"Mo-ooom. I'm BORED!" 

Gone are the days when parents hurried their children out each morning, expecting they'd entertain themselves until the street lights came on. This generation of kids often defaults to screen time when the summer doldrums set in. Because you have a million things to do, you allow it for a few minutes...which quickly turns into a few hours. But before you reach for the tablet or check your Netflix queue, with a little forethought, you can create outdoor activities kids can do themselves, keeping them occupied so you can get back to work! (Or scrolling through social media!) 

Deck Out Your Driveway

For kids who love art projects, decorating the driveway or sidewalk is a blast! To keep things interesting, provide your little DaVincis with plenty of different options. While washable sidewalk chalk is always easy and accessible, sidewalk paint is a new twist on this old favorite. Find your favorite sidewalk paint recipe online and mix up a few colors to have on hand. Provide some enticing ways of applying it (paint brushes, spray bottles, squeeze bottles) and you're set!

Slide Into Fun

A tarp, some dish soap and a water source is all it takes for your kids to have their own slippery, sliding fun! After checking to be sure there are no rocks or sticks underneath, lay the tarp along your lawn. Spray down with dish soap, add some water and your kids will stay busy for hours! For kids not ready to handle a hose, a sprinkler works equally well here. When you're done, it's as simple as hosing of the tarp (and your soapy offspring)!

Bring the Carnival Home

Think about the games at carnivals and amusement parks and how you can recreate them at home using items you already have. Here are a few to try using your empty 2-liter bottles:

· Tossing bean bags or small balls to knock 2-liter plastic bottles off of a table

· Tossing rings around the necks of 2-liter plastic bottles

· Lawn bowling, using a soccer ball and 2-liter plastic bottles as pins

Stick with games that require little preparation, few "props" and that are easy for kids to set up themselves. When they tire of the games you've suggested, challenge them to make up their own!  Having them keep score and later rewarding the "winner" (or everyone) with cotton candy or another carnival-themed treat is a great incentive to keep them playing while you keep working. 

In a perfect world, our kids would magically come up with ways to entertain themselves all summer. As a mom, you know that doesn't always happen. With a little preparation, however, you can spark their creativity enough to keep them playing independently, kicking summer boredom to the curb so you can get down to business