{"id":7944,"date":"2017-07-07T06:00:37","date_gmt":"2017-07-07T10:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.elfster.com\/?p=7944"},"modified":"2023-02-10T14:00:31","modified_gmt":"2023-02-10T19:00:31","slug":"diy-summer-boredom-busters-tweens-dont-leave-toddlers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.elfster.com\/blog\/2017\/07\/07\/diy-summer-boredom-busters-tweens-dont-leave-toddlers\/","title":{"rendered":"DIY Summer Boredom Busters for Tweens"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"summerMy sister Kelsey and I are 8 years apart; when she was heading into her pre-teen tween years, I was still a toddler. My parents did an amazing job of keeping us (and our brother in the middle) entertained during the long, hot summer days by coming up with things that we could all do together.<\/p>\n

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Siblings are a forever friend | Image courtesy Unsplash user Jenn Evelyn-Ann<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Often, these activities could be separated into four categories and were scattered throughout the days of the week to keep boredom from ensuing. We had a nature category, one for arts and crafts, a baking and cooking one, and the \u201cdo something nice for someone else\u201d category. My mother\u2019s favorite phrase during those years growing up became, \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be bored\u2014you\u2019re choosing<\/i> to be bored.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether we were busying ourselves by making clay figurines, baking a batch of cupcakes for the lady at the post office, or searching through the grove to find fallen citrus for orange lemonade, I don\u2019t recall having too many summer days where I ever felt like there was nothing to do. So, from ice cube tray ice cream to thumbprint flower pots, here are a few of my favorite summer boredom busters for tweens\u2014that don\u2019t leave out the toddlers.<\/p>\n

Summer Boredom Buster #1: A Nature Scavenger Hunt<\/h4>\n

Summer is an invigorating time to awaken kids\u2019 senses to nature: the flowers are blooming, the fruits of nature\u2019s springtime work are plentiful, and the days outdoors are long and warm.<\/p>\n

A nature scavenger hunt is an educational way to get kids outside and doing something fun this summer<\/a>. You can customize the nature hunt with things that abound in your area. For the younger kids, keep the scavenger hunt basic with items like \u201cbutterfly\u201d and \u201cbird.\u201d For the tweens, make it more challenging with items like \u201cMonarch Butterfly\u201d and \u201cRuby Throated Hummingbird.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Getting out in nature is never boring | Image courtesy Etsy seller CraftivityDesigns<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here are some good items to add to your scavenger hunt, depending on what you see during the summer season in your neck of the woods. For the tweens, be sure to make this list more specific.<\/p>\n