Are you struggling to find ways to get your homeschool child to meet new friends? Or to get your child OUT of the house and OFF the electronics this summer? Well, here are 5 ideas to help you along.
#1 Take them to the library.
Even if your children are not homeschooled, it is a very good idea to take them to the library regularly, especially during summer break. Not only does ditching anything school related harm children’s ability to retain information during the summertime, but it also makes it harder to get back into the swing of things once school starts back. The library has so many benefits for adults and children and one benefit is socialization. This may come as a surprise to some since there is an idea that you cannot talk or socialize in libraries, and that you must be very quiet. And while this is partially true, the library has so many great and beneficial workshops for you and your little ones, anything from story times (sometimes with live animals) to cookie decorating workshops, painting and so much more. Not only are these activities often very educational, but fun as well! Keep in mind that since covid, some activities are held online, and that’s okay, they are just as fun, plus, since things have slowed down many programs are re-opening. Our local library recently held an online cupcake decorating class for kids, where they provided cupcake kits that you reserved (for free!!!) and the kids got to connect with one another and make cupcakes online from scratch! The kids had so much fun baking and decorating their cupcakes and sharing the final presentation with each other after! There are a lot of exciting events and activities held for adults as well. I suggest checking the library activity board or calendar when visiting and if you can’t find one ask the librarians if there are any upcoming activities or events approaching soon.
#2 Visit LOTs of public parks/ playground
Okay, so this might be obvious but that’s because it is arguably one of the BEST ways to get your children to meet and socialize with other kids, especially during the summertime. Not only is this a great way to get lots of healthy exercise, but spending time outdoors is crucial for both you and your child’s mental health. And don’t be afraid to meet other parents! We have built some of the best relationships with children and their families just by frequenting public parks and playgrounds.
#3 Take them to the gym and recreation centers!
You may be thinking this is a weird one but let me tell you, gyms and recreation centers are amazing places for kids to play and meet new children. I am aware that this isn’t possible in all gym settings, but some gyms are kid friendly and may offer a play area for your child while you get your sweat on. If you can’t find a kid friendly gym, you may want to consider opting for your local recreation center instead. These centers are usually centered around families and will still have a small gym for you to focus on your fitness. Meeting other families at the gym is an incredible way to find people with similar interests and lifestyles to yours. I can’t tell you how happy my husband and I were to find couples with children who loved to work out like us!
#4 Check online for general social events for kids and families.
You can find endless opportunities to get your kiddos out and about this summer just by simply looking for it. There are tons, and I mean tons of local summer events for children. A lot of farms have themed events if you check. Our local berry farm is holding a Potter Faire this year, where there will be Harry potter coloring pages, cosplay, giant bubbles, board games, unicorn rides and more! They even have something for the parents (hint, hint, butter beer! Also, non-alcoholic ones for the children where they can make their own) There are also lots of kid friendly festivals, parties, and even day camps for children nearby. All you have to do is google “summer events for kids near me”.
#5 Throw a backyard neighborhood party!
Okay, so this may not be in everyone’s budget, and some people may not have a backyard, but if you do; you can certainly find something within your price range to give your children the opportunity to have some summer fun with friends in the comfort of their own backyard. Our children Love playing with their neighbors and their friends are really sweet, so this summer we decided to throw a backyard movie night with their neighborhood friends. We got this projector and inflatable screen off of amazon, and it is really great because where other projectors aren’t that bright, this one was SUPER bright and can even be shown in the daylight. Of course, the darker it is outside the better, but it is awesome either way, and if this projector is not in your budget they do have cheaper options on amazon. We also decided to purchase a hotdog roller so my husband wouldn’t have to slave over a grill and for an extra nice touch. We got the 12-hotdog roller machine, but if you plan on having more and bigger events, they also have 18 and even 30 dog rollers! The finishing touch was the popcorn machine we bought, because who has a movie night with out popcorn! They do have cheaper options as well as a more expensive option with a stand, but you can do whatever fits your budget, you can even just do storebought. One way we made sure to get the full theatre experience was to purchase the movie theatre butter salt and butter flavored oil as well, it doesn’t come with a pump, but you could purchase one separately and it is well worth it! This is an amazing and super cool way to get that delicious TRUE movie theatre butter popcorn experience without the trip to the movie theatre. It’s also great just for regular movie nights. My kids had an absolute BLAST and so did we. We planned on doing smores that night, but with the trampoline and movie, the kids were having so much fun we didn’t even get around to it, so maybe next time!
Well, there you have it! 5 ways to socialize your homeschool children this Summer. There are many more ways to get socialization in but above all just make sure the activities you pick are fun and SAFE!
What are some fun summer ideas you do with your kids to get them outside and off of the video games, do you feel children spend too much time on electronics? Let me know in the comments!
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Wow! Super ideas!!
Thank you, I hope you try them out!