Summer vacations. We are half-way through. Schools might start in a few weeks. I don't remember much details about my vacations, except it was fun, just games outdoors with my brother and friends or visits to Grandpa home in Udupi. That totally changed with college and after starting work, I think I completely forgot what it means !
It's only now with the challenge of entertaining my cousins & nephew, who are here for the vacations, that I am slowly going back in time. Initially it's just TV and their usual outdoor play, and some tinkering with mobile phones. With nearly every adult having his/her own mobile, each different make & model along with their Games, that's a lot of keeping-them-busy. But there is a limit to how much TV one can watch. It's a wakeupcall only when one of them gets a headache. So now I was the organiser, rather than the vacationee.
Kids are notorious for getting bored every minute. So this is a list of things for them to do which requires minimum adult supervison.
It's only now with the challenge of entertaining my cousins & nephew, who are here for the vacations, that I am slowly going back in time. Initially it's just TV and their usual outdoor play, and some tinkering with mobile phones. With nearly every adult having his/her own mobile, each different make & model along with their Games, that's a lot of keeping-them-busy. But there is a limit to how much TV one can watch. It's a wakeupcall only when one of them gets a headache. So now I was the organiser, rather than the vacationee.
Kids are notorious for getting bored every minute. So this is a list of things for them to do which requires minimum adult supervison.
- Gadgets:
- Photography: Thanks to Digital cameras, they can take unlimited photos, make mistakes, learn, experiment. Also add mobile camera phones.
- Computer games, DishTV, TataSky games
- Other video games
Games: No matter how modern times, traditional games are always at your rescue. - Scrabble
- Chess
- Cricket
- Swimming or just thrashing around in water tank
- Byheart a book on Capital & Flags of all Countries. It's fun to toss around a Capital quiz at dinner
- Word: Boggle, Name-Place-Animal-Thing
Projects: - Paper Puppets: Draw out characters (like Joker) or objects (tree, ball). Stick it to another paper, with a broom stick in between. Cut around the outline. That's one puppet. And then play out a story from behind the sofa. Yesterday, we taped one such play, and then spent rest of the day, laughing at every rerun!
- Socks or cloth puppets, if you have more time to guide.
- Leaf Project: Collect leaves of different plant. stick them in project book. Label them.
- Book reading: Out loud
- Scrap book: Give each child a diary. Let them cutout & paste any picture that catches their fancy. From old magazines & newspapers. Cars, cricketers, mobile phones, nature, animals, etc. Watch this scrap book grow with each vacation.
- Drawing book: 10 drawings per vacation. Inspiration is all around us. Household objects, plants, animals, etc.
Outings: Picnics at - Lalbagh
- Cubbon Park
- Museum tour: Art & Science Museum at Kasturba Gandhi Road; Innovatice Film City has numerous ones (Dino, Fossil, Wax, Ripleys Believe it ot not)
- Big Banyan Tree
Finally: - And then signoff the vacation with an Essay on, "What I did this Summer !"
1 comment:
Hurrah, supermom/cousin/auntie. This sounds like it will be a very fun-filled summer for all. I thought of one more thing--have them adopt an American pen-pal to write--I have a couple of kids who would be perfect for job! ;)
Post a Comment