It’s summer break (or about to be) for most parents of school-aged children. Here are a bunch of ideas that are cheap and easy to beat the summertime laments of “I’m bored!”

Get a big box (like from a refrigerator) from your nearest appliance or hardware store. Bring it home and let the kids turn it into a fort. You can help them cut out doors and windows, and set them free with duct tape and markers to make it extra special. If you can get more than one box it’s even better. My kids spend hours/days on stuff like this. Always a popular thing with the kids.

When the cardboard box fort is ready to toss, why not use it for a backyard fire? Make a little fire pit out of bricks, rocks, etc. and enjoy having your very own bonfire. Our kids love it when daddy will make a fire. They cook hot dogs and smores outside and love, love, love it. No, it isn’t healthy, but it sure creates great family memories!

How about a tent? If you have a camping tent, why not set it up in the back yard? You don’t even have to sleep out there–it can just be a great place to play. Plus, it gives the kids a break from the sun! (If you don’t want to sleep out all night, maybe you can organize an outdoor nap at least. That fresh air feels so good!)

Put their art to good use! For many years I bought blank calendars for my kids to decorate. Instead of having the kids scribble on papers that get thrown away, have them do their artwork on a calendar page. You can dress up these pictures with stickers or other embellishments. Older children may enjoy adding some poetry, verse, or story they have written. Littlest ones can at least add their hand or foot prints to a page!! Get enough blank calendars to give to grandparents and aunts and uncles at Christmas time. Mom or Dad can fill in the days of the month, holidays, etc. I got my blank calendars here and sticker packs here. Excellent prices and a great way to have a gift and share the fun of kid art!

My daughter is 11 and one of the things she most enjoys is making beaded jewelry. You can get all the supplies fairly inexpensively at Walmart in the craft section. It is pretty easy to have nice results. Now my daughter makes gifts for people and jewelry for herself and me. She even whips up cute items for me on short notice if I am going to wear something that needs a little jewelry flair. She has also sold her jewelry at yard sales for $3 or so which she thought was great.

My daughter also like Breyer horses and has been receiving these horses and accessories for a couple of years now for gifts. She enjoys setting them up in her room.

She also likes art work. Here is a link to a really neat download for coloring patterns and optical illusions. My daughter really likes taking the time to organize the way she places the colors, etc.

We also have a sewing machine. Although I’m not much of a seamstress, my children will periodically get on a roll with making costumes, doll clothes, etc. from scrap fabric. I buy them fabric remnants every now and then, or get fabric from yard sales, let them cut up old things, and sometimes we go to bag sales at a thrift store and get a bunch of clothes that will work for cool fabrics for the kids to use. They have done very well learning how to sew by trial and error, and are very creative with what they make. They have done this since they were probably 6 or 7 years old.

Play games! So many games are fun and educational at the same time. Why not sit down with the kids to play Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, or work a puzzle?

Get in the kitchen! Whether it’s cookies, bread, muffins, dinner, or a special dessert, kids love to help and taste the fruits of their labors! This year I have gotten small photo albums that will hold 3×5 cards in the photo slots. The children have been asking how to cook, so now they can get a little cooking class. They write down the recipe and instructions and add it to their cookbooks. Educational, fun, and good for memories and a neat keepsake! Plus, when my kids are grown they should have a good collection of all their favorite things to eat!

Grow something! If you have a garden, your kids probably have plenty of opportunities to get involved. If you aren’t so sure about a whole garden, how about just a tomato plant or two? Kids usually love to plant things and watch them grow. Some children will enjoy measuring the plant as it grows and even charting it’s progress.
Paint! I know that several of you are probably about to scream at the thought of your little ones painting. But wait! Shhhh! I have a little secret for you.

Little ones love to paint, even when no paint is involved. When my children were really little I would sometimes give them a little cup of water and a chunky paint brush and tell them they could paint. Sometimes they would paint our chalkboard, which shows up their paint strokes pretty well. You can get down a house plant and let your child paint the leaves. This helps dust off the leaves and encourages some greater hand-eye coordination. You can even let them paint the walls, cupboard doors, sidewalk, etc. Anyplace that the water from the brush will show up with keep them happy and busy for a long time.

Also, I love the water paint books. You can find them in the children’s book area at Walmart or similar stores. These books have pages for kids to paint that only requires water on a brush. The paint is already built in to the page. Very easy, and not too messy. My kids always loved those!

I hope these ideas help beef up your arsenal of Mom Tricks! We need all the help we can get.