July
Fun activities for you and your preschool child
1. It's Canada Day. Help your child create a flag of Canada. Check the directory to see where you can bring your family to watch the firework.
2. Play bubbles with your child. Have him blow bubbles with different wand shapes and ask him if he notices any difference.
3. Have a picnic at a local beach with your family for the weekend. Stay long enough to watch the sunset
4. Print summer fun images from the internet so that your child may colour them.
5. Bring your child to the bookstore today. Let her choose her favourite books and read them to her before bedtime.
6. Do you have a garden? If yes, allow your child to help you with the gardening today. If no, then help your child plant a seed of his choice in a small pot. Place it near the sunlight and help your child keep track of its growth.
7. Find out where and when to watch fire flies. Your child would be mesmerized by its glow and beauty. Let her count the number of flies she could see.
8. Help your child learn a new trick today, such as biking or kicking a soccer ball.
9. Take pictures of your child playing at the park today. Develop the photos and create picture hand-crafted picture frames with him.
10. Check your local listing to see which farms are available for fruit picking. Remember to bring sunscreen and water for your child.
11. Capture the hand prints of your child. Show her how to print her name underneath it. Place it in a family album or frame it against the wall.
12. Help your child create a road map of his neighbourhood. Make sure he knows the phone number and address of his home. Let him decorate the map using his creativity.
13. Set up a scavenger hunt with your child in the backyard.
14. Make or buy some chalk and start colouring the sidewalk with your child. Snap a picture of the drawing for memory.
15. Help your child start a collection that sparks his interest. Find a box that he can decorate to hold his collection.
16. Make smoothies with your child. Allow her to pour the fruits in the blender and decide on the recipe.
17. Take your child to the beach. Go swimming and build sand castles. Dig a hole large enough for your child to bury his body.
18. Have a family barbecue today. Ask your child to help set the table.
19. Encourage your child to be imaginative. Ask her to tell you a short story. She may present the story as creatively as she wishes.
20. Teach your child a tongue-twister today. See how fast he can say it.
21. Play hop-scotch with your child.
22. Children love to be helpful. Take your child to the groceries and allow him to help you with the food selection. Encourage him to make healthy choices.
23. Start searching online for somewhere the family may go over the weekend. Have you child take part in the decision making.
24. Make it a favourite colour day today. Ask your child what her favourite colour is and let her dress in that colour.
25. Doing arts and crafts is a great way to promote creativity and relax your mind. Gather some construction paper and anything you could think of. Help your child create a funky hat and take pictures for memory.
26. Remember to play outside with your child and promote physical activities. Today show her how to properly speed walk.
27. Can your child swing the monkey bars yet? If not then show her how at the park today.
28. While you’re enjoying the summer, remember to still encourage your child to read write and learn. Bring your preschooler to an early learning centre so that he may play and learn with other children.
29. If your child is not already enrolled in recreational sports and activities, search online to see where she may sign up for one.
30. Be a friend to your child. Use cardboard boxes or house furniture to play imaginative games with her.
31. It’s the last Saturday of July. Do something special with your child. Bring him to the water park or a museum park of his choice.
Fun activities for you and your elementary school child
1. For Canada Day, have your child make a college of his favourite Canadian figures. Remember to bring him to see the firework.
2. Help your child make her own kite. Go to the park and see how far her handmade kite can fly.
3. Find out when is the next free local league game in your area and bring your child to watch the game.
4. It wouldn’t be summer without lemonade. Help your child make some for his friends around the neighbourhood.
5. Search online to see how you can make pretty pencil pinwheels and help your child make several for himself.
6. Have a water balloon fight today.
7. Baking is a fun and relaxing activity. Get your child to help you bake cookies for the family today.
8. Encourage you child to collect all the used items for a yard sale. Whatever money is left over, asked your child to donate it to a cause of his choice.
9. Help your child create his own toy. Bring him to an arts and craft store so that he may pick out the materials he needs.
10. It’s the weekend again. Plan an outdoor activity today such as camping or hiking through a favourite park trail.
11. Encourage your child to make friends with the neighbour. Invite the kids over for some fun summer activities.
12. Storytelling is a great way to communicate and bond with your child. Tell him about your childhood and encourage him to tell you his stories.
13. Practise math today. Place some change on the table and have your child sort them out.
14. Set up the sprinkler today. Put on your swimming suits and run through it.
15. Instead of reading to your child, have her read her favourite book to you. As her who her favourite character is and what she likes about the character.
16. Draw an outline of your child on a large piece of paper. Have him decorate it the way he sees himself.
17. Go hiking or rock climbing for the weekend. Encourage your child to stay active.
18. This is a prime time of growth for your child. Record her height on the closet door or on a piece of paper.
19. Remind your child to be respective. Make sure he is courteous with the elders and kind to his friends.
20. Have a cleaning day. Ask your child to look for items her does not need and collect it for donation.
21. Instead of giving your child a quick answer to his questions, ask him instead what he thinks the solution is.
22. Start a family library. Let your child have his own shelf or bookcase for his books.
23. Share interesting facts with you child. For example, that blueberry juice boosts memory.
24. Foster your child’s problem solving skills today. Instead of giving her blocks to play with, challenge her to build a castle of a certain width and height.
25. Having your child help you with cooking is a great way to practice math and science skills. Allow her to help you with the right amount for the different ingredients.
26. Reinforce the importance of knowing your history and culture. Bring your child to the museum or to a historical site for the weekend.
27. Challenge your child and ask her how many addition or subtraction problems she can solve in the time it takes to drive to the grocery store today.
28. Visit a local observatory to learn about astronomy with your child. At night time, watch the stars with him.
29. The library often has reading events that can motivate children to develop their reading abilities. Visit a local library near you. Help your child make a library card so that she may check out her favourite books.
30. Spend some time with your child to research online for a community theatre. Bring him to a play that he would like to see.
31. It’s the last day of July. Remind your child of her achievements and the great deeds she has done over the past month. Reward your child by taking her out to the museum for the weekend.
Fun activities for you and your middle school child
1. Bring your child out to watch the firework. Go to places where there are carnivals and fun activities for her to participate in.
2. Start a scrapbook with your child on the summer adventures that the family has experienced. Collect pictures of the adventures and help her write the captions for them.
3. In your child’s friends over. Have a balloon war with them. Prepare refreshments for everyone to enjoy after the play.
4.Encourage your child to start a journal about her summer activities to practise her writing skills.
5. Play a game of chess with your child to foster his problem-solving skills.
6. It’s not too late to sign your child for swimming lessons. Check for the next available space at a pool near you.
7. Coach your child how to plan her vacation. Let her research online a dream destination. Ask her how much money she would need to bring for the trip after she considers the currency difference.
8. Switch roles with your child today. Let him teach you the skills that he knows that you do not have yet. Allow him to evaluate your progress.
9. Go on a bike ride with your child. Review bike safety with him.
10. It’s the weekend today. Take your child to the nearest farm for some fruit picking fun.
11. Have some quiet moments with your child today. Ask her how she is doing and be attentive.
12. Let your child help you out with the gardens today or plant a seed inside the house. Let him water the plant and keep track of its progress.
13. Have a paper airplane contest with your child. See how far the plane can travel.
14. Ask your child to measure things around the house with a ruler or measuring tape. Have him find something that is 15 cm long, 30 cm long and one metre long.
15. Look at a map of Canada with your child. Ask her to point out the different provinces and territories. Ask her who is Canada’s current Prime Minister and what is his role.
16. Play a sorting game with your child. As he tidies up toys or clothing, discuss which items should go together and why.
17. Take your child on a relaxing adventure for the weekend. Go fishing with your family. Show her the different types of fish in the lake and talk to her about sustainability and responsible practises to care for the environment.
18. Walk in the grass barefoot with your child today. Let him know that many children around the world cannot afford shoes and walk barefoot all day.
19. Encourage your child to volunteer his time at a local nursing home or a youth centre.
20. Go to the park and play Frisbee or catch.
21. Make pasta necklaces today. Use string, different types of pasta and paint to decorate. Try adding beads between the pasta.
22. Pretend to be astronauts. Ask your child to use her imagination tod descibre what she sees in ourter space.
23. Watch the sunset together. Why does the sun disappear in the evening? Research together on the Internet or make a trip to the library.
24. Take a child to an amusement park. Ask your child about the rides he enjoys most.
25. Create a picture book with your child. Have him develop the plot.
26. Find out if your local library has a summer reading program. Sign your chld up and reward him when he reaches his reading goals.
27. Who says you have to travel and pay for camping space? Set up a tent in the backyard, roast marshmallows on the grill, and sit around and tell ghost stories with your child.
28. Discover the many ways in which numbers are used inside and outside your home. Take your child on a “number hunt” in your home or neighbourhood. Point out how numbers are used on the television set, the microwave and the telephone.
29. Ask your child and her friends to make word search puzzles they can share with each other.
30. Play store and have your child choose the right coins to make an amount or give an amount and have her make change.
31. Encourage yoru child to do a surprise act of kindness today. It could be for a neighbour or relative, and talk to your child about the improtance of showing kindness even to strangers.
Fun activities for you and your teenager
1. Ask your teen to join you in a family outing for Canada Day. Go to places where your teen may enjoy himself before the firework starts.
2. Take your teen to bowling. Invite her friends to come along.
3. Ask your teen to arrange a family outing for the weekend. Leave all the details up to her – finding a location, making hotel arrangements and calculating the food and gas expenses.
4. Go on a bike ride with your teen. Explore the different trails near your neighbour with him.
5. Has your teen completed her 40 hours of community service? If not, help her research a place she would like to volunteer at for the summer.
6. Speak to your teen about his dreams and aspirations. Help him set a list of steps that he must take to achieve his goals.
7. Encourage your teen to read the newspaper this morning. As you eat breakfast, ask her to fill you in on current events.
8. Ask your teen to teach you a new skill that you haven’t already mastered.
9. Talk to your teen about starting a summer project like paint his bedroom or plant a garden.
10. Ask your teen to plan a summer barbecue. Let him pick the menu and invite his firends.
11. Invite your teen to go fishing with you. Pack a lunch and head out to the lake together.
12. Bake some cupcakes with your child and get her to deliver them to firends and family.
13. Create some arts and crafts with your child such as beading some bracelets or making toys from scratch to give to charity.
14. Look through an old family scrapbooks, photo books and yearbooks. Connect with your teen by telling him the story behind each photo.
15.Encourage your teen to help you make dinner tonight. Ask him to prepare his favourite dish.
16. Have your teen write poems on colour papers. Stick the poems on the refrigerator where the whole family may see.
17. Do something adventurous with your teen for the weekend. Try rock climbing or hiking on a steep valley.
18. Take your child with you to get your car serviced. Make sure she knows basic car maintenance like checking the oil and filling up the car with gas.
19. Learn how to sew or knit with your teen. Have your him make a list of items he would like to compete by the end of the summer.
20. Encourage your child to draw a self portrait of herself.
21. Visit the library with your teen. Look for a book you enjoyed when you were his age and encourage him to read it. Ask him to recommend a favourite for you to read.
22. Ask your teen to invite some of his friends over tonight to watch a movie.
23. Plan a day at the beach with your teen. Discuss the imprtantce of using sunscreen to protect your skin from UV rays.
24. Take your teen to the grocery store with you. Have him do most of the shopping and give him guidance when he need it.
25. Have your teen help you with the gardening. Ask her to research online of the right amount of water needed to keep the vegetables and plants healthy.
26. Encourage your teen to be environmentally concious. Get him to help sort out the different materials for recycling.
27. Make sure your teen has a savings plan, even if the amount she is saving is small. Discuss the importance of saving and talk to her about what she would like to save up for.
28. Look for a farmers market in your area. Buy fruits and vegetables that are uncommon and try them with your teen today.
29. If your teen is 16 or older and does not have her drivers licence yet, encourage her to get it. She can tak edriving courses over the summer to lower insurance and make her a safer driver.
30. Encourage your teen to read this summer. Studies show that the more books that students read during the summer, the higher their academic gains.
31. Take your teen out to dinner for the weekend. Ask her how she is doing and if she has any concerns that you may help.
