Ideas to cure summer boredom

I can't begin to sum up all of the times I've heard, "Mom, I'm bored" over the last 17 summers nor all the times I remember uttering those same words to my mother as a child.

Since my daughter has a license, those words come less often than they used to along with her eagerness to hang around the house and make crafts from Popsicle sticks.

While some things change, others generally remain the same. Children do not want the misery of boredom in a summer that is supposed to be filled with typically teacher-free fun. So why not give them some creative ideas to enjoy their time off from school. They might even learn a thing or two as they play.

Uh oh. Did I just say learn? (Insert evil grin here). Now you know I can't just go lending education-less ideas.

1. Water race

You'll need at least four beach pails and two big, car wash sponges. Your child(ren) will need to wear a swimsuit. Fill two pails up with water. Leave two empty. Place the first two directly across from the second set. Show your child how to play the game by dipping the sponge into a full pail of water and then, run to the pail directly behind you. Wring/squeeze the water out of the sponge and into the empty pail. Now, your child is ready to play the water race game with you or with a friend.

Don't forget to stop about every three laps to cool down. Let the kiddos douse themselves in water from their sponges.

First one to empty his/her water pail into the other wins!

This is a good motor skills development activity, usually for preschool, but can be used for school aged children.

2. Yard Twister

Cut extra large circles out of cardboard or cardboard box, card stock, or whatever you have laying around. Use face paints, general acrylic, or even spray paint. Place hole left from cut out over grass. Paint grassy circle generously. Space each large painted dot/circle as evenly as possible to create a fun, attractive twister mat on your own backyard lawn. Make a dial or color wheel to instruct your children (best for upper elementary to early high schoolers) on which body part and color comes next in the game. Throw in some background tunes from Pandora and you've got yourselves a good time.

3. Indoor/outdoor activity cube.

Collect a small cube-shaped tissue box, some card stock, and Velcro. Cut the card stock to match the sides of your tissue box. Now, sit down with your kiddos and brainstorm some fun and educational ideas to stave off the boredom blues. Some ideas include:

"Building" which can equal Legos, blocks, forts or outdoor materials.

"Story time" which can include writing word or picture stories and acting them out, especially on a created backyard stage using dress up clothes and outdoor materials.

"Jokes, jigsaws, mazes" where you can make Lego or domino mazes, have a stand-up comedy time and puzzle practice on a rainy day.

Create your own and have fun! When you are finished, attach Velcro to the back of your idea squares and to the sides of your tissue box and then one to the other.

4. Sprinkler and water hose fun.

Self explanatory, but one of the most fun ideas is to take a water hose and play a game. Raise the hose and hold your thumb over the spout to spray the water. Play a game of water limbo by asking your child to run under the hose. Each time he/she does, lower the hose. The point is to try to run under without being soaked by the water. As the hose is lowered, your child gets soaked and has a blast at the same time.

Or fill a wading pool with water and grab a beach ball. Stand on one side of the pool with your child on the other (or children across from one another). Toss the ball back and forth trying not to splash each other or bounce the ball into the pool and to one another. It'll be a wet and wild mess of memories.

These are my top four summer activity ideas to cure boredom for children and family.

Now get busy and go create some memories.