Bored kids? Bring out the chores!

Shannon has a great challenge this week for Works For Me Wednesday: activities for kids bored during the summer break from school. Well, I don't have have school-aged kids, so I don't have any direct experience, but here's what I do with my four-year old when he gets antsy (thankfully, he hasn't used the word "bored" yet, but I know it won't be long until he picks it up!)

Lukas loves to help me with chores: emptying and filling the dishwasher, moving wet laundry to the dryer and dry laundry to the laundry basket. But his favorite thing to do is vacuum. Who needs TV if you have a vacuum cleaner? I could (and I have!) given him the vacuum cleaner and asked him to clean his room or his bathroom and he will be completely occupied for at least 15-20 minutes...and Natalie can't wait until it's her turn to learn to vacuum. Lukas especially loves using the tubes and the attachments.

Now I know not every age of child will be as enthralled with a vacuum cleaner as Lukas is, but the idea is the same: give them something to do that involves using a tool that they don't normally use. If they're old enough, maybe this is the summer you teach them how to mow the lawn (and then they can make money off the neighbors too!) or use the sewing machine or the bread maker or the electric mixer. Maybe you've said, "when you're older, you'll be able to use that", and this is the year that they're old enough!

What are your ideas of "chores" (don't call them that!) that kids could learn this summer? Please leave a comment, because I need to know what to do next when Lukas tires of the vacuum cleaner!

Click here to see more ideas that work for me.