Summer Stations is one of our favorite ways to bust the boring summer blues. It’s a great indoor activity for kids. And if you have more than one child, it’s also a way to get some one-on-one with each child (which is sometimes hard to do with everyone home wanting a piece of your time). It goes right along with my other Summer Solutions. So I guess this is Summer Solution #6.
Here’s what you do:
1. Think of 4-5 activities that your kidlets haven’t done in a while. This can be puzzles, bubbles, art projects, playdough, etc. Have a few activities they can do on their own and then some that you can do (or need to do) with them. See our examples below.
2. Set up a station for each activity. Use the table, the kitchen, the back porch, the living room floor. Anywhere that you can see them (and supervise) and so they don’t feel isolated.
3. Divide the kids at each station. No matter what every kid will get a chance at each station.
4. Set a timer. We do about 15-20 mins per activity. Not too short, but no one has time to get bored either.
5. Rotate. If they don’t like the station they are at, they know they’ll be rotating soon. Encourage them to try each activity and do their best.
*Something about setting up these activities in stations makes it seem more fun for them. It takes up a good afternoon and is fairly simple to set up.*
Here’s what we did: