It’s important for kids to remain busy and active throughout the summer for healthy development and physical well-being. However, it always seems that parents have too much to do while kids never have enough, which can lead to boredom, too much TV and video games, and even mischievous behavior. Provide help to stressed parents this summer by organizing fun, safe activities for their kids throughout the summer. Here are some ideas to help you get started.
Bike safety and group rides
Do you have an avid cycler in your neighborhood? Ask them to do a short presentation to neighborhood kids on bike safety and tips for riding in the neighborhood. If you’re having a hard time finding a resident, reach out to local bike shops to see if a team member could stop by the neighborhood to give a quick presentation and potentially teach kids how to maintain their bikes. After kids learn the rules of the road, organize group rides on planned routes throughout the neighborhood to keep them busy.
Sports games
Pickup sports games are the ultimate summer pastime for kids, however, it can be tough to gather enough kids to have a full game. Organize various pickup games each week based on the resources of your community. If you have a nice, grassy field, you can organize kickball and soccer games fairly cheap by purchasing small cones for bases and goals. For street games like roller hockey, help designate a specific street and time for the game and be sure to alert residents ahead of time to ensure slower speeds.
Swim safety and kids swim
If you have a community pool, have your lifeguards host swim safety classes for kids on a monthly basis. Topics to cover include why you shouldn’t run near the pool or dive and basics for staying afloat. Similar to adult swim, designate an hour each week, perhaps midday, that’s a kids-only swim and provide extra water toys like noodles and beach balls for added fun.
Family movie nights
Thanks to advances in technology, outdoor theatre setups are becoming more affordable each year. If you have room in the budget, look at purchasing an outdoor projector and movie screen and hosting weekly family-friendly movie nights. This is a great way to help busy parents keep their kids entertained, as well as bring the community together.
Summer jobs
Do you need help cutting grass, pulling weeds, and maintaining public areas throughout the community? Send out an email to residents encouraging teenagers to apply for their first summer job. You can also help promote services residents might need help with, such as lawn care, poop scooping, dog walking, and babysitting. As an added bonus, consider reaching out to banks or financial planning companies to see if an employee would be interested in stopping by the community to teach teens the importance of getting their first job and how to save money.
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