Activities to do with children

[TeenHelp]

Activities to do with children
By Jenna (.:Bibliophile:.)

There are times when finding activities to do with children can be difficult. A lot of activities cost money or they can be hard to organize. This article will give some ideas of fun and inexpensive activities that can be done with children. Whether there's one child or more, there's fun for everyone.

• If you are able to, you could consider planting a garden or go and explore nature. Take the kids for a walk around the neighborhood or visit a park. Sometimes it can be fun to turn it into a scavenger hunt and have them find certain things in the location you visit.
• Have a picnic at the park. A lot of children enjoy picnics because it can be a new experience or something that they don't get to do often. You can allow the children to help pick the meal that you all have during the picnic which might make them even more excited to participate.
• The library can be a fun place for kids to visit as well. It can be exciting for kids to get their first library card and a lot of kids enjoy being able to check out books periodically. Some libraries also have free events for children such as story time. The library usually has a list of the events they plan on doing each month so you could ask a member of staff for more information.
• You can try and start a book club for the children. Select a book for the children to read and then pick a time to discuss the books. Invite the children's friends to participate. This is a great way to encourage reading while also keeping the children entertained.
• If there is a museum nearby it could be worth visiting it. Kids like being able to check out the exhibits at museums. There are some museums that discount their entry fee on certain days or with certain age groups so that can lead to the trip being a bit more affordable.
• Have a movie night (or day) with the children; rent a movie, utilize a streaming site such as Netflix or Hulu, or pick a movie that the child already owns.To make it even more enjoyable, serve treats to go along with the movie night such as popcorn, candy or pizza.
• Stage a play or make a movie. Some kids love being creative and being able to make their own movie or play could be a way for them to display that creativity. Allow them to have a night where they show others the play or movie as well.
• Build a fort out of blankets and sheets. This can be another way for children to be creative and it can help them to learn teamwork as well.
• Allow the kids to conduct safe science experiments. There are a lot of interesting science experiments that can be found via an internet search. It's also possible to get the science kits that they sell in store. These can be a bit more expensive but they are still quite fun for the children.
• It can be fun to bake or cook with children. If you have a Farmer's Market near you, take the children with you and let them pick out a fruit or vegetable they want to try and then find a dish you can make with it. I've known people who have been able to get their kids to try all types of fruits and vegetables this way.
• Something that can be fun for children is having a tea party with friends. Try utilizing fancy tea sets.
• Visit a pet store or see if the children can volunteer at a pet shelter. It is important to warn the children they will not be going home with a pet. This gives the kids time to interact with pets but there is no need to take on the commitment of a pet unless the child and family are ready. Alternatively, children could volunteer at the hospital, a nursing home or plenty of other places. It's best to consider the child's age and if the location they decide to volunteer would be an appropriate place.It can help for them to get out and volunteer and where they decide to volunteer can be up to you and the children.
• Have a water balloon fight. This can be a great activity to do during the summer and water balloons tend to be inexpensive. It can also be fun to do this with water guns but they can cost a bit more.
• Several fairs are held every year. If there is a fair nearby it could be fun to take the children and allow them to explore all the different venues. Something to note is that a lot of fairs have discounted or free admission for children that are under a certain age.
• Visit the zoo. It's not the most inexpensive activity to do but it usually brings the children a lot of happiness when they get to see the different animals.
• Some cities and towns have a calendar of events online as well. It can help to do an Internet search such as "Fun activities to do with kids in [insert city]." I've been able to find a number of different activities and even an event calendar by doing this.
• You can 'camp' at home. There are a few different ways to go about doing this such as setting up a tent in your backyard. You could also build a fort with the children and camp in a specific area in the house.
• It might be worth investing in an inexpensive pool for the children. If you take good care of it you won't have to fix it or replace it any time soon.
• Many kids enjoy playing dress up. Browse thrift stores for some cheap items so they will have lots of dress up material to pick from. It might be fun to take them with you and get them to choose some of the items as well.
• Another thing that might work for some children is playing with make-up or face paint. There are a lot of cheap make up sets out there and if you are someone that uses beauty items you could utilize any old products you don't want or use as much. You could turn this into a spa day for the children as well.
• You can also utilize board games or video games to try and keep them entertained. There are plenty of board games out there that children can play and most kids tend to enjoy them. Video games might require some monitoring in order to find the ones that would be most appropriate for the children in your life.

These activities can be done at numerous times throughout the year. They are a great way to try and enjoy time with the children in your life. Try these activities with kids you know, or pass them on to someone who can give them a go.