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A Platform for Summer
A Platform for Summer
A parents' and kids' guide to on and off-line summer fun!
| 1 | Visit a museum |
Take a virtual tour of museums around the world – Van Gogh and Monet are just a click away! |
| 2 | Track summer reading hours |
Have them log their summer reading hours online. They can win prizes and even make the Guinness World Records. |
| 3 | Go to the zoo |
No zoo in your town? Watch live animal cams to sneak peeks of their favorite critters. |
| 4 | Be a scientist's assistant |
Let your kids be a scientist’s assistant. Help scientists research fireflies by submitting information they collect from your backyard. |
| 5 | Stay safe online |
Talk to your kids about staying safe online this summer. From web to mobile, establish your family's list of guidelines and sign a safety contract. |
| 6 | Get grandparents online |
Get Grandma and Grandpa on social media -- the summer photo album has never been so easy to share! |
| 7 | Make movies |
Lights, camera, action! Help kids write and produce their own short film. When it’s finished, help them premiere it with family members or post it on YouTube. |
| 8 | Exercise for a cause |
Planning any bike rides or hikes? Track your mileage on an app and raise money for charity. (We really like Charity Miles, available in your app store.) |
| 9 | Take a trip to space |
Go on a virtual space exploration. |
| 10 | Explore the world |
Click through an interactive atlas online together – plan this year’s vacation or take a virtual visit to places that may have to wait ‘til next year. |
| 11 | Go to camp |
Search for coding summer camps in your area. Your kids can learn app programing, video game design, or film editing. Heck, they may even learn to pay for college themselves! |
| 12 | Lemonade for good |
Hot outside? Send a virtual glass of lemonade to a friend. It will help raise money to find cures for pediatric cancers. |
| 13 | Make fun crafts |
Help kids make their own craft or gadget and post step-by-step pictures and instructions online of how they did it. (We found one called DIY and we love it! Look for it in your app store.) |
| 14 | Digital story-time |
Have story-time online. |
| 15 | Find ways to volunteer |
Get involved this summer! Find ways for the family to volunteer from your desktop or laptop. |
| 16 | Make a website |
Help kids design a family website or blog – from coding to uploads, let them play creative genius for a day (or a few weeks!) There are so many options to choose from so search for one that suits your family’s specific needs. |
| 17 | Learn from your kids |
Have your kids teach YOU something about technology. They may know more than you think… |
| 18 | Recycle |
Host an electronics recycling drive in your neighborhood. |
| 19 | Tech Free Day! |
Tech free day! Brave the heat with a picnic and a Popsicle. |
| 20 | Have the talk |
College bound kid? Talk to them about managing their digital reputation. |
| 21 | Find a pen pal |
Learn about other cultures by exchanging emails with pen-pals. |
| 22 | Read in a digital library |
Fight the summer brain drain! Check out an international digital library to read books from around the globe. |
| 23 | Put on those bowling shoes |
Bowl for free! |
| 24 | Color the family |
Upload photos to create personalized coloring book pages – give Grandma polka-dotted hair or paint the family dog green! |
| 25 | Dance! |
Help them make a playlist of their favorite songs! Dance party time! |
| 26 | Mark your calendar |
Create your family's summer calendar online. Share it with your kids and extended family! |
| 27 | Plant a tree |
Download a mobile app that teaches them about trees and gives them the opportunity to plant and grow their own. (We suggest iPhorest. It’s easily downloadable from your mobile app store.) |
| 28 | Family fireworks |
Write a message in fireworks to your friends and family for the 4th of July! |
| 29 | Fly a kite |
Go fly a kite! Download a kite template online. Wait for a windy day and then test them out! |
| 30 | Stream old shows |
Stream one of your favorite shows online from when you were a kid. Have an old-school viewing on new-school technology. |
| 31 | Learn to love reading |
Develop their love for reading and have fun doing it. |
| 32 | Go on an adventure |
Start a journal online and write about this year’s family adventures. |
| 33 | Go on a scavenger hunt |
Use your cellphone to take pictures of stuff around the house or in the backyard. Pass off your mobile to your kids and their friends and send them on a scavenger hunt with your photo library as the map. |
| 34 | Put safety first |
When was the last time you updated your privacy settings? Keep everyone safe and secure this summer. |
| 35 | Get involved |
Download an app to find ways to volunteer in your neighborhood. Connect with it through social media and you can compete against your online friends. (We like Trensy App!) |
| 36 | Visit another country |
Explore a different country |
| 37 | Master Chef |
Find new, exciting recipes online and play chef for the day. Look up whatever you’re craving in your favorite search engine |
| 38 | Stargaze |
Clear night? Print a map of the evening sky and do some stargazing outside. |
| 39 | Be a pioneer |
Tour the world! (Barefoot Atlas is a great app for virtual exploration.) |
| 40 | Tech Free Day! |
Make a backyard obstacle course or have a water fight. Whatever it is, get out and get moving! |
| 41 | Get your game on |
Help them design and build a computer game. |
| 42 | Check-in time |
Have your kids remind YOU of the rules you set at the beginning of the summer. |
| 43 | Movie night |
Rustle up some snacks and have family movie-night. |
| 44 | Have an online reunion |
Couldn’t get the family together for a barbeque? Hang out online. Create a Google+ account and video chat with up to nine family members at a time. |
| 45 | Hunt for treasure |
Use your smartphone or GPS to have a real-life treasure hunt. Be quick! Millions of people are looking for the same things you are! |
| 46 | Help teens volunteer |
Have a teen who needs to start building community service hours in the fall? Find ways for them to volunteer with other teens on and off-line. |
| 47 | Stay sun-savvy |
Don’t get burned. Sunburned that is! Download an app that sends you forecast of UV Rays in your area or wherever you’re headed. (We really like the Sunwise app!) . |
| 48 | Make a word search |
Make a word search online and share it with friends or family. |
| 49 | Collect something |
Help your kids start a collection. From coins to stamps, see how others do it and what kids around the world like to collect. |
| 50 | Handwrite a story |
Keep their cursive skills sharp over the summer - download an app to handwrite stories on your family's tablet. (We suggest Penreader, available in your app store.) |
| 51 | Create a nature guide |
Lend your camera to help them create a nature guide. They can snap shots of different flora and fauna and research them on the Internet. You never know, they may be the next Ansell Adams. |
| 52 | Girls and games |
Have a daughter? You go, girl! Help her play games online and develop a love of technology. Plus, her wins raise money for Save the Children. |
| 53 | Night at the museum |
Want to have your own night at the museum? Take a virtual tour after dark. |
| 54 | Keep up with chores |
Just because it’s summer doesn't mean kids are on vacation from chores. Track how they’re helping and award them points for a job well-done. |
| 55 | Talk about cell phones |
Teen with a smartphone? Talk to them about mobile security and safety. |
| 56 | Map geography skills |
Test their knowledge of geography online - it's a fun way to map out an A in next year's geography class. |
| 57 | Tech Free Day! |
Tech free day! Perfect time for a trip to the pool or the beach. |
| 58 | Fly high |
Use your tablet or cellphone and take a ride in a helicopter together. (Check out Helicopter Taxi in your app store.) |
| 59 | Have fun with math |
Keep math skills sharp this summer! |
| 60 | Celebrity story-time |
Want to meet a celebrity? We can't offer that! But you can watch and listen as they read some of your kids’ favorite books. |
| 61 | Build a banker |
Help them learn how to manage money, they can even trade fake stocks! |
| 62 | Construct a cardboard arcade |
Help them build a video arcade out of cardboard and craft materials. One nine-year-old did it and raised over $50,000 for his own college education. Not too bad, eh? |
| 63 | Make it a healthy summer |
Download an app to help kids make healthy food choices this summer. |
| 64 | Go bird watch |
Break out the binoculars and head outside for some bird watching. (Use an app like iBirdPlus, perfect for finding and identifying backyard birds.) |
| 65 | A museum just for kids |
Visit an online museum just for children. |
| 67 | Go green |
Did you host the electronics recycling drive? Play games online and learn even more about recycling. |
| 68 | Create book trading cards |
Help them make virtual trading cards that represent their favorite book characters. |
| 69 | Family game night |
Get the whole family together for a game night online |
| 70 | Make your own game |
Help them create their own video game and sharpen their spelling skills for back-to-school! (We love the Scribblenauts app for this! Find it in your app store.) |
| 71 | Play games, give rice |
Donate rice to the World Food Program. It's free to you and educational for the kids. |
| 72 | Dig for answers |
For the older kids, practice writing papers and doing research with the help of the Smithsonian. |
| 73 | Download a podcast |
Last road trip of the summer? Download a podcast and listen to suggestions for favorite books, book readings, and more! |
| 74 | Build cool stuff |
Watch tutorials on YouTube for how to make your own products. From Silly Putty to giant bubble wands, it's all on there. |
| 75 | Make summer last |
Make a digital scrapbook filled with this summer's memories! |
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