fire, a broiler will do! http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Broiler-Smores/Detail.aspx

  31. With your parent's permission, get a job or an internship.

  32. Learn to sew, embroider or crochet. Maybe your grandmother can teach you.

  33. Every day, look up and learn 2 new words from the dictionary.

  34. Lounge on a hammock. Better yet, make one first! http://www.ehow.com/how_2180458_improvise-a-hammock.html

  35. Have a neighborhood outdoor game day. Revisit 4-square, Red Rover Red Rover, Duck Duck Goose, Mother May I and Hide and Go Seek.

  36. Attend a first aid class. You never know when this knowledge will come in handy.

  37. Tour a college campus. There are pros and cons to touring during the summer months and you can read some of these at the following link.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/62655-college-tours-summer.html

  38. Choose a day--or two--and perform random acts of kindness. See how others respond. It's very rewarding.
http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/

  39. Talk to your parents about what you'd like to learn next year in your homeschool program. Chances are your parents are looking at curriculum now--so now is the time to speak up!

  40. Find a mentor. Want to learn a specific skill or knowledge? See if someone in the community can be your mentor. This can be a family member, family friend, or someone you don't even know yet.

  41. Make a work of art in your driveway using multi-color chalk. Get permission first though. Did you know you can draw with wet chalk? http://www.wikihow.com/Create-Wet-Chalk-Drawings Or, did you know that professional artists have done some amazing chalk art? http://www.rense.com/general67/street.htm

  42. Learn about cotton candy. There's not nearly as much sugar in cotton candy as you might think. http://www.cottoncandy.net/

  43. On a really hot day, go to the dollar movies and enjoy the air conditioning!

  44. Learn how to French braid.
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-french-braid-hair-2

  45. BE a mentor!

  46. Check out the website www.sporcle.com. See how quickly you can fill in the 50 states. http://www.sporcle.com/games/states.php

  47. Learn jump rope tricks. Find jump roping videos on the internet to give you inspiration. It's AMAZING what people can do with a jump rope! http://www.buzzle.com/articles/jump-rope-tricks.html

  48. Do some crazy fun science experiments (explosions, etc), with your parent's permission of course. http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments.html

  49. Learn how to make pickles. Did you know they come from cucumbers? http://picklethis.com/taxonomy/term/26/9





  50. Blow bubbles with bubble gum--gigantic, wonderful, BIG pink bubbles. Have blowing contests with your siblings. You can even learn how to blow one bubble within another!
http://www.ehow.com/how_2105861_blow-bubble-gum-bubble.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_2222361_blow-one-bubble-gum-bubble.html

  51. Swing on a tire swing or a rope swing. Don't have one? That's an easy fix!
http://www.ehow.com/how_2085185_tire-swing.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_2105748_make-rope-swing.html

  52. Decorate your bike... spruce it up... and ride with friends. http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/howtodecoratebikebicyclescraftskids.html

  53. Learn how to do the backstroke.

  54. Run through the sprinklers--this never gets old! Or participate in the fun celebration of Slip-n-Slide!

  55. Make "custom" Kool-Aid by mixing flavors.

  56. Jump on a trampoline. It can be a backyard trampoline or a trampoline fun center. Trampoline fun centers seem to be a new craze and are popping up all over the country.

  57. Find a museum that interests you. Many museums have homeschool programs and summer camps. Some of these are FUN! See if a museum in your area is reaching out to homeschoolers. A good place to start is our Local Homeschooling pages.

  58. Volunteer!

  59. Make a new friend. Reach out to someone who has just moved into your neighborhood or to someone that maybe doesn't have a lot of friends. They might end up being your best buddy.

  60. Give your grandparents a big hug for no reason!

  61. Take an etiquette class. Learn when to use specific forks and how to be polite at all times.

  62. Learn the physics of skateboarding. http://www.exploratorium.edu/skateboarding

  63. Barter your services. Want to ride a horse? Offer to clean out stalls in return for riding time. Want to take guitar lessons? Offer to mow the instructor's lawn in return for lessons. Get your parent's permission and then make sure you follow through on your end.

  64. Think about what you want to be when you grow up and find out what type of education is required. Go online and determine the demand for the field and the starting salary. Some adults do what they love regardless of the compensation, others go into a field because of the pay.
http://www.careeronestop.org/

  65. Go to the drive-in movies with your family. Drive-ins are disappearing. Enjoy them while you can.

  66. Learn how to do a cartwheel.

  67. Celebrate the first day of Summer (June 21) by listening to songs with the word summer in them. What songs can you come up with?

  68. Go to a garage sale... or two... or three. They're great fun.

  69. Exercise in the pool. It's so much easier than on dry land--and more enjoyable too.

  70. Clean your room for absolutely no reason, other than to surprise your Mom.

  71. Play hide and go seek--in the DARK! Turn off all the lights in the house... and play for hours. Warning--this can get a bit raucous. Parental permission required.

  72. Do yard work for an elderly neighbor. Cut the grass. Plant some flowers. Make a difference.

  73. Try a food you've never tasted before. Go on... take a bite!

  74. Dream big!

  75. Check out the website www.freerice.com. Learn and help people at the same time.

  76. With your parent's permission, have a yard sale and donate the proceeds to charity.

  77. Learn to whistle.

  78. Understand the science behind fireworks. http://www.howstuffworks.com/fireworks.htm

  79. Learn to hula hoop and learn some fun tricks!
http://www.ehow.com/how_2239194_do-simple-hula-hoop-tricks.html

  80. Make a bird feeder out of a used milk container. Learn what kinds of seeds will attract the birds you want (make sure there are lots of dark sunflower seeds in the mix).

  81. Eat breakfast for dinner.

  82. Start a collection. What do you like? Rocks, stamps, figurines?

  83. Go a day without phone calls, texts, TV, radio or computers.

  84. Make banana splits.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2011_make-banana-split.html

  85. Prevent brain drain with Time4Learning's online education program.
Summer should be fun. With Time4Learning, it can be!

  86. Devise a fire plan for your home. http://earlychildhood.suite101.com/article.cfm/developing_a_fire_safety_plan_with_kids

  87. Become a tourist in your own town. What do tourists see when visiting your area? Have you seen these same attractions?

  88. Make up with someone. Go ahead, end the feud!

  89. Make a bucket list of things you want to do before you are 12, 16, and 18. Share this with your parents. See how you can start crossing things off your list.

  90. Learn all about wolves. http://www.wolf.org/wolves/learn/learn.asp

  91. Understand the physics behind roller coasters. They aren't as dangerous as they seem! http://www.learner.org/exhibits/parkphysics

  92. Eat healthy! http://helpguide.org/life/healthy_eating_diet.htm

  93. Find out how hot air balloons work. Depending on where you live, you might be able to go on one or at least watch them take off. Did you know they actually make a lot of noise? http://www.howstuffworks.com/hot-air-balloon.htm

  94. Read the book The Light in the Forest by Conrad Richter. If you can, watch the 1958 feature film adaptation produced by Walt Disney Productions and then compare the two.

  95. Play hop scotch with your young siblings.

  96. Learn how to bowl. http://www.wikihow.com/Bowl. Many bowling establishments have homeschool hours, homeschool days, youth leagues, etc. Many are advertising in our Local Homeschooling section. http://www.homeschool.com/supportgroups/default.asp

  97. Make pink lemonade bars.
http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/pink-lemonade-bars-83236

  98. Do something... anything you choose... to make you a better you.

  99. Learn to read music.

  100. Make and fly a kite. There are 19 kite possibilities at:
http://www.howtomakeandflykites.com

  101. Last but not least... get ready for school to resume. Summer is GREAT but so is the fall!
 

This list of 101 Things To Do This Summer has been brought to you by Time4Learning.
 
Time4Learning makes summer learning fun! One low price includes 1000+ multimedia lessons, individual student logins, access to multiple grade levels & an automated system that grades lessons and keeps reports for portfolio usage. Use it as a core curriculum, as part of an eclectic program or for summer skill sharpening.