School’s out for the summer, and you might be wondering what you’re going to do to keep the kids occupied and happy for the next few months. Summer camps book up fast, and if you don’t have a spot reserved already, you may be out of luck. You might even start wondering how you can start a summer camp for kids, yourself!

Fortunately, even if you don’t have your kids signed up for summer camp, yet, you can still give them the experience of a camp at home! This can be a great idea if you’re looking for a fun way to spend the summer with your kids, or if a few families get together to multiply the fun. Regardless of which direction you go, here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Plan Team-Building Activities

One of the best parts of camp is meeting and having fun with all your fellow campers! You can capture that same spirit at home. A good place to start is by naming your camp. Brainstorm ideas and come up with a name that everyone can support. Having a great name really makes everyone feel as if they’re a part of something special.

You can also create camp flags, t-shirts, and anything else that you think will elevate the experience for the kids. 

Once you’ve set up your camp, it’s time to try some team-building activities. These will help everyone feel more comfortable with one another and set the tone for the fun you’re going to have. Some great ideas include a team obstacle course, a scavenger hunt, a game of dodgeball, a trivia game, and much more. 

Try to think of activities that will get the kids working together towards a common goal, rather than competing with one another.

Come Up With Camp-Like Art Projects

One of the most fun parts of summer camp for kids is doing arts and crafts projects, and you can do a lot of these at home! Break out the markers, crayons, construction paper, glue, glitter, paint, and anything else you can think of and start making some crafts.

Some fun and simple ideas include painting rocks with camp-themed designs, filling water pistols with paint and spraying a canvas to create art, tie-dyeing t-shirts, making bird feeders with pine cones, and drawing giant murals with sidewalk chalk.

Play Camp Games

There are lots of great games that kids can play in the backyard to make it feel just like summer camp. Frisbee, outdoor checkers, giant tic tac toe, ring toss, and much more. You can even get truly adventurous and put together a water balloon fight — at your own risk, of course!

Have a Bonfire, Tell Stories and Sing Songs

Nothing makes for a better camp experience than having a campfire, and your backyard may be the perfect place to do it! Before you do, be sure to check local laws and regulations to see if this is allowed. If it’s not, you can still sit around on rocks or logs outside and still get most of the experience.

Put together some campfire snacks (marshmallows, popcorn, etc.) and sing some of your favourite camp songs. You might even want to change a few of the lyrics to better suit your situation or just to make everyone laugh. Take turns singing songs, telling stories, or playing word games. It’s a great way to celebrate outdoors!

Looking for a break from the backyard this summer, or out of summer camp ideas? Jumbaloo Playgrounds is a safe and fun environment where children can play, get physical activity, and have a great time. Call us today at 905-785-3990 or book your family’s visit online, today!

Every kid loves summer due to the wealth of fun activities and exciting new opportunities. Of course, one of the biggest perks for many children is that they have a few months away from school. But the summer break doesn’t need to be a break from learning and development.

Make time for reading (even if it’s just for 15 – 30 minutes a day)

Improving reading skills is an important part of childhood development, so any summer learning efforts should include some dedicated reading time each and every day.

This reading break doesn’t have to take much time out of the day — just 15 to 20 minutes will do fine. If your child has trouble with this, try letting them choose their own reading material. Children do best when they’re reading something genuinely engaging to themselves.

Plan fun activities that incorporate math

There are plenty of summer activities that are both fun and educational. Take some time to plan some that can help foster your child’s math skills — traditional card games, board games, and other rainy-day activities that can do just that.

Building a better understanding of summer sports can also help develop numeracy. You could try bringing your child to a Blue Jays game and encourage them to follow the score. It’s not exactly sophisticated algebra, but it helps internalize understanding.

Encourage creative writing (on inclement weather days instead of resorting to a screen)

Developing creativity is incredibly important for learning. Encouraging your children to try creative activities like writing, drawing, painting, or anything else where they produce something original can have great results.

These activities can be beneficial for children of all ages. While younger children might appear to struggle, this is part of the learning process. Be patient and give them the time they need. With your support, you may be amazed by how creative your child can be.

Take a trip to a museum of their choice

Visiting a museum is a great summer activity for children. Today, most museums have exhibits geared towards children, with interactive elements that make learning fun.

Depending on where you are, there could be any number of unique educational opportunities. Whether they visit a museum of art or natural history or something unique to your area, your children can learn and have fun all at the same time.

Don’t forget that play is learning too

It can be tempting for parents to develop educational plans for their child’s entire summer. It’s important to ask, “how can my kids learn in the summer,” but you should also remember that children are more than capable of learning, on their own.

When your children play, they’re also learning. Simply taking your child to a playground or other indoor or outdoor activities provides them with new experiences that help them develop — even more so if they’re playing with other children.

Learning how to cooperate, share, and interact with other children is as important as learning reading and math. By giving your child the opportunity to play with other children as they see fit, you’re letting them develop important social skills.

If you’re looking for a place where your kids can be creative, imaginative, and have fun while staying safe, then Jumbaloo could be just what you need. Our amazing, indoor playground in Mississauga is tons of fun.

You can book a playtime, schedule a birthday party, or sign up your child for our summer camp program. Just call 905-785-3990 or contact us online to find out more.