Finding activities to occupy your kids all summer can be challenging, especially with limited options due to COVID-19 restrictions. But even prior to the pandemic, studies have shown that this time of year can be stressful for parents who are struggling to keep their kids busy and give them a summer to remember. It’s common for parents to repeatedly hear “I’m bored” at this time of year, so it’s best to keep some extra summer activities in your back pocket.
Whether it’s a quick activity, a new adventure, or a day trip, there are lots of things to do with kids in Canada this summer!
1. Take a hike
Across Canada, there are excellent, kid-friendly hiking trails that are suitable for all ages. The summer is short, so make this a family activity that everyone can enjoy together.
If your child is of the right age and active, try an uphill hike on a smaller mountain to get a better view of the surroundings. But if this would be too physically demanding for you or your child, there are other ways you can enjoy nature together. Try taking a shorter, more leisurely hike instead, and check out some of Canada’s amazing waterfalls!
2. Go camping
Your camping trip can be as big or small as you like. Spend a few days at a campground near a river in the mountains, or just spend a night in your backyard! No matter which route you take, this will be a great trip that everyone in the family will enjoy and remember for years to come.
3. Try geocaching
This unique outdoor activity is worth trying with your child this summer. If you’re not tech-savvy and haven’t heard of the Geocaching app before, don’t worry – it’s pretty simple. All you need is a GPS on your phone, which allows you to be directed to hiking trails, random landmarks, or anywhere else to find small hide-and-seek containers that people have left for others.
4. Find a new hobby or activity
In Canada, it’s hard to get too attached to summer hobbies because the season is so short. But there’s no reason why your child or teen can’t start learning how to play an instrument, shoot an arrow, dance, do martial arts, or any other cool new hobby they can enjoy year-round.
The best part about starting these in the summer is that your child will have a lot more time to explore and discover their tastes, so giving them options to choose from is a great way to start!
5. Participate in healthy exercise activities
There are plenty of safe ways to learn and enjoy fitness as a child. If you want to avoid team sports, you can try running, walking, hiking, biking, trampolining, swimming, or anything that gets kids’ bodies moving!
Resistance training isn’t recommended for children under 16, unless it’s with their own bodyweight. This means push-ups, pull-ups, bodyweight squats, and more are great ways to improve their strength without risking significant injury.
6. Teach kids things that you enjoy
This is a great way to bond with your children. The summer break provides a great opportunity to spend more time with your children than normal, so take time to enjoy this together.
Do you love baking? Teach your kids how to bake and explore your favourite recipes. Do you like refinishing old furniture? Show them how you do it and make something cool together.
You can also teach kids how to make birdhouses, play your favourite board game, knit, or whatever it is you like to do in your free time. That way, you’ll both get a lot of enjoyment out of the activity, and you’ll make some wonderful memories together.
7. Make chores fun
We always need chores to get done, so why not make the most of them? Teaching your child how to do chores and not see it as a miserable process will go a long way toward improving their overall quality of life when they are older.
You can even start teaching them things they wouldn’t normally know until they were adults. Wish someone had taught you how to handle money before you had to start paying bills? Wish you knew how to mow the lawn and make it look beautiful earlier on in life? Try doing chores together with your child or teen this summer. Just remember to make it fun!
8. Play summer camp games
If your child usually attends summer camp, do some camp games or camp songs with them at home! Play a game of tag, participate in some learning activities, or create stories together.
There are plenty of great summer camp activities you can do at home. Kids love these kinds of activities, so try them all!
Enjoy your time together
Now that you have some new summer activities to do with your kids, you should really focus on enjoying them. You won’t have this kind of bonding opportunity forever, so make the most of it while you can.
As a parent, you can also take some time out to help prepare your child to adjust to school reopening in the fall. Remember to check our blog page and social channels for the latest news and tips concerning kids.