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Keeping Your Kids Cool in the Summer!
- Patria Lincoln Posted On Aug 14, 2019 | Social-Emotional Learning
When people talk about the dog days of summer, they’re definitely talking about August. Although we’re slowly creeping toward fall, the days just seem to get hotter and hotter. Since keeping the kids inside all day would drive us (and them) to the brink of insanity, and since we can’t go to the pool, shore, or movies EVERY day, we’re sharing five fun water games you and your kids can play out back to keep cool until the weather lets up.
Dribble, Dribble, DUMP! – Played just like the classic Duck, Duck, Goose, the “ducks” sit around in a circle as the “goose” walks behind them, tapping their heads, and saying “dribble”. But instead of tapping, the goose dribbles a bit of water (use a plastic cup) on each head until they get to the one they’d like to tag. Then it’s DUMP! The rest of the water is dumped out on that player’s head and the chase ensues…
Wring n Run – Place two buckets at least 10 feet apart. Fill one full of water and leave the other empty. Drop a large sponge (car wash size) into the full bucket. Line your kids up behind the full bucket and shout GO. The first runner in line zooms grabs the soaking sponge, runs it to the empty bucket, wrings it out into the bucket, and runs back and hands it to the next player in line. Play continues until the once full bucket is empty. Time your kids the first round, then challenge them to beat their time and play again.
Cool Catch – Water balloons are a quintessential summer supply. Fill a few, pair your kids up by age, and place them standing a few feet apart. The kids toss and catch the balloon once each, then take a big step backwards. Play continues until one child misses the balloon. Bonus – playing toss and catch is a great way to build gross motor skills!
Happy Hose – Put your reggae playlist on speaker, hold the spraying hose horizontally, and challenge your kids to a game of limbo! Lower the hose after each kiddo has passed beneath the stream and see who can hold out the longest.
Slip N Slide – If you’ve got the space, Slip N Slide is a great way to keep your kids cool this summer – and get some exercise at the same time!
Playing out back in the heat of the summer is the stuff memories are made of. So throw on your suit, turn on those sprinklers, and join in the fun!
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Top 25 Ways to GEAR Up for the New School Year! At the start of summer break, didn’t that first day of school feel like eons away? But hey! Here we are! As the dog days of summer come to a close, prepping your little students to restart the academic year is a crucial part to a successful road ahead.As we kick off a new school year, we're offering 25 tried-and-true tips for GEARing up to what will no doubt be their best year yet. Let’s hit the ground running!
25 Tips & Tricks
- Re-introduce proper bedtimes and wake-up times. About two weeks before school starts, hop back into the regular sleep schedule to avoid those oh-so-late nights and morning rushes, perhaps pushing up times by 10 minute increments.
- Reunite with old school friends. Call up some much-talked about buddies from last school year for a play date or get together, pumping up kids for a familiar face that first day.
- Build a family calendar. A great organizational tool, introducing a color-coded calendar for each child serves as the family’s go-to spot for all that is coming up.
- School supply shopping. The school must-haves run is definitely fun for everyone, and is an ideal way for your children to express themselves through their lunch box character or notebook cover.
- Make time for breakfast. The most important meal of the day lives up to its reputation – make this a must every morning leading up to the big day.
- Distraction-free dinners. For those first few weeks of school, really carve out time to sit down to a family dinner complete with substantive conversations, minus the screens.
- Restart the squeaky clean routine. Skipping baths or showers was the name of the game during the summer, but a regular school night cleansing prevents the morning rush that can make everyone run late.
- Create a homework schedule. Whether right after school, soccer practice, or dinner, set aside a mutually agreed upon time for your child to do homework each night.
- Design a homework station. Designating a spot ahead of time for your children to tackle their nightly assignments – stocked with all the necessary tools – will ensure a routine that makes everyone feel prepped and ready.
- Re-establish “Grand Central Station”. Summertime usually means looser schedules and less commitment, so now is the time to keep the supplies, backpacks, equipment, calendars, school shoes, etc. all in one centrally located place.
- Limit screen time during after-school hours. Get in the routine in mid-August by saving those magical hours between 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. for extra-circulars or STEM-centered projects, not staring at the TV or tablet.
- Join after school clubs or extra-circulars. With your child by your side, decide on after school activities that pique their interests and give them something to look forward to right out of the gate.
- Communicate, communicate, communicate. Make it a daily priority to not just find out how school was, but what they liked and didn’t, what they are concerned about, what their friends are up to…the list goes on.
- Talk about your own school memories. Most of the time, kids love to hear about your own school experiences that were positive, like teachers you liked or special projects you worked hard on and received good marks.
- Keep your cool. Avoid becoming chaotic or high-strung around those first days of school and your children will follow suit.
- Wardrobe? Check! Going through your child’s clothes to see what fits or not will definitely help with any early morning anxiety as the first day of school marches closer.
- Plan out lunches ahead of time. Most schools release a lunch schedule in advance, so take the time to determine with your child if they will be taking a lunch or eating the one offered, or a mix of both.
- Do a dry run. Pile everyone in the car to determine how long it will take you to get to school, or if the bus is in their future, time how long it takes to walk to the stop.
- Fight back against germs. Reinforce good hand-washing habits at home before the start of school to combat any potential viruses from making their way to your abode.
- Get to know the teacher. Email the teacher ahead of time to introduce yourself and suggest your child write them a “hello” note telling him or her a little about themselves.
- Plan a time to read to your child each day. Studies have long proven that children that are read to each day have greater success in school, so make it a daily priority to cuddle up with a good book.
- Learn to love first-week mistakes. Did your child put their backpack in the wrong cubby? Laugh about it, learn from it, and teach your child to move on.
- Learn the school lingo. A visit to the school’s website, blog, or social media accounts will help you and your child get the school’s vernacular down so its all easily recognizable that first day.
- Keep it positive. The end of summer can kick up stress for children who might struggle with certain subjects, so ask them about their worries for the coming year and remind them there is not a problem you can’t overcome together.
- Plan for some fun! An ice cream run? A trip to their favorite park? Plan some after-school entertainment to shake away stress from that first day.
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