Things to do with your son during summer II

This is the second part of things we do during the summer since all of the lists I found were of no help at all.  Maybe I am looking in the wrong place. Maybe they are all the same. Maybe mine is the same as all of the others, but my child has never said he was bored. He is an only child and still I have never listened to that word come out of his mouth in the past seven years.  Maybe I am just lucky with a great kid that is happy to play with Legos alone or happy to have a friend join him.  He is not picky.  He likes many things.  The only activities he will dismiss readily are the ones strictly targeted towards girls like dolls or almost anything pink.  He is a happy little monster.

Disclaimer:   This post does not have pictures to give you an example since I was too busy having fun with my son to grab a camera.

Alright, back to the list.  We will continue with something I thought of one rainy summer night after ants infiltrated our home and tried to take over.

5.  Camp out.  You do not have to leave the home for this.  You can and make it a big adventure. It is a lot of fun that kids will usually love, but our favorite is camping out at home.  It is not exactly what you may be thinking.  We have stayed in a tent in the back yard.  It was fun.  More fun was staying in the bed of our truck on an inflatable air mattress or a blowup swimming pool in the yard. (do not add water)  No tent means plenty of star gazing and airplane watching. Grab a few blankets and pillows and you are all set for a night under the stars.  Our rainy day/ant invasion fix is something that any household can do.  I simply grabbed a full size mattress from a bedroom and put it in the floor of the living room. Sheets and blankets already on it set up for our use.  We grabbed our favorite pillows, threw some spare sheets and blankets over the top for an inside tent and added a window for movie watching.  Best to secure this tent between the couch and a coffee table or chairs.  You can get a little fancy and use fishing line to hang sheets from the ceiling.  To tired after a week of working for a tent? Then do not make one.  Just grab the mattress.  Anything out of the norm is fun for kids

Tip: Eat ice cream here too.

6.  Have a car wash, bike wash, ATV wash or dog wash.  Yep it is summer.  Use water.  Every thing gets dirty.  Do I need to add more details on this? Here is a little help when using a water hose: water parks have spraying water features for a reason.  It is fun.  So are water soaked sponges full of foamy soap.

7.  After the wash down while the water hose is out, throw down a tarp or big piece of plastic like new furniture comes wrapped in. You can also buy these fun little slippery slides.  Drive a few large tent stakes or nails in the corners to keep it in place.  Add water a little soap or some slippery oils then get on it.  It is amusing. Even more so if you place on a non-level area in the yard.

Tip: Place over soft grass or sand.  Rocks hurt. One use will not ruin your perfectly  manicured lawn.

8.  Let the kid pick out a movie.  Rent one, buy one or go see one somewhere.  Make sure to provide snacks and drinks.  You child has to suffer through boring adult outings like buying groceries or going to the post office, so you should be able to make it through a movie or two of your child's choice.

9. The zoo.  It is there for a reason. Go see animals.  As are museums directed towards children.  Books stores are also a great outing and who does not want their child to learn to read?  They are a lot cheaper than amusement parks. Not as much fun, but still entertaining for kids.

10.  If all else fails and you are completely hopeless on how to keep boredom away (or just too lazy to try). Invest in a DS.  Any kind will do and they will travel well to all of those boring adult outings kids find themselves stuck in.  This will only work if you let the kid pick out the games. 

Tip: A video game or movie day is the best for when moms and dads are sick.

It is summer. As stated before, anything out of the kids normal routine will be amusing.  Try something new.  If it does not work out for your kids, then learn from it to see what will work better next time.  Go back to your childhood.  Think of the things that you loved to do and chances are your child will also like them.  Put your own twist on old activities and personalize things for your family.  If you guys really love star gazing then add a camera or research constellations in your area before the sun sets.  Your child will remember the little things you do and love them the most. 

Disclaimer:  I am not responsible for accidents that happen while you are attempting any of the items on this list.  Some parents or children are not very logical and could be hurt by pillows or blankets during use.  There are also wild animals at the zoo. Some of which like to throw their own fecal matter at visitors.  This is not my fault.