summer survival

kids, indoor activities, video games

Photo by BusyBee908

It's summer. Let the whining commence. "What can we do? I'm bored. Today is so lame. It's too HO-O-OT outside. Every day is boring day..."

Best to have a creative arsenal of kids' indoor activity ideas to deflect the whining and keep the kids busy when they tire of reading, watching TV and DVDs, doing arts and crafts, playing computer and video games, and torturing their siblings.

We've done a little thinking to get you started.

Here are seven ideas for indoor activities for your big kids:

  1. Start a journal: Keeping a creative journal (or scrapbook or photo book or comic book or novel or zine), if they hate the typical written Dear Diary kind of journal, can be a fun ongoing summer project.
  2. Make a family summer center: Basically, it's a corner in your home where you keep your brainstorm list of things everyone likes to do. So next time they're bored, they just go pick an activity to do.
  3. Conduct a science experiment: Have fun doing bug autopsies, indoor herb gardens, terrariums, or other kid-friendly science experiments.
  4. Play mind or body games: Use the mind and/or the body for fun by playing charades, Rubik's cube, Wii Fit, Dance Dance Revolution, useful lego-making, Twister, origami, balloon volleyball, etc.
  5. Go on a scavenger hunt: If you have more than one child, have them create scavenger hunts for each other. If you have one child, let him create one for you.
  6. Build a fort: Give kids a stack of blankets, pillows, and couch cushions, some chairs, some binder clips, and free reign of a single room, and you'll be amazed what fortresses they can build (and the hours it will take them).
  7. Throw a family fun night: Once a week, as a family, enjoy movies and popcorn after dinner, a living room campout, a family room picnic, DIY pizza or banana splits, or family game night. 

What are your kids' favorite things to do indoors when it's too hot to be outside?