With school out and kids home for the summer, it is often difficult to keep the little ones happy and busy. While blowing bubbles, watching TV or video games are fun ways to relax when there is no homework, kids also enjoy projects that are a little bit different. Spectrum Stone Designs, Central Virginia’s leading natural stone fabricator, shares five summer activities for kids:
- Build a Sandcastle: You don’t have to hit the beach to create a masterpiece. Head to a home improvement store, buy some sand and dream of far away castles, princes and princess right in your own backyard. Don’t want sand all over your fresh-cut grass? Build your own sandbox!
- Unwind with a Whimsical Wind Chime: Grab some shark teeth, seashells or starfish, twine and an old metal hangar and make a homemade wind chime. Southern Living shares details how to do it yourself, or find a an old piece of driftwood to use as a rod and hang from twine. Luckily, many seashells already have holes, so you may not even need to drill small holes in your chimes.
- Try a Time Capsule: Thinking of creating something your kids will cherish as they grow older? Grab some pens, let them write letters to themselves and place in a cardboard moving box. Add in toys they loved but no longer play with, artwork or school tests they aced (or failed), school photos and pictures of them with friends, clothes they have outgrown or brochures and postcards from a summer trip. Paint or color the moving box for even more fun!
- Make Ice Cream: Instead of heading to the grocery store for chocolate chip or cookies and cream, make your own frozen summer treat. Ice cream makers start at less than $30, and ice cream is actually quite simple to make. Allrecipes shares the techniques to make vanilla or check out Food.com’s version of Mint Chocolate Chip. Once you’ve got the technique down, try adding fun fruits and berries like mango, kiwi or passionfruit.
- Dive Into a Good Book: Every Friday evening, Barnes and Noble (4024-C Wards Road, Lynchburg, VA 24502) offers story time for the little ones from 7 to 8 p.m. Have other Friday night plans? Hit a local library and hold a contest between siblings or friends to see who can read the most books this summer.
Summer is a great time to reconnect with the kids. Some of these activities are simple enough that kids can do them on their own, giving moms and dad a chance to rest, cook dinner or clean up. Have other fun summer activity ideas? Share them with us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ or Twitter.
Spectrum Stone Designs is Lynchburg’s leading fabricator of natural stone countertops, surrounds and tiles for kitchens, fireplaces and baths. Serving Lynchburg, Roanoke, Charlottesville and all of Central Virginia, Spectrum Stone Designs imports top-quality granite, marble and other stone and expertly cuts and polishes before professionally installing in homes or offices. Spectrum Stone Designs strives for excellence in craftsmanship and customer service.
