Remember those summer days when it was too hot for you to go outside, you were too lazy to get off your rear and the lull of wasted days seemed to get the best of you? Well, you’re all grown up now with kids of your own. There are times during June, July and August when you’ll really need to get imaginative to entertain toddlers and young children.
Creative activities can help a child discover new skills, uncover talents, make new friends and have fun. The activity should be geared toward the child’s, or children’s, attention span. If you want to help your toddler or child build social skills, invite neighbors or children of the same age to activities every so often. If you do decide to do multiple-child activity days, it may be a good idea to enlist a few other parents to help conduct them. Get the kids busy while you could perhaps you and the other parents make use of white water coupons and go rafting in the sun.
Making an activity calendar may be another good idea. Perhaps you can theme activities so you can make a list of items needed, designate the length of time and if it’s desirable, specify whether it is a multiple child activity or an individual one. An idea for a theme could be an hour long arts and crafts party.
Within a short time, you will know how many activities per week works for your child/children. Generally for the two to five year age group, two to three activity days are sufficient each week. Consistency is a very important factor. Disappointments at this age can have lasting effects and follow-through can create the most positive anticipation, which is something children remember for years to come.
There are many other things you can fill your activity calendar with. You could look into your nearest gymnastics training center and see what kind of classes they offer. Most of these centers have a lot of activities you can book your kids into, such as gymnastics, dance, tumbling, karate etc. Other summer activities you could try are swimming at the Aquatic Center, getting a zorb ball, swing sets at the parks, taking the dogs to the park in the morning, bicycling, walking, going to the splash pad at The Shops at Lake Havasu, seeing a movie, going to the beach to build a sand castle or going to the museum are just a few activities you can choose from. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to entertain your precious little ones during the hottest months; many of these local activities are free for kids.
When looking for additional ideas for your activity calendar always remember to check our local calendar of events to see what fun things are going on for kids. One of the best sources for a calendar of events – different than your activity calendar – is the Convention & Visitors Bureau website at www.golakehavasu.com.
Calling the Parks & Recreation Department of the City and asking for information about toddler classes and activities offered during these summer months will also be of great help. You will find that there is more going on in Lake Havasu City for kids than you ever dreamed possible. Then engage your children to help make the activities calendar, they will have lots of choices so you can combine individual activities, small group activities, indoor and outdoor activities, creatively designed activities all intended to provide hours of fun and learning for our newest generation.
Family activities may be included on the calendar as well. A three hour drive to the Deer Farm near Williams is an awesome experience for the toddlers. They can actually interact with the animals, pet them, feed them and experience the real life animals that they may have only seen in books.
Also within a three hour drive is the Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Camp Verde, Arizona where you can watch the lions being fed, ride the tram throughout the park, feed the giraffes and watch their tongue take a cookie out of your child’s hand. This is one of the most exciting adventures for children in Arizona. The owners of the park gear their tours toward children, and the adults come away from the park in total awe as well. Be sure to take your camera!
The Williams train is a steam engine that takes people from Williams to the Grand Canyon. Kids love this experience, especially if they are Thomas the Train fans. The drive is only two hours from Lake Havasu City to Williams. The train leaves early afternoon and returns at approximately 5:30pm. This activity is probably the most expensive of the activities listed so it may mean saving for a couple of months to do it but, the kids will absolutely love it.
Activities for children can be as simple as learning to make and eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, to competing to put together a fifteen piece puzzle. Getting creative to develop hours of happiness for them to experience will be a most rewarding exercise for any child care provider. Through creative activities, children learn, improve communication skills, develop social skills and begin preparing for the real world. Start this summer!