| Hooray! The long lazy days of summer have | | | | scoops partner pose. |
| arrived. After having successfully completed | | | | 23. Help your child write a letter or card to a |
| another school year you can't wait to spend time | | | | relative or friend telling about summer events. |
| doing nothing. It is important to allow kids | | | | 24. Fly a kite. Practice triangle pose (sometimes |
| unstructured time to renew, refresh and come to | | | | called kite pose). |
| know themselves. However, more often than not, | | | | 25. Have a pillow fight. |
| sometime during the next few months children will | | | | 26. Enjoy face painting and then perform face |
| utter the words, "I'm bored. There's nothing to | | | | yoga in the mirror and laugh at your funny faces. |
| do!" (add whiny voice as appropriate). Here are | | | | 27. Read under the stars. Take a blanket and |
| some suggestions to keep kids active mentally | | | | book outside and read with your child by flashlight. |
| and physically which also nurture them emotionally. | | | | 28. At dinner have each family member say |
| Remember summer is a wonderful time to build | | | | something nice about every person at the table. |
| relationships by spending time playing, doing, and | | | | 29. Make puppets out of a paper bag, an old sock |
| growing together. | | | | or a stick. Put on a puppet show. |
| | | | 30. Cut out pictures from several magazines. |
| 1. Have family members set summer goals. For | | | | Have your child write a story about them. |
| example: list of books you want to read, things | | | | 31. Give your child a bucket of water and some |
| you want to do, places to visit, skills you need to | | | | paint brushes. Let her "paint" the sidewalk, fence, |
| learn. | | | | house, etc. |
| 2. Take your child to the library and sign up for a | | | | 32. Find out when the sun sets and rises in your |
| summer reading program. | | | | area. Learn how to do Sun Salutations. |
| 3. Have your child help put together a first aid kit | | | | 33. Look at the stars with your child. Make up |
| that can go with you on your many summer | | | | new constellations together. |
| outings. | | | | 34. Find a local kiddie pool, beach or fountain and |
| 4. Give your child an inexpensive camera and let | | | | go wadding. |
| them take pictures of all the fun activities you do | | | | 35. Play alphabet games with your child. List |
| over the summer. Create a scrapbook of | | | | countries, animals, cars or yoga poses in |
| memories. | | | | alphabetical order. |
| 5. Practice pranayama by blowing bubbles or | | | | 36. Build a fort inside or out using blankets, sheets, |
| dandelion heads. | | | | boxes, tables, chairs and other items found |
| 6. Pack a picnic and enjoy eating outdoors. | | | | around the house. |
| 7. Watch a baseball/football/soccer/beach | | | | 37. Meditate upon the breeze as it ruffles the |
| volleyball game together. Talk about the rules and | | | | leaves of your favourite tree. |
| how they are important. | | | | 38. Create a treasure/scavenger hunt and help |
| 8. See how many places in your home (not | | | | your kids follow the clues for a fun reward. |
| including books) where your child can find words | | | | 39. Play hopscotch. |
| to read. | | | | 40. Choose a new recipe. Have fun cooking with |
| 9. Make paper airplanes and practice airplane pose | | | | your child. |
| (Warrior III with arms out to the side). | | | | 41. Cut out pictures of healthy foods from |
| 10. Plant a garden and enjoy tending it throughout | | | | weekly grocery ads. |
| the season. | | | | 42. Discuss the Food Pyramid. Have your child use |
| 11. Visit a local museum or art gallery. | | | | the pictures from the above activity and make a |
| 12. Sketch or paint outdoors: clouds, night sky, | | | | chart of nutritious choices. |
| trees, a favourite view, an interesting building...let | | | | 43. Look at family photos. Share stories and |
| your imagination and creativity soar. | | | | remember wonderful moments together. |
| 13. Lie on the grass and look at the clouds. Make | | | | 44. Play with a hula hoop and discover hoop yoga. |
| up stories about the shapes you see. | | | | 45. Make musical instruments from things around |
| 14. Colour mandalas. Go for a walk and find | | | | your house. Have a concert. |
| mandalas in your neighbourhood (flowers, signs, | | | | 46. Play a card game with your child; Crazy 8s, |
| art, stepping stones, etc). | | | | War, Rummy, Old Maid, Go Fish, Snap all build |
| 15. Learn geography while watching the World | | | | memory, hand-eye coordination & math skills. |
| Cup. Find participating countries on a map. | | | | 47. Collect bugs and do insect poses such as |
| 16. Teach your child their personal information: | | | | locust, spider, inchworm, bumble bee lips, etc. |
| phone number, address, etc. Practice each day. | | | | 48. Fill water guns, buckets and water balloons |
| 17. Can your children tell time? Teach them how | | | | and have a water fight. |
| to read an analog clock with yoga eyes. | | | | 49. Camp out in the back yard. |
| 18. Check out a book of jokes or riddles. Share | | | | 50. Create amazing sidewalk art with sidewalk |
| one over dinner each day. | | | | chalk and a little water. |
| 19. Create an indoor or outdoor miniature golf | | | | 51. Help out at the local SPCA. Learn how to do |
| course. Play a round or two. | | | | downward dog pose, cat pose, rabbit pose and |
| 20. Grab a broomstick and hold a limbo contest. | | | | other poses for animals at the shelter. |
| Back-bends open the heart and invigorate the | | | | 52. Visit an orchard or u-pick farm. |
| body. | | | | 53. Build sandcastles. |
| 21. Add food coloring to a dollop of shaving | | | | 54. Feed the ducks at the local pond. Enjoy a |
| cream. Let your child use it as finger paint. | | | | great hip opening exercise by walking like a duck. |
| 22. Make homemade ice-cream. Practice two | | | | |