6 ideas to have fun with children in summer
When the summer school holidays begin, we have almost three months of free time ahead, which gives a lot of itself. Children need to have fun doing endless games, but also activities that involve perseverance and responsibility. These ideas will help you to spend a special, interesting and very fun summer.
6 ideas for a great summer
1. Fly kites. At present, there are different types of kites. We all start with the simplest, single-thread, which can even be built at home. However, there are others of two threads, called acrobatic, that grant many moments of fun. It is not difficult to start, although there are certain figures in the air that require a lot of technique and training. To get a two-wire kite it is best to buy it, starting at 4,000 ptas. Then you just need to run a little air.
We propose the construction of a different and simple kite, a model called airplane built with white cork. We're going to need a plate about 8 mm. of thickness, that we will cut according to the scheme of the figures (the cut of the cork can be made with hacksaw, cutter or incandescent thread). Although the plane can be made larger with this cork thickness, we recommend that the scale used be 2 x 2 cm. each grid.
The two rectangles of the plane's body are for the wings and the tail rudder. The bridle is a continuous thread, about 50 cm., Which is tied at the points indicated in the lower part of the aircraft body. The flight wire is tied on the flange at a point about 10 cm. from the nose of the plane. The decoration must be done with water-based paints. Also, the pieces, which can be simply pressed, could be glued with special glue for this material. (Published in the bulletin Windholes nº 4, October 1996.
2. Cooking Boys love to cook and can be taught from an early age to make simple recipes. Although it may seem a nuisance, the truth is that with a little vision of the future, the more time we spend teaching them, the more time we will have later. It is a great investment! Maybe a birthday party or a special snack will serve as a perfect excuse to start you in this mysterious world.
As it is about providing hobbies and activities that suppose a constancy and that help them to take advantage of the time, we can carry out another idea. Depending on the age of each of the children, perhaps we can entrust them with the breakfasts, specifically the juices. If we have a blender, it will be very easy; otherwise, with a juicer. They can also take care of the snacks or peel and cut the fries. But it is a question of not only doing it one day, but that there is a responsibility.
3. Design board. There are no rules that indicate how a design board should be used. In addition, it is very easy to prepare it. Anything goes. You can draw real or abstract objects, flat or raised figures. You can make designs of any kind with different kinds of yarns, wools, threads, rubber bands and so on. You can draw a feather, leaves or twigs. This board serves to make a work of art that can be exhibited in some corner of the house. You can also dismantle the design and create a new one as many times as you want.
To build it: We will look for a piece of wood, between 25 and 30 cm. On the side and 1 or 2 in thickness, although any size can serve. You have to check that you do not have splinters or sharp edges. With the hammer, we will nail the nails anywhere, but at a distance of about two centimeters between them. You have to nail them approximately halfway, so that they are firm, but at the same time leaving an inch without nailing. It is better to use nails with a wide head ... and you can start to unleash your imagination.
4. Bird feeder. Feed the birds of the neighborhood can become a very rewarding activity. For this we will build a feeder that can be placed in the window or hung from a tree, with care so that cats or dogs do not reach it. We will discover different and interesting pets, learning at the same time what the responsibility of caring for a living being means. Although they keep their freedom, year after year, the same birds will continue to visit us if they know they will find food. Therefore, when creating the feeder also contract the obligation to keep it always provided, especially during the winter months, because many birds are accustomed to depend on it as the only source of food.
We will look for two bottle caps with a diameter similar to the bun or donut we are going to use. We will make a hole in the center of each cover, passing a long nail and bending the tip so that it does not dismantle, or put a wooden stud. Then, you just need a knot under the head of the nail to hang it from a rope.It can also be stuck in the branch of some tree. The important thing is to choose a place where we can observe how the birds feed. Maybe we have to wait a few days until they get close, but when they do, they will not stop visiting us. You have to check every so often if there is still food left and, when it's over, we can give you a different sweet.
5. Architects Using peas to join the chopsticks, you can build thousands of models, the most abstract or most incredible structures, cathedrals or skyscrapers. This game develops the ability of children, as it drives them to create increasingly imaginative and creative models. There are no predetermined rules. It is very cheap and the built models are permanent. We will need dry peas and chopsticks. It is necessary to prepare the peas with time, putting them in a bowl full of water between 6 and 9 hours, for example, a whole night and so they will be ready in the morning. So, the peas will remain soft, but you have to be careful that they do not stay too long in water because they will start to germinate.
Look for a box of chopsticks, better if they are round. The models are assembled using the peas as connectors in which the chopsticks will be punctured. The small peas are better. The models can be as complex or as simple as we want, but once you start the model you must finish and then store it to dry. In a couple of days, the peas dry and contract, so that the connector is firm.
6. Soap bubbles. There is nothing more fun than making soap bubbles. Actually, soap bubbles hide many secrets. Did we think that the bubbles inevitably explode after a few seconds? Scientists have managed to keep an entire pump for more than two years. In addition, the pump is one of the thinnest things that can be seen without the help of a microscope. In fact, the wall of the soap bubble is five thousand times thinner than a hair.
To prepare the soapy water, we will pour an inch of water into a shallow container and add three or four squirts of detergent. You have to mix the solution gently so as not to build up a lot of foam. If you want to try a solution that allows you to make larger and more durable bubbles, add a little glycerin.
You can make bombs with straws, cutting diagonally the tip of the straw. The cut tip is inserted into the soapy solution and gently blows through the other ends. Also with a plastic cup: we will drill the base, introduce the mouth of the glass into the water and blow through the hole.
Source: Ideas taken from The world of toys. S. Caney. Emecé.
Ricardo Regidor
Advice: Jesus Mendive. Elementary School teacher
