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Family Article

Keeping Kids Occupied

(On the Cheap)

by Gail Miller

Well, happy days. The summer holidays are upon us again. But how do you prevent your kids from getting too bored during those long summer months while they are off school? What if money is tight; is it possible to keep them occupied on a very small budget, or even for free? Well I think the answer is yes. OK it will rule out trips to expensive events and the like, but it can be done. Here I bring some ideas for keeping those little idle hands occupied. If you live in a large town or city, there are a number of places which can provide entertainment for free. Apart from parks and valley gardens, which are the obvious ones, have you thought of visiting a pet store? The one in our town is on three levels and stocks every animal you could imagine. Tropical and marine fish in the basement, (which can keep kids, and adults come to that, enthralled for hours) all sorts of household pets on the first floor and unusual animals on the ground. There you can see anything from strange stick insects through to exotic birds, reptiles and rare species. This pet shop takes at least an hour browse round completely. They even have a crocodile! (I still haven't worked out if it's real). have your local parks any added attractions for free? Ours has a large indoor carp pond AND a butterfly house. All for free. In summer it is usually quite busy as you might imagine, however a visit off peak would be worth while. You will find out about amenities such as these from your local council. Do you have a local library? If so then you might be surprised to find that things have changed in recent years. Not only can you borrow books now, but also tapes and CDs and even videos. Also, there are usually lots of current issue magazines to browse through. Our town library has a museum attached to it, all about the town in the Victorian era. There is also a section on pottery that used to be made here, as our town is famous for this pottery. Not exactly entertainment, but entertaining none the less, is a supermarket sweep. When you are out doing your shopping, shout out the items you need and the kids can grab them off the shelves and pop them in your basket. I can assure you, your shopping will be completed in record time! What about organising a street coffee morning. Pop a postcard in your local shop window, calling for mums down your street to bring their kiddies to your house on a particular day. All the children can play in the garden while the mums have a natter. If it is sunny ask them to bring toys along too so all the kids can have a go with different equipment Organise a Krypton Factor in the garden. OK to you and I, that's an obstacle course. Put together equipment to jump over, slither under and through and climb on top of. Offer a small prize to anyone who finishes. Have a home cinema day. Before hand, video record a couple of children's films off the TV. Disney Channel shows some excellent ones. Stock up on masses of cheap popcorn and make some juice lollies in lolly moulds before hand. Pull the curtains. Lights, Camera, Action! To pass half an hour or so, why not play Memory Master? This is where you place a number of household objects on a tray and let the participants look at them for 30 seconds. Cover the tray with a cloth and then get them to try and remember as many objects as possible. At the end of the day, all it takes is a bit of imagination and ingenuity. Look forward to the holidays, as they are ideal for spending quality time with your kids. Time, you just don't get to spend during term time. --------------------------- --------------------------- Gail Miller is author of "WILD CHILD - A Mother, A Son & ADHD" The true story of a mother driven to despair by her unruly son, and her fight with the authorities for recognition & treatment for his condition. ISBN 1 872229 24 7 Patten Press http://home.freeuk.net/theadhdgazette/wild.html She also publishes "The ADD / ADHD Gazette" the on - line ezine accenting the positive side of ADHD. http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/ADDGazette

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