4 Educational Ways to Keep Kids Entertained This Summer

When the school year comes to an end, it's all fun and games for about the first week of summer break. After the first few days, though, a lot of kids get settled into a laid-back routine and find themselves overwhelmed with boredom. Keeping the kids entertained for an entire summer can seem a bit daunting at first, but with a small amount of research, you'll find lots of educational ways to keep the kiddos entertained. Here are four examples.

Keep It Local

Image via Flickr by Doug Hay

Your kids might have all the time in the world to go and do as they please this summer, but with you working a job and taking care of the house, squeezing in summertime fun can be difficult. Thankfully, there are lots of local activities you can take advantage of, even if you live in a small community. 

Some of the best local activities to take advantage of during the summertime to educate your child include going on nature walks, taking a trip to the library, or visiting a nearby museum. When you keep things local, you'll notice you and the kids have much more time to enjoy fun activities because you won't be traveling far. Even going into your own backyard and planting a garden can be educational because you'll be teaching the kids about biology and responsibility at the same time.

Bring Your Kid to Work Day

Not every parent will be able to follow this tip, but if your workplace policy allows, you should consider letting the kids come to work with you for a few days during their summer break. This is definitely a way to broaden their knowledge about your day-to-day life. You might even find that after spending the day with you at work, one of your kids wants to follow in your career footsteps.

Go Shopping for a New HVAC

It might not seem like a lot of fun at first, but taking your kids shopping for a new HVAC system can be a neat way to expand their environmental and energy knowledge. When shopping for a new system, make sure to look at ones that utilize today's advanced smart technology, like those that can be remotely accessed and controlled via a smartphone. After all, kids love doing things that involve the use of electronics.

Set Up a Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt stirs up excitement, curiosity, and lots of learning. A simple online search will reveal any local scavenger hunts to take advantage of, and if there aren't any, you can always create one yourself. Even better is that you can have the kids hunt for items in your house or in the backyard, or if you're willing to drive the kids around, you can make it a neighborhood- or county-wide hunt. To learn about the details of planning a scavenger hunt, make sure to check out these fun scavenger hunt ideas.

All of the tips mentioned above are great starting points for making sure the kids have a fun and exciting summer break they will remember forever.