Imagine for a moment that you are 10 years old again, bored and unmotivated, sitting on your couch in the middle of summer in Arizona. You're stuck inside and can't think of anything fun to do. Stepping back into the present day, you're a busy parent again wondering, "How can I help my child get the best out of their summer break?"

Finding activities to keep children engaged during the summer can be challenging. Excessive heat drastically limits outside play from June to August when many children are home from school. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Find a Diversity of Indoor Activities

Fortunately, most families are one quick Google search away from countless indoor activities! Add specific terms to the search like "STEM" or "art" to tailor the activity to each child's interest. There are many reasons to plan indoor activities that children can do alone, with siblings, or with friends during the summer when school is out.

Keep reading for a few indoor activity ideas that can benefit children (and we can think of a few benefits for parents, too).

Types of Indoor Activities

1. Concentration and Focus
   Puzzles and games like word searches or matching games are great options to keep children focused and enhance cognition.
2. Growth and Learning Development
   Take a trip to the library or set up an age-appropriate science experiment such as freezing toys in ice and letting children dig them out.
3. Creativity and Imagination
   Activities such as crafting and dress-up cultivate imaginative thinking and curiosity about the world around us. Families on a budget can explore the dollar store DIY craft trends to create something special.
4. Memories and New Experiences
   Plan an indoor experience with a family member or friend. Baking, epic games of hide-and-seek or building forts are activities they'll never forget!

Plan Your Indoor Activities

Planning can be an opportunity to connect with your child and can reduce those dull moments during the summer when no learning happens. When selecting activities to set up, consider the average attention span of your child.

• 5 to 8 years old: 12 to 24 minutes
• 9 to 12 years old: 20 to 35 minutes
• 13 to 15 years old: 30 to 40 minutes
• 16 years and older: 32 to 50 minutes or longer

Interactive activities stimulate children's problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. That's why DES Division of Child Support Services hosts a summer art contest each year for the families we serve. This year, children can submit an artistic interpretation of their favorite summertime activity. Special prizes will be awarded to winners during Child Support Awareness Month in August.

July 17, 2024

Annemarie O'Donnell