During the school year, children are used to a structured environment with varying activities throughout the day, but Peter says when they're on summer break, many children get bored and resort to mindless activities. "Leaving them in front of the TV or having them sit in front of the video games for most of the summer really is not healthy or productive," he says. "Getting them up, getting them active and getting them out is what it is all about."
Peter talks with Charlene Prince Birkeland, parenting editor for Yahoo! Shine, about easy and organized tips that will keep your children busy through the dog days of summer.
Organizing Summer Fun:
Do your homework. Take some time to research area children's activities online and plan out your summer week-by-week, Charlene says.
Make the local library your go-to spot. Almost all libraries have summer reading programs with groups and reading lists for every age, Charlene says. "You can read books, and you get prizes depending on your book count," she says.
Plan indoor and outdoor activities and field trips. "Most summer vacations—at least in the United States—usually last eight to 10 weeks," she says. "You definitely have to mix it up."
Join a mother's or parenting group. Almost all communities have these groups, and you can use them as a resource when picking summer camps and planning play dates, Charlene says.
Printed from Oprah.com on Wednesday, June 19, 2013
