It is official, summer is here. If there’s something we all associate with these warm times is outdoor fun. No matter where you are headed for your home exchange vacation, it’s time to enjoy the fresh air and the sunny days. No one knows more about having fun outside than children, they just love it, don’t they? And they have the ability to imagine the most incredible games, but sometimes they come to us for suggestions. So, to give you some ideas to keep the little ones entertained while you enjoy your home swap stay we have a few tips.

Bike Photo Hunt - Find a bike rental (if your home exchange partner does not have bikes and has agreed to let you use them), get a few disposable cameras and engage your kids in a Photo Scavenger Hunt. You may not even need the bikes, having their own cameras could be just enough to keep them excited while they go photo hunting. This is a good idea if you want to get to know the new neighbourhood by taking a walk around but you think they will get bored (and tired) if they have to walk for too long. Just think of an interesting list of things worth “hunting” on film.

Shape Scavenger Hunt - Another good idea that can keep your children entertained during a walk. Get them engaged in another kind of scavenger hunt: have them look for shapes. Having prices could be a good way to attract the least enthusiasts and the list may look like this: Find 2 circles, 2 squares, 2 rectangles, 2 triangles, 1 oval, 1 spheres, 1 pyramid, and 2 cubes. If you have younger children, then make it a Colour Scavenger Hunt.

The Navigator(s) - When you are on vacations, you have more time to do things,  so something simple like walking to the get the groceries becomes an enjoyable activity rather than a duty. This game will allow your children to play a game while they tag along. The idea is to have them take the navigator role during your walk: The navigator can trace your route on a map and periodically report in which direction you’re walking (learning to use a compass can be a lot of fun!) and how far you’ve walked (how many blocks). This is much more fun if you plan several stops and have them give you directions after “studying” their map.

This post is so much fun we will continue with more ideas tomorrow.