I need ideas

[flutterbee]

for inexpensive summer activities for difficult child. She doesn't like any of my ideas. I was kind of a tomboy and was used to entertaining myself. She does entertain herself, but she needs more. I'm looking for ideas on stuff we can do together.

Any ideas or websites with ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[nvts]

What about looking into various charities that she can knit for? There are different hospitals that need knit caps for preemie babies, and/or kids with cancer, veterans hospitals that could use some homemade afgans for returning soldiers/older veterans. If you have a local nursing home since she loves to bake that she can bring some of her baking to.

Just a few ideas!

Beth

 

[Star*]

I'm guessing bug collecting and collection is OUT!

 

[KTMom91]

My mom loved crafts, and we would make Christmas ornaments (and other things) out of homemade play dough that you bake, and then paint it. We also went hunting for interesting rocks, and then painted them to look like animals. I remember we made a flamingo, glued two rocks together, painted it hot pink, put a face on, then mounted it on two nails hammered into a scrap of wood.

My niece was into making no-sew blankets out of polarfleece...take two pieces of polarfleece, cut fringes on both pieces, and tie them together so your blanket has two layers with different patterns on each side. Miss KT enjoyed making lanyards, key chains, etc. out of that plastic lacing stuff. Do you have a Michaels nearby? They have inexpensive classes for kids.

 

[Shari]

Salvation Army or garage sale finds and TIE DYE.

Sheets, shorts, shirts, curtains, WHATEVER!

 

[DammitJanet]

Sign up for all those freebie sites online and/or organize a care package drive for the troops.

 

[flutterbee]

Great ideas! Thank you.

Janet - I think Wynter would really enjoy organizing a care package drive.

 

[Star*]

Since she loves to bake -

How about once a week she makes Brownies or cupcakes for a homeless shelter?

How about checking with your local parks and rec. department? They offer (here) a ton of FREE or next to free (pay for materials only) like art classes, baton, swimming, and stuff like that -

Volunteer one day a week with Meals on Wheels - she can ride with another elderly person and be the one that delivers meals.

She can read to small kids at a day care close by

Organize and make her own puppets and do a puppet show

Read to the elderly - take her to a nursing home or hospice and let her read a few pages every week to an elderly or shut in person

Organize a neighborhood food drive - collect canned food for your local food bank -

Plant flowers for people -

Make bird feeders out of soda bottles, fill with seed and hang for shut ins.

Learn Oragami For me it's very relaxing and I can make neat things in a quick hurry now for little gifts - like Lotus cards - you cut 3 pieces of paper - fold and glue - open the card up and it's a lotus blossom. very neat.

Get with the local police department and become a Jr. Police Cadet.

Bake goodies for the fireman in your town.

Teach or babysit at your church on Wednesday nights -

Learn a foreign language

Plant trees - contact local forestry department. They always need volunteers.

Offer to clean up trash on a road. Call the highway dept.

Hand draw Christmas Cards for the board card exchange


I guess anything but bug collecting. huh?

 

[Wiped Out]

Volunteering at the Humane Society?

 

[flutterbee]

She is going to enroll in a class that is Certified by the Red Cross for babysitting. She is also going to volunteer at the Humane Society. The volunteer orientation meeting was this past Saturday and I totally blanked on it. So, we'll have to wait for the next one which should be in July.

Thanks for the ideas!

Oh and Star, and bugs we find...we'll ship 'em to you!

 

[Hound dog]

She could join 4 H. They do tons of different things. She could even learn dog training.

 

[DammitJanet]

4H is a great club!

As far as the care packages I can give you some great ideas for themes. You can set up donation boxes at grocery stores, Walmarts, Kmarts, etc and ask people to donate sample size packages of items to go in care packages along with notes to soldiers. Powders, baby wipes, toothpaste, mouthwash, CD's, food stuffs...just not pork!, she can make those cool neck bands with those clear beads in them that hold water from the plant section...I can explain that more in detail if you need me to....

She can really get active in that and make a name for herself and become quite popular.

 

[Star*]

Grrrrrroovy! Thanks

 

[meowbunny]

Since she doesn't like your ideas, why not have her do her own brainstorming? She might come up with some really interesting things that she wants to do -- like the care packages.

I found for my daughter that I could never come up with a good enough idea unless it cost a small fortune like amusement parks. So, I quit suggesting things. I told her the budget -- both financial and my time -- for the week for amusement and let her decide what we were doing. It actually ended up working pretty well and certainly saved my frustration level when she didn't like my ideas.

 

[nvts]

I've got a great one: How about hooking up her graceful Mom with that "groovy" guitar teacher?

(I don't know why, but when you described that whole scenario, I just thought of the Brady Bunch! "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" and when Greg was "Johnny Bravo" (he fit the suit))




me