by Laurie Laine Guidry

With the school year coming to a close, many parents are searching for programs they can ship their children off to for the summer rather than having to listen to “I’m bored” for the eight surplus hours per day once consumed by school.

In order to keep your children’s eyes from glazing over after a 10-hour television session (and to keep your sanity intact by avoiding the shrill voice of SpongeBob during his all-day, all-summer marathon) PoV is supplying you with tips and suggestions for summertime activities which can be completed by the child alone (when Mom needs a break to catch up on laundry), with limited parental involvement or as a whole family.

Parent-Free Activities
• Decorate the pavement with colorful chalk sketches.(For the morbid child, create chalk body outlines for an exciting police scene.)
• Practice shooting hoops, rollerblading or any other sport that can be done alone.(For the athletically-challenged child, take a walk wearing knee and elbow pads.)
• Play in the sprinklers or slip-and-slide with neighboring kids.(For the hydrophobic child, supply a raincoat.)
• Build an outdoor fort of scrap materials found around the neighborhood.
(For the girlie girl, build a fairy princess castle)

Activities with Minimal Parental Involvement
• Create a doll salon. (Parents can set up a large bowl with warm water, child-friendly toiletries and after-bath beauty products and let the child enjoy a baby doll boutique.)
• Build an obstacle course in the backyard. (Use old tires, create hurdles, zigzag courses, and other obstacles.Then, sit back in the shade with a cool beverage while “timing” your child’s attempts.)
• Finger paint a picture for grandma. (Parents may want to lay out newspapers and keep an eye on the little ones so the living room walls do not end up showcasing a lopsided, five-foot rainbow.)
• Create imaginary houses, rockets, trains and more out of cardboard boxes. (Parents can get large appliance boxes from local retailers and help cut openings with scissors. Then they can let the child go to town coloring and designing the rest of the day.)

Full Family Involvement
• Go to the beach to fly kites, build sandcastles and splash under the sun.
• Have a picnic in the park.
• Tie-dye T-shirts, socks or Dad’s underwear.
• Spend the day fishing at a nearby pond or lake.
• Create a list of things to do for each day left during the summer. PoV