Connection is key!
When kids get to spend time with you, even simple daily tasks can be fun.
Here are some simple activity ideas:
- Play Outside: Take scavenger hunt walks, bike, or splash in water
- Build Something: Blanket forts, cardboard creations, playdoh monsters, Magnatile cities
- Music & Movement: Dance parties, obstacle courses, exercise
- Build Your Brain: Puzzles, matching games, sorting activities, sensory bins, educational podcasts
- Quiet, Creative Fun: Drawing, coloring, painting, Magnadoodles or Etch A Sketch, origami, board games, card games, or charades.
- Not to forget, reading! Reading is so good for brain and language development. Check out our Spring Newsletter (English SNL or en español)
for more about reading. - Make Real Life Fun: Cook, garden, or do chores together (turn up the music!)
- Be Social: Invite friends or neighbors to join in the fun!
One of our family favorites is building obstacle courses—made even more exciting by playing “floor is lava!” The rule? You can only move from obstacle to obstacle… no touching the ground!
Set one up indoors or outside using whatever you have on hand:
- Climb over a laundry basket
- Crawl under a chair or table
- Step from pillow to pillow
- Balance on one foot on a step stool
- Jump over a paper towel roll
- Toss a ball into a bucket
- Crawl through a cardboard box
- Jump from rock to rock (outside)
- Use chalk to make a hopscotch or draw curvy paths to follow (outside)
Let your kids design the course too—it adds creativity and ownership to the fun!
Why obstacle courses are so great:
Gross motor skills: crawling, jumping, climbing, balancing
Cognitive skills: motor planning + problem solving
Sensory development: supports balance (vestibular) and body awareness (proprioception)
Spatial awareness: understanding “over,” “under,” and “through”
Confidence & resilience: completing a course = big pride boost
Social skills: turn-taking, following directions, cheering others on
Let’s make this summer safe, active, and full of fun! 🌈
