We’ve made it halfway through the summer, and now we’re at the point where the heat pushes us back into our homes rather than inviting us outside. If you have a middle schooler at home, you may be scrambling for new and interesting ways to keep them cool and entertained for the next month. We’ve curated a list of fun activities you can do with your kids to let you stay cool and relaxed on hot summer days.
Jump Out Some Energy at a Trampoline Park
Need an easy way for your kids to get out of the house and burn some energy without risking a sunburn? Trampoline parks are all the rage these days, and this is exactly why. When the weather is too hot to enjoy, take your middle schoolers off to an indoor, air-conditioned trampoline park and let them bounce their hearts out while you sit back and relax. Or, you may even want to join them!
Get Creative In Local Art Classes
Middle school is a very cool season of life where creativity is blossoming, and students are starting to develop their points of view. If you have a child interested in the arts, consider taking them to a summer art class. If you live in the area and have access to The Create Space in downtown DeLand, you’ll find they have a wide variety of educational art courses for students of all ages.
Tour Some Local Museums
We’re fortunate to have some great museums here in our community and in the greater Volusia County area. The Museum of Art DeLand has beautiful exhibits and educational resources to help middle school students learn more about the art they see. Stetson University is home to the Gillespie Rock Museum, which is open to the public, and the Museum of Arts and Sciences Daytona has incredible, permanent, and revolving displays.
Move Your Body At A Local Gym
If you’re looking for something a little more active for your kids, find a local gym that offers indoor classes. For example, DeLand has an indoor rock climbing gym with classes and equipment rental. If you have a child who bounces off the walls during the heat of the summer, this may be the perfect opportunity for them to climb something besides your furniture. You may also consider joining the YMCA, where they have camps for kids, open access to the basketball gym, the weight room, and the pool.
Enjoy A Friendly Family Board Game Competition
If you’re looking for activities for your family that are indoor but don’t cost any money. It’s time to pull out some creative ideas from your own childhood. These days kids have access to so much technology that we’ve lost track of some of the fun things we used to do as families before we had endless streaming options. Invest some money in some classic family board games. Even if your kids initially resist the idea, it’s difficult to turn down the excitement of a good board game once it gets started.
Institute Daily Reading Time
Finally, summer is a great time for students to learn to enjoy reading. During the school year, they are asked to read a lot of things that may or may not interest them. The summertime is a great opportunity for them to practice reading things that catch their interest. Take your child to the library and allow them to peruse the stacks and find a book or a series of books that piques her interests. Schedule daily quiet reading time, and you’ll be amazed at how invested your middle schooler can get into reading.
Summer in Florida can be absolutely brutal. If you’re looking for parenting tips to keep your middle school students engaged and entertained this summer, we hope this list has helped. Just remember that summer is just a short blip in a year-long schedule filled with responsibilities and activities, so no one will fault you if you and your family want to take this time just to relax a little bit. If you’re interested in more parenting tips, follow along on our blog. If you’d like more information about joining our community in the fall, contact our office today.