Summer is here and so are vacations! Most parents are perplexed as this time of year troubles them with the thought of keeping children occupied all day - several days. Summer camps seem expensive and so are visits to amusement parks and other attractions cannot be often. So here are some ways we can keep the little powerhouses engaged in simple and economic ways: 

1. Children love attention especially from their loved ones, so take a few minutes off from your schedule for a chit-chat with them, to gather the stories they are eagerly waiting to share. 

2. A picnic to the nearby park with a basket of snacks and lemonade to keep the kids hydrated. Remember to carry their outdoor play equipment – Frisbee, skipping rope, football, hula-hoop and invite their friends to join them in the fun.

3. Play indoor games with cards and boards like snakes and ladders, ludo, carom, Pictionary. You can also try a quiz to brush their GK or dumb charades while you are doing with your daily chores.

4. Revive your own childhood by playing games like hopscotch, hide and seek, lagori, playing with marbles and lattu etc

5. While the sun is emitting scorching heat at noon, keep them inside and get them to see children’s movies

6. Get them to help you in you in the kitchen, like sourcing veggies from the refrigerator, washing them, helping peel and deseed etc. Try new recipes by getting them to read out the recipe and you follow the instructions or get them to take charge as chefs and you supervise them. This way kids are more likely to eat healthy meals they help prepare.

7. Start a craft activity, teach them to make a scrapbook with photos or teach them to make flowers or other origami designs from their old notebook papers or newspapers, buy the stitch kits and get them to complete the design and showcase their artwork on your walls. 

8. Include them in your fitness exercises like walking, cycling, yoga or workouts, this will also help to inculcate the habit of maintaining fitness and good health from an early age. 

9. Utilize the local library, let the kids choose which books they would want to read from the children’s section and get them to read as many books as they can. You can get them to do some reading at the library thereby instilling the discipline to maintain silence.

10. Get them to document what they do each day either in a diary or if they insist let them type in on the PC or laptop, again teach them to insert photos and sharpen their digital skills.