Six Ways To Keep Kids Motivated Over The Summer

"School's out for summer!" Alice Cooper's singing in the background and excitement is in the air. Your kids are positively giddy. They are finally done with the school year and three glorious months of summer lay before them. Summer means swimming pools, barbeques, beach trips, and … some very lazy children who want to watch TV and play video games all day.

It can be hard to keep kids motivated to stay productive over the summer. And I totally get it, they have worked hard all year to earn those good grades (I hope) and now they just want to chill out. But them spending half the day in bed and the other half stuffing their faces in front of the TV isn't good for them or you. Luckily, there are things we mothers can do to keep their mind and body in tip top shape for when they return to school in September.

• Sign them up for swimming lessons. From beginners to experienced swimmers, we all have room for improvement when it comes to swimming and staying safe in the water. Many local hotels and leisure centres offer classes for all age groups and experience levels. It's a great way to have fun and stay active over the summer.

• Sign them up for your library's summer reading program. Most libraries have summer reading programs where your child gets fun prizes and to attend fun events when she meets her reading goals. This is a fun way to encourage kids to keep up with reading while on school holidays.

• Make a summer scrapbook. As summer progress, encourage kids to save ticket stubs, receipts, take lots of pictures at your various days out, etc. and put them together in a "My Summer" scrapbook. It is a fun project for you to work on together and will make a great keepsake.
• Assign them chores. Make up a chore chart and assign daily chores. To take the sting out of having to do work over the summer, you can offer a weekly allowance if all chores are completed. That way they can pay to see that big summer blockbuster themselves and may have enough left over to take a friend. 
• Do arts and crafts projects. Surf the internet or Pinterest for fun arts and crafts projects to do with your kids. You can pick some out and then do one a week. If you aren't feeling creative, or are having trouble finding ideas, many local libraries also offer free art and craft classes throughout the summer.
• Go bike riding. Schedule weekly family bike riding trips. Take a cruise through your neighbourhood or go to a local bike trail. It's a great way for the whole family to stay in shape while spending some quality time together.

Summertime can make us all a little lazy, but there is no reason kids can't enjoy their time off from school while continuing to exercise their brains and stay active.