Indoor Activities for the Dog Days of Summer
- Set a tent up inside the home. Many children love to go camping. However, it may not be easy or practical for you to drop what you are doing to plan a camping trip. Instead, create a tent indoors by setting up several chairs in an open space. Cover the tops of the chairs with a large blanket. This creates a fun environment for your kids to read, play board games, or just hang out.
- Look up and create fun frozen recipes together. Most kids love a frozen and sweet treat on a hot summer day. Numerous fun (and healthy!) popsicle, ice cream, frozen yogurt, and other tasty treat recipes can be found online. Find a recipe that seems doable, get the ingredients together, and have a fun time chilling with your kids.
- Throw a movie-themed party. Instead of spending a lot of money for tickets and treats at the movies for your children and their friends, throw a movie-themed party at your home. Rent or buy some family-friendly movies, get some snacks together, and have your kids invite over a few of their friends. They will stay cool and safe inside the house, and be entertained at the same time.
- Find some summer-related crafts to work on. Kids love to do crafts, especially when they are summer-themed. Many fun ideas exist online for hot weather-related events or activities.
- Have a scavenger hunt. Create a checklist for your children so they can go around the home and find common objects, such as: toy cars, a red bowl, a funny picture of the family together, a straw hat, etc. The possibilities are endless. The first person to complete their checklist could be awarded with a fun, simple treat, such as a popsicle or ice cream.
These ideas should help to keep your children entertained for at least a few hours on those scorching, hot summer days when it isn’t safe for them to play outside for extended periods of time.