June
Fun activities for you and your preschool child
1. Start the morning off right. Make breakfast with your child. Let her help you in the kitchen. Whether it's cracking eggs, or pouring cereal.
2. Let your child develop rhythm. Put on some music and let him create a new dance move.
3. Take your child to a park or playground. Encourage her to swing, climb and use the slide.
4. Enjoy the nature outside. Go for a walk with your child and count the number of birds or animals you see.
5. Be creative. Tape paper to the floor and let your child draw or colour. Hang her art work on the fridge when she are done.
6. Help develop your child's sense of style, let your her pick out the clothes he wants to wear today.
7. If it is a nice day, take your child outside and kick a soccer ball back and forth.
8. Today is red day. Have your child eat something red, wear something red and draw something red.
9. Help your child become aware of the letters of the alphabet. Start by pointing out the letters in her first name.
10. Draw a face on each finger of an old gardening or rubber glove. Show your child how to have a puppet show.
11. Take your child to the grocery store and look for a new fruit or vegetable to try.
12. Show your child how to do something new today - like tying a bow.
13. Pack a lunch and have a family picnic in the park.
14. Practice counting. Have your child count the number of shoes that are in the house.
15. Find the hidden treasure! Hide pennies around the house. Give your child a bag and ask him to find as many as he can.
16. It's blue day. Have your child eat, wear and draw something blue.
17. Have your child cut and paste pictures of his favourite things from magazines.
18. Teach your child about different animals by pretending to be jungle animals.
19. Go to the library to pick out a book on your child's favourite topic. Read it together.
20. Help your child make wrapping paper for her dad on Father's Day. Use finger paint to create handprints on large pieces of blank paper.
21. Today is Father's Day. Share with your child all the special things that you can do together to celebrate.
22. Invite your child's friends over and go for an adventure walk in the park.
23. Pitch a tent in the backyard and camp out with your child tonight. Talk about the different noises you can hear at night.
24. Watch a movie with the family tonight. Let your child choose the movie.
25. Enjoy the weather outside. Take pictures of your child playing.
26. Make a scrap book. Put your child's drawings, pictures and other accomplishments in it.
27. Make a musical instrument with your child today. Put dry macaroni in two styrofoam cups and tape them together. Use the shakers to play a song.
28. It is strawberry picking season, take your child to a strawberry farm. She can help you count the strawberries in each basket.
29. Play board games as a family this evening.
30. Purchase face paint and draw your child's favourite animal on his face.
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Fun activities for you and your elementary school child
1. Teach your child a magic trick and let him perform it for the whole family.
2. Look at a map of Canada with your child. Ask her to point out the different provinces and territories. Who is Canada's current Prime Minister? What is his job?
3. Take your child swimming today. If he doesn't know how to swim, consider enrolling him in swimming lessons.
4. Help your child write a story about her school year. Have her draw pictures of memorable events.
5. Help your child decorate a plain picture frame with buttons, fabric and construction paper. Let him choose the picture that goes in the frame.
6. Get the basketball out of the closet and play some hoops with your child.
7. Become an investigator. Take a walk in the park with your child and look for animal tracks.
8. Have a cooking lesson with your child. Teach her how to cook your favourite dish.
9. Bake some chocolate chip cookies with your child and share them with neighbours.
10. Let your child choose a book from the library and read with her.
11. Have your child call their grandparents, it will be a nice surprise.
12. Tune up your child's bike and go for a ride together.
13. Try and organize a community garage sale with your child.
14. Help your child set-up a lemonade stand. Sell lemonade for $0.10 a glass.
15. Let your child build a fort out of the chesterfield cushions.
16. Have your child write a short story about an adventure she would like to take.
17. Have a family night and play a game of cards.
18. Have your child start a journal to write down his personal thoughts.
19. Have your child make a photo collage and send it to her grandparents.
20. Have your child paint a picture of their favourite animal.
21. It's father's day, have your child do something special for their dad.
22. Have your child's friends over for a barbeque.
23. Have an evening of karaoke singing with the family.
24. Let your child decide what is for dinner tonight and help him cook it.
25. Go out for ice cream to celebrate the end of school.
26. Organize a scavenger hunt for your child. Come up with clues so he know where to find
the items.
27. Take a day trip to Ontario place.
28. Let your child make a mixed CD of all her favourite songs.
29. Discuss summer activities with your child. What is he interested in?
30. Bake something red and white with your child in preparation for Canada Day.
Fun activities for you and your middle school child
1. Ask your child to help dig up the weeds in your yard. Discuss why this is better than using chemicals on your lawn.
2. Go to a water park with your child today. Enjoy the summer together
3. Encourage your child to offer to cut someone's grass or rake their lawn.
4. Practice the art of storytelling. Tell your child stories about your life and encourage her to tell stories about their
5. Today is World Environment Day. Have your child do something green, like plant a tree or pick up garbage at a local park.
6. On this day in 1933, the 1st drive in movie theatre opened in New Jersey. To celebrate this date in history, take your child to a drive in movie.
7. Ask your child to research summer volunteer opportunities in your community.
8. On this day in 2007, Space Shuttle Atlantis began it's mission. Have your child research space and make papier-mâché planets.
9. On this day in 1934, the first Donald duck cartoon was released. Help your child create his own cartoon strip.
10. Ask your child to help plan this year's family summer vacation. Encourage her to use the Internet to do some research.
11. Is your child interested in learning a new skill this summer? Visit the local community centre to see what classes are being offered.
12. Borrow a book on simple science experiments that can be performed at home. Try one with your child.
13. Have your child look at the world map and create a "world tour" of all the countries he wants to visit.
14. Get your child to use her imagination. Have her draw what she thinks Canada will look like in 2050.
15. Take out a "how to build a kite" book from the library and build a kit with your child and take him to the park to fly it.
16. Using popsicle sticks, have your child build a bridge or tower.
17. On this day in 1950, the first kidney transplant occurred in Chicago. Have your child research anatomy and find out the important role that kidneys play.
18. Have your child visit www.ticketmaster.ca to pick out a summer event that your family can go to together.
19. Ask your child to help you clean out the garage today. You may find items that can be donated to charity. Discuss the importance of doing so.
20. Get your child to find old pictures of her dad and create a father's day card with her.
21. It's father's day, have your child bake his dad a cake.
22. Encourage your child to meet friends at the park and play a game of soccer or basketball.
23. Watch the news with your child tonight. Suggest that he use the Internet to look up more information on a story that interests him.
24. On this day in 1963 at the BBC studio in London, England the first demonstration of a home video recorder occurred. Have your child use a video camera and record something that happens during the day.
25. Have your child pretend he is an explorer. Create a map for hidden objects and have him find them.
26. Go for a bike ride with your child and explore the city.
27. Go hiking at a local conservation area with the entire family this weekend. Bring a picnic.
28. Have your child create a scrapbook of all the activities he did throughout the school year.
29. Teach your child about her family heritage. Tell your child how she got her name and why you chose it?
30. Have your child create trivia questions about Canada for the Canada Day party you are hosting tomorrow.
Fun activities for you and your teenager
1. Ask your teen to watch his favourite movie with you. Who is the director? What does he like most about the movie?
2. Encourage your teen to read a book every week and the newspaper every day.
3. Go to an empty parking lot and let your teen practice driving.
4. Have your teen write down ten things that she would like to accomplish this summer. Develop a plan to help her get started.
5. Today is World Environment Day. Have your teen think green. Encourage him to make a video about why it's important to recycle.
6. Encourage your teen to write a letter to the editor in response to an issue she is concerned about.
7. On this day in 1654, Louis XIV was crowned King of France. Have your teen make a jewelled crown.
8. Is your teen creative? If so, take her to Luminato, Toronto's festival of arts and creativity.
9. Find out what sport your teen likes to play and sign him up for a league.
10. Does your teen like to draw, sketch, create or design, enter her in a contest.
11. Does your teen like fashion? Have him design and sew his own clothes.
12. Find out what your teen is passionate about and have her create a short documentary about her interests.
13. Enjoy the warm weather, take a family trip to Centre Island, Toronto.
14. Celebrate the blues. Take your teen to the Waterfront Blues Festival at Woodbine Park.
15. Cool off with your teen at a public swimming pool.
16. On June 16, 1963, aboard Vostok6, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to travel in space. Go to the library with your teen and borrow a
book on astronauts.
17. Have your teen clean out her closet and donate old clothing to a charity of her choice.
18. Put your teen's creative energy to use. If Canada had a new coin, what would the shape be and what image would be on it.
19. Does your teen love to dance? Enrol her in a dance class.
20. Using a video camera have your teen interview relatives about his father and show him on father's day.
21. It's father's day. Have your teen do something special for her father.
22. Share your high school yearbook with your teen. Look at his yearbook together.
23. On this day in 1989, the movie "Batman" premiered. Have your teen come up with a new superher and a plot line for a movie.
24. Let your teen take over grocery shopping for a week. Give him a list and a budget.
25. Teach your teen how to golf, go to a driving range.
26. Always say, "I love you" when you say good-bye to your teen.
27. Go on an educational journey, take your teen to the Ontario Science Centre.
28. Go on a cultural journey, take your teen to the Royal Ontario Museum.
29. For a day of family fun, go to Canada's wonderland.
30. Start a family savings plan for something special. Put your teen in charge of this initiative.
