Sunshine, warmer weather, and kids will be out of school soon. All signs point towards summer having finally arrived. With that comes a surplus of free time for those out of school. There are so many things to do around our area but of course it can be easy for every kid to fall into the inevitable boredom trap with no ideas on what they should do with all this new found freedom. Below I will briefly touch on some ideas to help keep your kids active and getting the most out of their summer. Some of these ideas include, Summer Camps, Sports, and a few local attractions.
Summer Camps:
There is quite a variety of summer camps to look into in our area; ranging from summer long Day Camp programs at the YMCA or Bedford Latchkey to something shorter and more specific like the Toledo Zoo’s Safari Camp and Imagination Stations Science Camp. You can try a week or two or sign up for the whole program. Some churches in the area, like Crossroads and Compelled, run week long camps that you can enjoy for free. You can also find week long sports camps like UT Baseball Camp. These camps can help your child hone their skills in the sport they are most passionate about. Whatever interest your child may have they are sure to find something that will captivate them and give them a summer full of excitement and joy.
Sports:
Sports are a great way to meet new people as well as learn some great life lessons such as teamwork, leadership and sportsmanship. A great way to get introduced to sports with no pressure is to play for a team at your local YMCA or Community Center. If your child already has found their niche in sports then trying for travel leagues would be a great place to look. You can look into 3B baseball, CYO and AAU Basketball or your school to find a team to try out for. An alternative option is to teach your child a new sport and encourage them to go outside and play with their friends. Some of my best memories as a child was when I was playing sports with my friends during the summer; it’s a great way to keep active, have fun and make new friends.
Local Attractions:
We are blessed with numerous places for us to go as a family where we can have an awesome time. Indian Creek Zoo is one of my favorites to visit; they have a wide variety of animals that you can see up close like a Giraffe, wolves, monkeys and a ZeDonk (Zebra Donkey). There is also a large section where you can feed animals like baby goats, alpaca, a donkey and camels. There are also some great parks such as Indian Creek, White Park and Carr Park. We are also near to a very nice metropark, Wildwood, that we can take a day trip to to experience the great outdoors. At night you can wind down at Forest View Lanes with some bowling, volleyball or cornhole. Regardless of what you choose you are bound to have a fun and some quality time with your family and friends.
Conclusion:
Summer can be a hectic time for everyone. Trying to juggle work as well as kids being out of school can cause a lot of stress; but it doesn’t have to. Try some of the above ideas, encourage your kids to try new things. Above all, enjoy time together and let the joy of summer spread through the whole family.