Every summer, I have plans to engage my kid with something useful, something physical , something bonding and definitely that does not involve a screen. TV or iPad or Phone . Like all great plans, this does not work. Never
Pleasant mornings slowly unravel at 11 AM. “I am bored. Same story!!! I don’t want to read. Don’t read news paper , talk to me “ are some of the early indicators that finally leads me to succumb and hand over the remote or the iPad. Though I cannot fathom a world without screens, I can visualise a world with a lot less of that. So here are five workable ideas for an Indian summer. Do not try all of them on the same day. You could end up being given for adoption.
1. Making Lunch a travel story and not a destination. In basic words , Cook with the kids. Involve them from the start. Cutting vegetables, simple frying. Make them a part of it. If you abhor cooking, then make it an elaborate table setting exercise. Children have energy and they love to expend it.
2. Do up the house. Refrigerators, Doors, Cupboards, there are enough plain spaces in the house. The web has thousand ideas. Pick one of them. It is a three day past time and you can relish it later for a year.
Some of our posters too are good for wall decor and after decoration, you can spend time learning, teaching and talking about it :)
3. Create a small garden.Cliched, it may sound, but effective. Pick up a few old bottles, discarded shoe cartons, leaky buckets anything works. All you need is a sack of sand. And everything will come alive. Pick plants that are easy to grow. It is fascinating for kids to watch, water and see plants grow.
4. Nature schedule. Keep on half of a day every week for nature walks or trips. Could be a park, could be a zoo or could be just a lake. I do it all the time,I hear you say. This time, do it differently. Try and identify every plant, insect. You might find it cumbersome the first time, but the third time you will elated and confident. Your kids even more.
5. Throw stuff. Yes, it is great to throw stuff. Attack one room a day. Spend half a day sorting stuff. And then give them away. It is a great way to show kids how much we buy or aspire to that we don’t actually need or use. Start with clothes and work your way up. It is relaxing and meditative. For you, more so
Happy Summer :)
