Summer

By Nicole Daughhetee, Courier Staff

It is the finish line children run toward the entire school year. Summer is filled with possibilities, adventure, and, best of all, no homework!

 

I am fortunate to have a job that allows me to have my girls home with me in the summer. When I worked more traditional 9 to 5 jobs, they toddled through summer day care and then day camp when they were a little older.

 

Last summer was an enormous time of transition for us, and I thought it best to keep them home so we could have quality time together. This year, aside from a couple of half-day volleyball camps, we don’t have other camps scheduled, which only means that we will have to be creative with our time.

 

Ella came home the last day of school with a list of 100 things to do this summer instead of watching TV or playing video games. For all the other parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles … anyone who has kids at home this summer … I thought I would share this list (maybe make a few modifications and add my own ideas) so that you, too, can enjoy some of these activities.

1.

Draw with chalk on the driveway. Sidewalk chalk is lots of fun. It gets kids outside and allows them to be creative. Most dollar stores carry sidewalk chalk, so you can enjoy this activity without breaking the bank.

2.

Go swimming. Summer is synonymous with swimming. Not everyone has a pool, but the Pickens County YMCA facilities have pools for a nominal day fee (you don’t have to purchase a membership) and there are places like 12 Mile Beach in Clemson where, again, for a minimal fee, kids can spend the day swimming in the lake and building sand castles.

3.

Ride a bike.

4.

Learn a new dance.

5.

Color pictures.

6.

Go to the beach. See No. 2 on the list. Right now, I, for one, cannot afford a vacation to the beach, but I can afford a day at 12 Mile Beach. My kids can swim in the lake and they can play in the sand. If you can’t make it to the beach this summer, Hartwell and Keowee offer sandy spots all over Pickens County that are a great substitute on a budget.

7.

Play hopscotch. Hint — you can draw a course with your sidewalk chalk.

8.

Visit a park and play on the playground. There are great parks all over Pickens County, and the best part is, they are free. Kids can run around, swing, slide, climb and simply have fun.

9.

Jump rope.

10.

Play hide and seek.

11.

Play checkers.

12.

Play tag.

13.

Solve a puzzle.

14.

Grow your own fruit or vegetable. Dirt is free, and a package of seeds is inexpensive. This is something you can do with your kids, and it is something that they will be able to care for while they experience it growing. Growing a fruit or vegetable is a great way to teach responsibility, because it is theirs to nurture and then they can enjoy the fruit of their labors.

15.

Build something with Legos.

16.

Write a letter to someone and mail it.

17.

Visit the zoo.

18.

Go rock climbing.

19.

Visit a waterpark. Or, make your own water slide at home. All you need is a durable sheet of plastic, a bit of an incline, some soap and water. Voilà! You have your own slip-and-slide at home.

20.

Play volleyball.

21.

Play tic-tac-toe.

22.

Clean your room. While this might not sound like tons of fun, a clean room is a great way to surprise mom or dad.

23.

Make a collage from old magazines or newspapers.

24.

Go on a scavenger hunt.

25.

Visit an aquarium.

26.

Go fishing.

27.

Fly a kite.

28.

Read a book. One of my favorite summertime pleasures. Institute reading time in your home. I plan to set aside at least 30 minutes a day when my girls have to pick a book and read. Books provide worlds of adventure for the imagination. And a half-hour will easily stretch into a longer period of time.

29.

Enter a race.

30.

Play kickball.

31.

Make a drum out of an old bucket or a tambourine out of a disposable pie tin.

32.

Host a talent show.

33.

Have a play date with a friend.

34.

Bake cookies.

35.

Design your own pet rock. All you need is a rock, some paint and maybe some of those plastic googley eyes.

36.

Have a yard sale.

37.

Make a lemonade stand.

38.

Catch fireflies.

39.

Tie-dye a shirt.

40.

Paint someone else’s toenails.

41.

Climb trees.

42.

Wash a car. This is a great way to cool off and have fun. Who knows, if you do a good job, you might even earn a dollar or two.

43.

Plant a flower garden.

44.

Play in the sprinkler or hose.

45.

Write a story.

46.

Play baseball.

47.

Play with a pet. Throw a ball for your dog. Pull a string around for your cat to chase.

48.

Play basketball.

49.

Visit a nursing home.

50.

Go to a movie.

51.

Have a sleepover.

52.

Camp out in the backyard.

53.

Collect bugs and learn about them. Find a container that it’s OK to poke a few holes in so the bugs don’t die. See how many types of bugs are living right outside your door.

54.

Start a rock collection.

55.

Build something out of recyclable materials. Use plastic bottle or aluminum cans, newspaper or cardboard and let your imagination run wild.

56.

Make sun tea.

57.

Sleep late.

58.

Play in the rain. But not if there is thunder and lightning. Have fun, but be safe!

59.

Bake a cake.

60.

Make your own ice cream to eat. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can make frozen treats — like popsicles — out of juice. All you need is an ice-cube tray and some toothpicks.

61.

Play football.

62.

Make a healthy meal.

63.

Take a hike.

64.

Put on a fashion show. You can have a lot of fun with this one. You can do silly looks, goofy looks, maybe even dress up in some of your mom or dad’s clothes.

65.

Play a game with your whole family.

66.

Try a new fruit.

67.

Play soccer.

68.

Hula-hoop. See how many times you can get the hoop to go around and around without falling down.

69.

Paint a picture.

70.

Blow bubbles.

71.

Give a pet a bath.

72.

Watch birds and keep a journal of the ones in your neighborhood.

73.

Throw a penny in a fountain and make a wish.

74.

Get up early and watch a sunrise.

75.

Visit the library. The Pickens County Library System has so many opportunities for kids during the summer months. There are story hours, reading contests, games and prizes. Check out your local library for a calendar of events. The best part is, they are all free.

76.

Invent a new game.

77.

Build a house out of cards.

78.

Pick up trash in your neighborhood. Get a trash bag and some gloves and pick up some of the items that people have thrown out their car windows or just dropped on the ground without thinking.

79.

Write in a diary or journal.

80.

Research a topic that interest you and share what you learn with your family or friends.

81.

Build a fort out of blankets or a big box that isn’t being used.

82.

Go for a walk in your neighborhood.

83.

Pick a country you’d like to visit some day and learn about it. There are so many places I would love to visit even though I can’t right now. The next best thing is to find out information about these places and plan out an imaginary trip. When I am finally able to go, my research will already be completed.

84.

Line up dominos and knock them down.

85.

Make puppets out of old, mismatched socks and put on a puppet show.

86.

Enjoy a picnic.

87.

Watch the sun set.

88.

Try to find constellations in the night sky.

89.

Have a sack race with your family or friends. All you need are a few old pillow cases. Be prepared to fall over and share lots of laughter.

90.

Learn how to juggle.

91.

Volunteer at your church or a local organization.

92.

Make smores.

93.

Lay in the grass and identify animal shapes in the clouds.

94.

Write a thank you note to the workers who collect neighborhood trash and recyclables.

95.

Have someone take a picture of you doing things on this list and make a scrapbook about how you spent your summer.

96.

Make your own Play-dough. There are tons of simple recipes on-line or at the library. The ingredients are simple: flour, water, oil, and food coloring.

97.

Each week choose one new word out of the dictionary to learn.

98.

Create macaroni noodle art. You can dye the noodles with food coloring. Paint them. Glue them, String them. The possibilities are endless.

99.

Draw and (or) paint pictures, sculpt with clay and make your own art museum for people to tour and visit.

100.

There are so many things to do, so many adventures to be had. Turn off the TV. Put down the video game controller. Pick one thing on this list to do every day, and have a great summer.

Here’s an extra challenge for our readers … send us photographs and a brief description of your families participating in any number of these activities. At the end of the summer, we will compile a special page of your stories and pictures. Depending on the response, we cannot guarantee that every picture will make it onto the page. Please make sure you include your name and contact information. Photos can be sent via email to ndaughhetee@thepccourier.com or to Nicole Daughhetee at 109 Garvin Street, Pickens, SC 29671.