For parents trying to relax, this can be exhausting, but these parenting hacks will make the summertime relaxing for the whole family!
1. Mystery Report Card Reward Jar
The rules can be whatever you choose. For example, they can choose one popsicle stick for every A, and for a 4.0, they can choose an extra! The rewards can vary from fifty cents to two dollars, pick dinner or a small blizzard from Dairy Queen. This will surely motivate your kids to get the best grades they can!
2. Bumper Car Walker
3. Keep the Kiddos Outfits Separated
All you need to do is pack one day’s worth of outfits into a gallon-sized plastic bag, and the hassle of folding or resorting to anything during the trip is gone! A garbage bag is also good to bring for dirty clothes.
4. Car Organizer for the Long Hauls
All it takes is hanging an over-the-door shoe organizer over the back of the driver or passenger seat. With all the pockets it has, the kids will find whatever they are looking for in a jiffy!
5. Summer Boredom Buster Jars
Have them pull an “activity stick” from the jar whenever they are bored, and the only rule is they have to do what is written on it! Check out this post for some great activity ideas for the jar!
6. Keep the Cooler Cold With Frozen Water Balloons
Freezing water balloons makes it impossible for water to leak into the snacks and box drinks, and when they melt, the kids now have water balloons to play with! Ensure you don’t fill them up all the way through because water expands when it is frozen.
7. DIY Bubble Refill Station
With this hack, the kids can choose their own bubble-making wand and refill their cups with this homemade bubbles recipe whenever they want to blow some bubbles. Get the full instructions here.
8. Magnet Cups for the Fridge
All you need for this hack are plastic cups, a hot glue gun, and some magnets. For the full DIY instructions, check them out here.
9. Let Them Paint the Sheets
Make sure you stake the corners of the sheets into the grass so the wind doesn’t blow it away, and let the kids use paintbrushes, hands, or sponges to create a masterpiece!
10. Bug-Proof Your Drinks
All you have to do is take a cupcake liner, put it on top of your drink, and poke a straw through it. It keeps the bugs out and makes for a cute “umbrella topper!”
11. Keep Your Blankets Dry While Stargazing
It can be used for literally anything from reading to watching TV and can be used for outdoor activities, such as stargazing with the whole family.
12. Freeze Aloe Vera for Instant Sunburn Relief
Aloe vera has many healing properties, and one of them is for burns. All you have to do is freeze some aloe vera to take the pain of sunburns away. You can even make them into cute molds to make it seem like a fun activity.
13. Watermelon Trick
All you have to do is cut them into little snack-sized matchsticks! Just cut the popular melon lengthwise first, and then slice them into match sticks.
14. Kid-Friendly Breakfast Stations
All you have to do is pre-measure dry cereal into single-serving containers and place them wherever the kids have easy access in the home. You can even leave a few surprise snacks in there to switch things up, and this will give you extra time in the morning to do whatever you need to do!
15. Melt-Proof The Ice Pops
Make your homemade popsicles melt-proof by adding powdered gelatin into the mix with this awesome recipe. Cupcake liners also make for great use to stop popsicles from dripping down your arm.
16. Frisbee Tic Tac Toe
Playing games in the summer is one of the best activities to do with your kiddos, and with this innovative game, your kids will have the time of their lives while building their hand-eye coordination!
All that is needed is a tape, a blanket, and frisbees, and let the fun begin! Use the tape to create a grid and make the frisbees the X’s and O’s
17. Two for One Lunch
All you have to do is place a cup in between two plates of food to heat two meals at once. Whoever thought of this two-tiered microwave hack is a genius!
18. Ice Cream Marshmallow Cone
This also leaves a fun, yummy surprise for the kids when they reach the bottom of the ice cream cone!
19. Mommy’s Helping Hand
All you need to do is fill a rubber glove with rice and place it gently by your precious one’s side, and you can do whatever you need to do, whether it’s clean or have a nice coffee break.
20. Portable Pillowcase Beds
For this awesome hack, all you need to do is sew four pillowcases together and insert the pillows, making for the perfect lounger for the little ones! It is easy to clean and easy to carry, so the kiddos will love these no matter what they are doing.
21. Pool Noodles for Protection
It is as simple as cutting a pool noodle and putting it on the edge of a door. So no matter how fast your kids are running and slamming doors behind them, the possibility of their phalanges getting hurt is slim to none.
22. Bandaid Buddies
Just separate them by size in individual Ziploc baggies and apply the matching kind of bandaid on the outside of the bag, so you know which is which. Never struggle to find a bandaid in a hurry again!
23. PVC Pipe “Kid Wash”
24. Pool on the Beach for Toddlers
Dig a shallow hole in the sand, line it with an old shower curtain, and voila! Even toddlers can play in the ocean to an extent.
25. Magnetic Tin Games
Check out the instructions on this site to get more info.
26. On-The-Go Travel Kits
Just let your little one stuff them with whatever their heart desires, such as markers, crayons, toys, etc., and have them for whenever you are on the move!
27. Create Giant Soap Bubbles
If you need a great soap bubble recipe and instructions on making the giant loop wands, check out this tutorial.
28. Turn Your Back Porch into a Game Board
Just be careful with the masking tape; if you leave it on for too long, it will bake in the sun and be impossible to get off! Check out this blog for more information.
29. PVC Pipe Pool Holder
Learn how to make one with this tutorial.
30. Diaper Decoy for Beach Days
All you need is a diaper, stomp it on the ground to make it look used, roll it around in the sand, and voila! Nobody will be coming near your stuff.
Beach diaper #brilliant #beach #diaper #parenthacks pic.twitter.com/Z5pA1YWHEJ
— New Mom Thoughts (@Pregger_Craves) June 14, 2014
31. Use Apple Cider Vinegar to Calm Itchy Mosquito Bites
This is a total game-changer for summertime. Not only will apple cider vinegar do the trick, so will Orajel and lemon juice.
32. Freeze some grapes
But instead of letting them break into the chips on their summer break, try a healthier snack that will also keep them cool by freezing some grapes. You can even pop a couple in your wine glass to keep your rosé cold!
33. DIY Coloring Case
This will be sure to entertain the kiddos when you’re on the go, all you need to do is throw in paper and coloring pencils, and you’re ready to go. Check out the instructions here.