What will your children be doing this summer? This is a question many parents are hearing, or will be hearing, in the coming weeks as school winds down, and the answer could be as simple as just allowing kids to be kids, enjoying the beautiful summer weather and the opportunity to play.
Children should be given that opportunity, of course, because it’s important that they use their imagination and be active, and most especially, that they are outside in the fresh air.
But there are other opportunities available to parents that they should consider for their kids this summer that would be of benefit to them as well as to the parents, opportunities to stimulate the mind, the imagination and their bodies with activity, and these should not be overlooked.
One opportunity is being offered by Southeast College, with a series of five week-long programs through the summer, ranging from sports to arts and crafts, a professionals week, a dynamic designs week, and then to finish off, a performing arts week.
Other summer opportunities include the summer reading program available at the Weyburn Public Library, where a child or children can either take in all of it, or pick and choose through the summer which activities to take part in — and the bonus, of course, is the encouragement to read books, which stimulates the imagination and the mind on those quiet days when there aren’t other things to be involved with.
The Signal Hill Arts Centre also has a summer arts program for the various age categories, and this helps children stretch their imaginations with the visual arts as well as dabbling in other fun activities.
The Heritage Village is also open through the summer, and there is the caboose program at the Soo Line Historical Museum, and Weyburn’s Leisure Centre also has a recreational program that runs through the summer, exposing children to the more active side of summer that includes sports and swimming among other activities.
There are other programs and activities, of course, beyond even these which have been mentioned, not to mention that children can ride their bikes, go for walks, have water balloon fights on hot days, or hit the outdoor swimming pool and/or spray parks.
The temptation for many kids is to sit in front of the tube and watch Netflix or play video games all day, but a more responsible and well-rounded response is to encourage them to enjoy the summer, and be active.
