The kids will be out of school soon. Do you have a plan?
While many of us will go on a summer vacation, it generally only
lasts a week or two. Then what will you do with the rest of your time?
Summer
camps? If you are a working parent, that is a must. If you are a stay-at-home
parent, you probably mix some camps in to alleviate boredom. There’s always plenty of
fun things you can do at home and visit with friends or grandparents.
What about the rest of your time?
Summer is perfect to spend time with your children, but as
we all know, they get bored. You gotta keep ‘em busy, right? So what is your
plan?
How about taking them to a museum? Ok, don’t groan! Museums don’t
have to be boring and stuffy. Many have children’s areas or exhibits geared
towards kids. We don’t need to spell out what your kids can learn at museums
because you have figured that one out already.
Or how about the zoo? Most kids love animals. Kids can learn
empathy from animals. If they have anxieties about animals, viewing them from a
safe distance can help alleviate that anxiety.
Now through summer the Dallas Zoo is featuring the “Giants of the
Jurassic,” 20 roaring, animatronic dinosaurs. If you have a dinosaur lover,
summer will be a great time to go!
Do your kids like things that go “round and round,” such as
planes, trains and automobiles? Believe it or not, we actually have several
airplane museums in DFW as well as opportunities to ride trains or trolleys. Take
the time this summer to take your little plane or train lover to one of the
many transportation exhibits or museums. HINT: These are excellent places to
use action words.
What about art? From
art museums, art galleries to art studios, there are many choices where your
kids can either view or make art. Art provides an outlet for creative
expression. Viewing art is a way kids can express their emotions by explaining
how it makes them feel. If you didn’t know this already, the Dallas Museum of Art is now free! And the Kimbell Museum of Art in Fort Worth has always been free. Many pottery studios
offer pieces at reasonable prices so you don’t have to spend a fortune.
Like history? Ok, we’re
hearing more groans out there! We
realize not everyone is a history buff. But if you are or you’re willing to go
to teach your kids about history, Dallas actually has quite a few historical
locations considering it is not a very old city relatively speaking. Once kids reach about age 5 they understand
there is a “past.” So take advantage of
that and make history come alive for kids at one of the many historical places our
metroplex has to offer.
How do you find all of these places to go to? Of course you can always use
AroundTownKids.com and the AroundTownKids app as your resources. Or you can google.
What will you do at these places once you get there? If they
have placards, you can read them. Yes, many parents will read the placards, but
their kids won’t. These places don’t always have placards to educate yourself.
Then what?
We have a simple solution for you. Use Kidding Around Town as your guide. This
guide book includes almost 200 places to go in Dallas Fort Worth (and some day
trips). The most important thing it
includes are activities that are geared towards age groups because we all know
what you’d teach a 2 yr old would be different from what you’d teach a 5 yr
old.
It also includes activities that are specific to type of
location. Meaning, what you’d teach your child at the zoo would be different
from what you’d teach them at a historical location.
Why is this important?
Research shows that the more you can keep your kids’ brain engaged with
educational activities, the smarter they will grow up to be. We’re not talking rocket science stuff here,
just simple questions and activities you can engage your kids with as you visit
these various locations. Make it easy on
yourself by using this guide book. The work has already been done for you.
One other thing. We don’t expect you to take your kids to
any of these places and spend hours giving them a lecture on why that artist
chose that medium or why the dinosaurs became extinct. You know your kids. You know
they won’t sit still that long and we don’t expect them to. Just snatch a few
minutes with them here and there using the simple questions and activities in KiddingAround Town. Honestly, it only
takes a few minutes to do these things and stimulate their brains. The rest of
the time, just relax and enjoy!
