What can I do with my child on summer break?

I need some advice on what I can do with my seven-year-old son this summer break we live in a rural co so there isn’t much to do unless there is traveling which i’m not a big fan of but he’s always saying he’s bored and i just need some ideas what i can do where to take him any ideas or thoughts would be greatly appreciate 

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Library usually offers fun free activities. Do y’all have a community pool or splash pad? Fishing :fishing_pole_and_fish: maybe? Or even camping with friends even if it’s just in your backyard :person_shrugging: movie night at home, let him pick the movie and favorite snack.

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Local library offers a ton of passes for zoos and museums

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Plant a garden or some flowers,have a scavenger hunt in your yard or neighborhood,look on Pinterest for science projects,make ice cream in a bag,tye die shirts,do squirt gun painting,go to yard sales,check your local library for events,play cards or board games….make a jar with slips of paper with “things to do” or “places to go” and let him choose 1 a week.
See if there are trails in your area to hike or bike.

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I have a 12 year old and just simple things like a baseball glove and ball he loves. I’ve gotten pretty good at it too. Anything outside-nature walks, fishing, scavenger hunts. There’s lots of ideas you could find on pinterest. Baking, coloring, puzzles, you could try planting a small garden with just some simple packets of seeds, riding bikes together, picnics.

If you have a local rec department a lot of time they offer summer camps, or activities!! As long as my kid is outside it could just be the local park daily or scooter rides, get a sprinkler for the hot days, beach, camping is always fun, outside fires at night.

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Take him fishing. My son & I go all the time & we both love it.

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I am sending my 9 year old to a church camp (sleep away camp) for 4 nights this summer. I found one that isn’t “over” religious and is more of a relationship building/ finding yourself kind of camp. He is SUPER excited for it. He also does day camp some weeks throughout the summer.

If you want activities that don’t involve going far and there isn’t much around, create scavenger hunts to take him on- which you can base on things you know you will come across even in your own back yard. I have a zip line from Amazon, a sand box, a pogo stick, soccer net, basketball hoop, and trampoline that also keep my kids entertained in the summer. Obviously you don’t have to have all of those things but just find things your kid will enjoy. Even if it’s just sidewalk chalk or tie dye or playing catch.

Make a summer bucket list! The things on it can be like going out for Ice cream, beach day, park day with picnic lunch, fair, carnival, zoo, hiking. Fishing ect…

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Online /Pinterest craft projects, chemistry sets, science experiments. Telescope and find planets, constellations, meteors, the space station, Milky Way—if it’s dark @ night in the country you could see a lot.

Have him plan two trips: one anywhere in the world with an unlimited budget as a dream vacation, and one affordable day trip one given whatever budget you can afford that you could do for real.

Learn a new language with library or online resources.

Start a new exercise program. Learn soccer techniques, try Tai Chi, Zumba, learn bachata, hip hop, other dance techniques from downloads, You Tube, whatever.

Plant a garden :potted_plant: of some sort, from containers on a deck to a full blown vegetable garden.

Ride bikes.

See if a local farmer will show you how to do stuff in exchange for a bit of your labor. See if your son can shadow different people (barber, pharmacist, grocery store employee, mechanic, electrician—whatever’s doable and whoever’s amenable) for a day

Pick a cookbook or type of ethnic cuisine and make a bunch of gourmet meals together. Alternately, learn how to make a bunch of mocktails.

Learn about personal finance. Set up a household budget. If he doesn’t already have a bank account, have him set one up with savings and allowance/chore/lawn mowing/babysitting money.

Learn about plants and go find and forage.

Sometimes Home Depot or other supply stores have workshops to build simple things. Take advantage of them.

Get some supplies and learn to paint, or sew, or knit, or whatever.

Take up walking or running, lifting weights (use food cans, milk gallon bottles & fill with water to whatever weight you can manage), or something and see if you can improve your times/weights/number of reps over the course of the summer.

Ask people in your community what they do. Ask other parents that your son goes to school with.

Here in the uk we buy paddling pools and trampolines for the garden and we can get giant garden toys like connect 4 and chess and other things. We take them out sometimes and the rest ofvthe time they go in the garden.

Dog best friend. Unless he has a cousin that can come stay for part of the summer

Summer school, Bible schools, play days with friends, swimming team or lessons, sports.

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Tell him to go outside , play, and be back home when the street lights come on

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Fishing. Hike ng. Geocaching. Teach him foraging. Teach him to climb trees. My nine yr old like ves outside. He can bushcraft

Horse riding lessons. Join 4-H

Usually There are programs in rural areas …through rm or rec centers I live rural and there are programs here

Alltrails App. Use your location to find all the trails nearby. Get outside and see the world, one trail at a time.

Check out the libraries. Normally they have fun activities during the summer and most likely free
Vacation bible school, having a friend over usually will free you up for a bit and keep him occupied. I would try to, before summer starts, try to roughly map out ideas on a calendar so everyday you’re trying to come up with ideas and he says no I don’t want to. On the calendar you kinda know in advance and he’ll start looking forward to it. Maybe like movie Monday, baking Tuesday (make easy homemade pizza etc), Water Wednesday (squirt guns, water balloons, sprinkler), Outdoor Thursday (hikes, scavenger hunt, kickball), Friend Friday (have a friend to play with, camp out in yard). Teach him old time games, cup telephone, etc. Hope this helps

Some schools offer fun classes in the summer

Get him a mini bike to ride

Following!! What great ideas

Vacation Bible school. Maybe he a friend that attends one.