School is out for the summer, but how are you going to keep the kids busy?!
They can need seemingly endless entertainment. Keeping things fresh and screen-free can become challenging, because — let’s face it — there isn’t always a big budget or loads of time for you to take them outside the home.
On days like those, what’s a parent to do? Texas Hot Tub Company is here to help with a plethora of ideas to keep the kids busy all summer long.
Try a Cooking Class to Keep the Kids Busy
Kids love to cook — especially fun dishes they love to eat.
Who doesn’t love no-bake cookies? They are an easy treat for even the youngest kids.
You will need ¼ cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, ½ cup of milk, ¼ cup cocoa, a pinch of salt, 1 tsp vanilla, ½ cup of peanut butter, and 3 cups of quick-cooking oats.
Once you have your kids and ingredients together, grab a saucepan and heat the butter over low heat. Add in sugar, milk, cocoa, and salt. Then bring it to a boiling point, but do not boil it.
Remove the pan from the heat, and add the vanilla, peanut butter, and oats until combined. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto parchment paper and wait until they are firm.
Not only will this keep the kids entertained while cooking, but it will also help build math skills and feed them as they incessantly request snacks.
Water Fun
Swimming is a more obvious choice, but you don’t necessarily have to have a pool to enjoy the water.
A spa party for your kids and their friends can be just the ticket. Even when it is cooler, they can enjoy a good time in the warm water of your hot tub.
Grab some facemasks and pour sparkling juice into plastic flutes to make pre-teen girls feel extra special.
Keep things light and fun with simple water games, dive rings, and anything else the kids might enjoy.
You can even host a swim spa Olympics party if your children are more active or competitive.
Choose the competitions. Anything from swimming to running or using your stationary bike can be fun. You can even throw in some non-water relays.
Create a leaderboard to track everyone’s progress and award fun medals at the end.
Serve cupcakes or cookies with frosting in Olympic colors — red, blue, yellow, green, and black — as a treat.
Host Story Time to Keep the Kids Busy
With a few fun voices, you can host story time in your neighborhood or just for your kids.
Get together with some other parent friends and take turns being the host of this event to keep things fresh and entertaining. It might even give one or two of you a much-needed break during the summer months. You can even ask grandparents to be guest readers.
Even older kids can get into chapter books. We loved when our teachers read to us in high school, but if your kids feel too cool for that, have them take turns reading with friends and selecting books to share.
This is educational and fun and helps to build community with you and your kids.
With some imagination and planning, you can keep the kids busy and happy and off their phones and video games for hours when they’re out of school. Plus, you’ll be creating memories you’ll all remember for years.
Our experts can help you brainstorm even more ideas if needed or set you up for success with a hot tub, swim spa, or sauna to call your own. Stop by Texas Hot Tub Company today for fun amenities that you can use all year long.