3 Ways to Enjoy Summer Before It Ends
By Nicole Yorio, REDBOOK
Are you looking for ways to spend more time with your kids before summer ends? Here are some fun, easy ideas to promote family bonding before everyone goes back to school.
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1. Be like the Backyardigans.
Instead of standing at the kitchen counter returning emails and opening bills, move your activities outside to your deck or patio. While you tackle busy-work, the kids can run around on the lawn. This will help you be more productive as well: studies show that 20 minutes in the summer breeze is enough to boost energy levels.
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2. Guarantee sweet dreams.
Want to motivate your children to play as a family? Teach your kids blackjack or poker using Skittles or M&Ms instead of money. If they're too young to be card sharks, why not bust out the ice cream? You can set up an outdoor make-your-own sundae station, complete with crazy toppings, that your kids will love. All you'll need for cleanup is a hose!
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3. Stare at something besides your flat-screen.
Once the sun sets, there are even more ways to spend time as a family. Try spreading out a blanket and lying down under the stars, suggests Cindy Copeland, author of Fun on the Run! Are your children not the "stay-still" type? Help them find constellations in the night sky-the apps Google Sky Map (for Android) and GoSkyWatch Planetarium (for iPhone) are perfect for the miniature astronomer. Want something less high-tech? Try catching fireflies or reading bedtime stories on the porch.
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