With summer in full swing, you may be looking for ideas to help your kids keep up the “learning momentum” they had during the school year and yet still have fun. Here are fun, free, educational ideas to do with your kids or give them a little push when they say, “I’m bored!”
1. Introduce your child to the world of agriculture and science this summer using the free online educational gaming resource myamericanfarm.org. As part of this site, National Peanut Board just launched Operation Peanut Butter ,a peanut learning game geared for elementary age kids. Players follow peanuts from the field to the peanut butter on their sandwiches and can also get involved in learning how to help your local food bank this summer. Along with the game, check out “Discover the Powerful Peanut” . This set of 12 activity cards gives ideas for playing games, reading stories, looking up fun facts that kids can do together or by themselves.
2. Make homemade peanut butter. Our website’s recipe is simple, using only peanuts and a little oil. Add salt to taste if you use unsalted peanuts.
3. Create good things to eat in the kitchen together. You can find lots of kid-friendly recipes on our website here. And our NPB registered dietitian nutritionist recently created several toddler-friendly dishes like our Peanut Butter Noodle recipe or Peanut Butter Teething Biscuits. If you have older kids, they can cook and then create a gift box to deliver to a family with toddlers in the neighborhood, or give as a special big brother or sister gift to a family who has a newborn in the house.
4. The website KidsActivitiesBlog.com has a quick, easy recipe for homemade edible peanut butter playdough using only three ingredients. The site has activities galore for all ages, categorized by age and interest, and most of the crafts and projects can be done with items found around the house.
5. Let your children get their own library cards and go to the library often. Many community libraries have summer programs to participate in and promote summer reading for children of all ages. If you don’t have time to go to the library, look into your local library’s online services.