Summer vacations are here and one of the biggest questions in front of us parents is “How do I keep my kids constructively occupied?” Well, worry no more! We have got some great ideas that your kids will love as much as you do. Ready to get started?
1 - Visit the zoo. Make it fun by asking your kids to make a list of animals they want to see beforehand. Then take the list and animal stickers along. When you finish visiting the animal on the list, ask your child to place the sticker against the name.
2 - Make cool treats (like ice-cream sundaes and fruit juice popsicles) with your kids.
3 – During the afternoons, when you need some rest, let your kids play with fun interactive learning apps on iPhone, iPad and Android devices..
4 - The whole family plays cards after dinner and before bed time.
5 – Have a fun Swimming pool party! Make it a themed party like Nemo, Mermaid etc.,
6 – Visit the Children’s Museum. A great way to keep the kids indoors but happily engaged!
7 – Teach some small household work like arranging plates for dinner, help loading the dish washer, clean up the table.
8 - Plant some trees and water them everyday. Kids can choose their own tree.
9 - Take part in scholastic summer challenge, http://www.scholastic.com/summer/
10 - Make a scrapbook with themes like 'Summer Fun', '10 Coolest Things', or 'My Family Tree'.
11 – Go for ‘Fruit Picking’ in nearby farms and pick strawberry/apple/blueberry/mangoes/plums etc.,
12 - Make and sell lemonade, or for a fun twist, try some Melonade.
13 - Play different indoor games in the afternoon like Trapecolo, or board games like Kurukshetra or pen and paper games like Name, Place, Thing, Animal.
Name, Place Thing, Animal - Ask the kids to choose a letter from the alphabet. When the letter is chosen, the timer starts and each player writes a Name, Place, Thing and Animal that starts with the letter. You can go all the way until all 26 letters are completed. Each correct entry gets 1 point. Incorrect or no entries get zero points. In the end, whoever has the highest points wins.
14 - Visit a water or splash park. Makes a great day outing for the entire family!
15 - If going out for summer vacation, keep a small note book and draw the pictures of the places visited and write few lines about it. They can take Flat Stanley kind of a character with them and take pictures with him.
16 – Go kite flying in the evenings.
17 - Play scavenger hunt, e.g. nature hunt.
18 – Cook or bake with your kids. Here are some easy recipes – Rock With Worms, Quick & Easy Paneer Paratha, Apple Banana Spinach Smoothie.
19 - Visit a science museum.
20 - Have a play date with friends in the park and pack a picnic lunch (sanwiches, burgers, watermelons etc.).
21 - Go skating or bowling or play putt-putt golf.
When I moved to the
Dallas-FortWorth metroplex a couple of years ago, I was shocked by the sheer
number and variety of Indian restaurants here. Having lived in a smaller town
for many years before, I had gotten used to the ‘Americanized’ version of desi
food. So the authenticity of tastes and regional styles of cuisines was quite
refreshing. 
Ingredients:
