It’s summer, the days are hot, the snacks are melting (and so are you). If your usual routine has lost its sheen—or just smells like sunscreen and slight despair—here are a few fresh ways to keep your little entertained and you, semi-sane.
If you’re itching to get outside→ CHALK. Yup, just like childhood. Add painter’s tape + a spray bottle and it’s basically Tisch School of the Arts. Or go Easter-egg scavenger hunt mode and hide “the Sacred Granola Bar” (use those magic words verbatim) in the yard. Rubber ducks in the kiddie pool full of hose water? Fishing. Whip up DIY ice cream in a Ziploc bag by shaking cream, sugar and vanilla with ice and salt—basically Bill Nye-type science, snack time and the arm workout you didn’t ask for, all in one.
And if you’re opting for A/C → Let someone else deal with the mess and head to a Color Me Mine studio (or similar). Build forts out of cardboard boxes from your Little Spoon deliveries or shadow puppet shows starring whatever character your kid is currently worshipping. Practice those developmental mastery skills by setting up a smoothie bar on the counter with Monopoly money. Let them “help” you make a no-bake cheesecake using Jello mix (glittery sprinkles = instant hit). Or throw on a 2-minute yoga video and anticipate being climbed like a human jungle gym. You know it’s gonna happen, so why not lean into it?
And if all else fails, cue up Miss Rachel for thirty mins (and don’t you dare feel guilty about it).
