Summer has arrived! School’s out, the weather’s warm, and kids are ready to have some serious fun! As an au pair, you may need new ideas or welcome some tips when it comes to creating fun, entertaining summer activities for your host kids. Lucky for you, Au Pair USA has put together a Pinterest board complete with tons of activity options that are simple, creative, and guaranteed to make your summer with your host kids full of fun memories. Some of these suggestions may be a bit messy, so be sure to run these ideas by your host family before implementing them!
Here are a few of our favorites:
Create a summer bucket list!
Work with your host kids to create a list of things you want to do together this summer. These can include things like playing mini golf, having a scavenger hunt, cooking a new recipe, building a fort, etc. You can even get fancy and make it colorful and artistic! Post the summer bucket list somewhere in your host family’s home where everyone can see it. Anytime you’re unsure what to do, use the bucket list as a guide to help you stay on track with summer fun goals.
Play balloon tennis!
Tennis is a great summer sport, but you may not have access to a court, a racket, or even tennis balls. Plus, your host kids may not have the hand/eye coordination yet to play tennis either. A fun way to play tennis a bit differently includes using paper plates, popsicle sticks, and a balloon. Super simple and super fun!
Get creative with squirt gun painting!
Squirt guns can be a great way to beat the heat, but did you know you can also use them for art projects? Use water color, water, and inexpensive squirt guns to paint in a fun and creative style.
Explore with ice block treasure hunting!
If water won’t cool you down in the summer, ice definitely will! This activity will keep the little ones busy and engaged without a mess. Freeze a bunch of their small toys in a big plastic container with water. Then, pop it out and give them some safe ‘archeology’ tools to dig out the treasures.
Make tie dye shoes!
You’ve heard of tie-dye shirts, but what about shoes? This method is simple, creative, and less messy than traditional tie dye. You’ll just need a pair of white, canvas sneakers (you can usually find inexpensive ones at stores like Walmart or Kmart), colorful Sharpie markers, some rubbing alcohol and a dropper or spray bottle. Bonus: you can wear your art all summer long to the park, on walks, or just out and about!
Build a popsicle stick bird feeder!
A simple craft that can be the start of some summer bird watching to follow. With just a few supplies (most may even be on hand already), you can create a bird feeder, fill it with some bird seed, then enjoy catching those birds in action as they come pay you a visit in your yard. Take it a step further and ask your kids to draw the birds they see or write about them in a bird watching journal.
Au Pair USA hopes your summer is off to a great start and that you’re having fun creating lots of memories with your host kids. These are just a few ways to enjoy the summer season with your host children. What would you add to our list?
