Summer time fun is very important to us, especially in Northern climates! With the continuing pandemic and social distancing rules still in place, summer 2020 is shaping up to be like no other! At I Dare U 2 Bee  we are out to create summertime fun in a non-traditional way for children and going back to having them tap into their child like wonder!  Here are a few activities you can do together:

 

1.Have them use their creativity and imagination to build an obstacle course with their families and come up with different obstacles with which to compete against each other.  Find things to jump on, jump over, walk/round around etc. The great thing about this activity is that it can be set up in the yard or in any room of a home. If there are things you need to touch, bring your hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes.  Here is a great resource to get you started! https://playtivities.com/obstacle-courses-for-kids/

2. During the summer there are so many activities that promote creativity in children. Building a Cardboard Fort or Castle is one of them. This activity is inexpensive for parents and will bring the family together for old fashion summer time fun. Materials can be sourced from  your local grocery or appliance store. Consider yourself part of the building crew since it’s likely you will be the person in charge of the cutting with a craft knife. Your kids can tape it up and paint their structure.

3. One of the great things about summer is hanging out with the friends in your neighborhood.  Waking up each day to be excited to play, eat and create fun with the friends on the street. The Bike Parade – is a way to create a greater bond with other people in the neighborhood. The purpose is to reach out to your neighbors with kids for a community parade. Encourage participants to decorate their ride with streamers, balloons and flags. Let them cruise around together with their parents and cheer each other on. 

4. Neighborhood Game NightOrganize a multifamily competition by playing                   kickball, soccer and capture the flag. Team up dads and daughters verses moms                 and sons. Designate a different parent to referee. (Make sure the gathering is 10                 people or less to enforce social distancing rules)

 

5. Create a fun field trip with your children by piling into the car and exploring the attractions of a nearby city.  Take the time to research cool and interesting attractions your kids might like and take a drive around pointing out the landmarks and interesting buildings.  If your kids are into trains, make sure to drive by the train yard or even just beside the subway system.   It is a great way to explore the city, spend quality time together.  Pack a picnic and stop at a local park for lunch, just find a location that allows you to social distance from others. 

6. Let’s go “old-school” and learn how to build and fly a kite!  They will  learn about the necessary features needed for a kite to successfully make it off the ground, incorporating the laws of lift and thrust and mass and material science when designing and choosing appropriate materials for their kite.   Then on the next windy day go to a local park and see if they created a kite that soars high into the sky or one that is grounded.  Ask them what features of their kite made it fly well or what features do they think they need to alter to have their kite get off the ground?  This starts a conversation about failing and how failing is an integral part of inventing, designing and being successful.  By encouraging your kids to problem solve and try again you are developing a growth mindset and resilience.  Here is a website dedicated to building kites to get you started: https://www.my-best-kite.com/how-to-build-kites.html

7. Start a garden and grow some favourite veggies as well as some new veggies.  Involve them in choosing the varieties of fruits and vegetables you grow.  Teach them how to plant and involve them in the care of the plants-watering and weeding.  Teach them about how plants grow-or have them research it themselves(photosynthesis) and have them explain to you what they learned and why our plants are so important (they produce food as well as oxygen).  For younger children here is a great resource of illustrated books about gardening and planting: https://www.readbrightly.com/garden-filled-picture-books/.  Here’s a link from the Farmer’s Almanac on how to plant a garden for beginners: https://www.almanac.com/vegetable-gardening-for-beginners

 

8. Another “Old School” throwback!  As a family have a paper airplane race.  See whose plane flies the furthest.  Learn how to make a paper airplane and design it to reflect your personality! Here’s another great resource to get you started: https://tinkerlab.com/how-to-make-a-paper-airplane/

 

9. Create a Rube Goldberg machine with your kids.  It is an incredibly fun way to explore STEM and STEAM lessons.  They are problem solving, inventing, designing and building a chain-reaction machine to solve a chosen problem.  For younger kids the Rube Goldberg machine will be simple and as they get older the machines can become more complicated.  To learn more about Rube Goldberg Machines and how to get started here is a link to TinkerLabs: https://tinkerlab.com/engineering-kids-rube-goldberg-machine/