A Different Kind of Summer

​This time of year, families are usually registering for summer camps and checking community activity calendars  with great excitement, looking forward to the Summer months ahead. This year, the impact of COVID-19 means  Summer will look different.  As families continue making the necessary adjustments there are still many opportunities  to creatively engage kids in ways that bring  joy and fun. Below are some suggestions that will  keep kids busy, create happy memories  and build strong connections, all of which are vital in developing healthy, resilient families.

Porch drop offs:  Kids love surprise gifts!  Porch drop offs  can be a great way to bring the fun and a change of pace. Create a bag of items like coloring sheets or puzzle books,  sensory objects, water toys, summer treats and an age-appropriate craft project. Consider porch swapping puzzles, games and toys between households as you feel comfortable.

Cupcake Wars: Have one or more families set up a place where kids can get messy and host a virtual baking party. Drop off  vanilla frosting, decorating supplies and cupcake batter. Have  each kid use two ingredients from the pantry to create personalized  flavors. (For younger kids,  pre-make different flavors of cupcakes and frosting.) Let kids be as creative as their hearts’ desire with fondant, candy toppings, melted chocolate, cookies, and piping bags full of fun colors. Designate a judge to determine the winner of the decorating competition, have kids share about their personalized flavors,  and enjoy the yummy results together.

Pen Pals: Assign each of the children in your support team network a pen pal. Equip each child with fun writing utensils, paper  and stickers for writing pen pal notes. This not only gives kids the opportunity to connect with someone outside of the household,  but also the space to express any thoughts, feelings or experiences they would like to share. 

Dinner Delivery: Choose a night to let a family know you will be sending a dinner delivery their way. It will give them a nice break from having to plan a meal and cook. If you would like to share mealtime, order the same meal for your family and have a virtual movie or game night.

​Virtual Mini-camp: Are you good at gardening? Science experiments? A sport? DIY projects? Ask your family to gather up the materials or assemble and send  a package of needed supplies. Create a few weekly or daily how-to lessons and share your expertise. You’ll be part of helping a child build confidence while gaining newfound skills.

If you enjoy any of the activities above or come up with your own, show us your results and tag us on Instagram or Facebook!