During the summer, winter, or any time during break, kids are usually bored. They run out of ideas. For a while, they actually like school. One idea is to make a kid's "camp" at your home.
Steps
Method 1
Ages 8 and Up
1
Let the kids write down what they want to do on slips of paper, then put the slips of paper in a box.
2
Decide on 5-7 activities from the box that they would like to do. Some activities recommended are: Making Paper Picture Frames, Making Paper Mailboxes, and other types of crafts and games.
3
Prepare for the activities, and decorate as needed. Go crazy decorating! You can always pick a theme for the camp, and then decorate to match it. Some themes are: Crazy Crafts, Outdoor Camping, Art Skills, and Color Blast. Remember to let the kids choose what they want to do.
4
Prepare food. Put a bunch of snacks out onto the table, so the kids can eat at any time. Make sure to make certain times for necessary meals, such as breakfast, dinner, etc.
Method 2
Ages 7 and Under
1
Choose a couple of activities for your kids to do. Some activities for the little ones include finger painting, freeze dance, crafts, balloon games, mummy wrap, a mini talent show, bubble games, animal games, and any other fun games/activities your kids can do.
2
Prepare for the activities and bring out a couple of foods for them to eat. Make sure to bring finger foods, like popcorn, Chex mix, crackers, Pirate Booties, Lays, and other snacks like that. Put them on a long table, where kids can come over there anytime to snack.
3
Make sure to have fun! Make sure to include everyone in the games/activities.
Method 3
Making a Home Camp
1
Set up a cabin area. In the area, include a bed for resting, a shelf to put the kid's stuff, and some toys for free time in their cabin.
2
Ask the kids what they want to do. Take the ideas into consideration.
3
Set up an area for crafts. These might include making things out of paper, coloring, painting, and chalk. You might want to include sports or games such as duck, duck, goose or musical chairs.
4
Set up a meeting hall or room. This is where all the campers will assemble when they are out of their cabins. This will be the place where you display the rules and schedule for everyone to see. You could use a living room but choose a room that is big and is an area that you have to walk through all the time.
5
Make sure that you make it clear when lunch and snack time is going to be for the day. Then kids won't be in the middle of an activity and have to quit halfway. On your schedule include those things or just plan your camp till after the lunch/snack breaks.
6
Make a schedule of all the things you are going to do that day. Take into account the attention span of some of the campers. If you are dealing with little kids, make the activities time span of a maximum of 25 minutes per activity. Give extra time for lunch and things like that.
7
Create a set of rules. If you don't set the rules, you'll spend an half an hour on questions about what you can and can't do. Make sure you even cover the simplest rules. Separate into do's and dont's; that seems to be the easiest to understand.
8
Make all necessary signs. You need to make a sign on each cabin so they know what each room is. If it is a room that they are not allowed in, put a big circle with a cross through it on the door.
9
Come up with a camp name. Make it something interesting so that the kids will think it's the funnest thing ever.
10
Gather all the kids. Put them in your meeting room. You can do opening things there and explain everything.
11
Make sure the kids aren't bored to death. Make sure that it's fun for them.
