Summer is magical. From the endless sunshine and popsicles to pool days and picnics outside, there’s no end to the family fun. However, there are those boiling hot days where you’ll prefer to do just about any activity at home to escape the heat. The good news is that there’s truly no limit to the indoor family activities that can fit perfectly into your summer schedule and keep your little ones entertained all day long.
Staying Cool in the Kitchen with Kids
Everyone loves popsicles, and you can make this sweet treat even more exciting by making them with your family as an activity at home. Making homemade popsicles is also a great way to use up some stuff in your fridge and even add some sneaky veggies to your kids’ diet. Since sweet fruit easily overpowers the taste of the vegetables, they’ll never know.
You’ll need just a few simple things to get started with this fun indoor family activity:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Popsicle mold or cupcake tin with popsicle sticks
- Yogurt
First, use a food processor or blender to blend all your ingredients together. Add in enough yogurt (or a non-dairy substitute) to make the mixture creamy but not runny. Pour the mixture into a popsicle mold and freeze; it’s that simple! If you don’t have a popsicle mold, a cupcake tin with some popsicle sticks works just as well. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it sure will be delicious.
This indoor family activity is fully customizable and can help keep your little ones engaged in the kitchen while even hitting some key learning objectives appropriate for their age group. Toddler-aged children can practice counting and sorting as they prepare ingredients for blending. Older children can also help with measuring, and you can even introduce some basic fractions with measuring cups. No matter how you execute it, everyone gets a sweet treat at the end.
Indoor Obstacle Courses Children Love
Even if it’s a bit too warm to go outside, it’s still essential to have an activity at home for little ones to help get their wiggles out. Obstacle courses are a fun indoor family activity that get everyone up and moving. Your children will practice critical thinking skills as they decide how to construct their masterpiece, and they’ll employ important social-emotional skills as they work together towards their goal.
You can use household items like pillows, blankets, chairs, and toys to set up a challenging course. Encourage your kids to crawl under tables, hop over cushions, and balance on tape lines on the floor.
This activity at home not only keeps them active and entertained but also helps them develop their motor skills and coordination. Plus, it allows for plenty of creativity and can be easily modified to suit different age groups and skill levels, from preschoolers to school-aged children. You can even have your kids create courses for the grown-ups in the house.
Finding Indoor Family Activities
Whether you’re trying to beat the heat during the dog days of summer or avoiding a potential rainstorm, activities at home are always great to have filed away. So many of your favorite things can be done indoors with just a little spark of creativity.