Three Ways to Keep Your Kids Busy this Summer

How quickly does the excitement of summer vacation turn into boredom and laziness for your student?

If you’re like most parents, it probably happens fairly quickly. Once our kids are set loose on the world without school taking up their time, they suddenly fall into a routine that includes waking up for lunch and playing videogames until dinner. If we’re lucky, they’ll at least watch the History Channel before bed.

It’s time for our students to stop wasting time and accomplish something outside of school. Here are three ways to keep your kids busy this summer.

Summer Camp

Good thing there are youth leadership programs located all over that provide not only something to do, but something that’s fun, gets our kids outside, and even teaches important skills and knowledge.

Beyond the educational aspect, a summer camp provides our kids with a gateway to growth. Put them in an initially uncomfortable situation (being in new places is often difficult for younger people, especially if you’re not around) and they’ll make the most out of it.

If you can show your student the value of being independent and meeting new people, you just may inspire him to wake up in time for breakfast on the weekends.

Rec Sports Leagues

Joining recreational sports is a great way to get a teen up and at ‘em.

For athletic students, summer leagues are useful to keep them in shape and their skills honed for next season. Or, it gives that soccer player a chance to learn baseball—you just might provide a spark that gets them away from the Xbox version of MLB and onto the real-life baseball diamond.

For less-athletic students, summer leagues are equally useful. Instead of sharpening skills, though, these teens get to learn them from friendly coaches and their peers. Much like summer academic enrichment camps, these students are learning valuable life skills: teamwork, meeting challenges, and how to bunt against the shift.

Other Organizations

Many students like to devote their time to helping others or learning a skill in a non-competitive setting. Whether it’s through organizations like 4-H or Big Brothers Big Sisters, your student will fill his or her time actually helping others in some way.

Moreover, those students who’ve already completed academic skills training at summer camps are perhaps best qualified for this type of volunteering. If your child has a thorough understanding of academic concepts, he or she could spend time tutoring others while still earning volunteer credits (which look great on college resumes).

Who knows? By keeping your student busy now, you might be providing the skills he or she needs to stay busy for years to come.