How To Create Boundaries And Discipline With Care When Fostering A Child
May 17, 2019
Free/Cheap Ways to Keep Your Foster Child Busy This Summer
June 7, 2019
The school year is officially over and it’s time to celebrate! If you want to create a fun and memorable summer for your foster child, here are a few ideas to help you get started.
Plan a trip together.
A trip can be a great bonding experience for you and your foster child. It can also give them the opportunity to see and experience new things they otherwise wouldn’t be able to. Start by initiating a conversation about possible destinations, and discuss the pros and cons of each with your foster child. Do some research together, look at pictures online, and weigh how they feel about each place. Including children in the decision-making process will help make the trip even more exciting. Take lots of pictures and make a scrapbook of your adventures together, so that your foster child can take it with them when they leave and remember the trip forever.
Find a camp they will love.
If your foster child is comfortable staying away somewhere overnight, you may want to consider an overnight camp. This could be the perfect opportunity for them to gain some independence while making new friends and experiences. There may even be camps specifically intended for foster children where they can have the opportunity to connect with others who are also in foster care. Research to see what camps are offered for foster children in your state. If overnight camp isn’t the right fit for your foster child, look into local day camps that offer fun activities that spark their interest. Again, let children be involved in the decision-making process to help them look forward to camp.
Create a fun project.
Another way to help the summer months pass by smoothly is to create a fun project that will take time to complete, such as growing a flower or vegetable garden together. Invite your foster child to pick out plants of their choosing. If you have never gardened before, find out what grows well in your zone, and prepare a spot in your yard together that has the right amount of sunlight for your plants. You could also take a hobby class together, such as learning to bake, sew, or fish. The possibilities are endless!
Have a “staycation.”
Do some research to see what kinds of museums and activities are available for children in your area. Many libraries offer free events for children during the summer months, such as art classes, reading groups, or gaming clubs. Talk to other parents in your neighborhood to find out what kinds of things they have enjoyed during the summer, such as visiting a local playground, camping at a state park, or joining a public pool.
Make time for downtime.
While your foster child needs structure and activities to stay busy, they also need downtime to relax and unwind. Schedule time where your foster child can hang out at home or invite a friend over to play. Set up a sprinkler in the yard or a craft corner where they can entertain themselves. Or simply hang out on the porch and enjoy some ice-cold, homemade popsicles together.
There are many ways you can make your foster child’s summer fun and memorable. No matter what activities you decide on, the most important thing is that you spend time together.
Every child needs and deserves to grow up safe and protected from abuse and neglect, and caring foster parents offer children support and stability when they need it most. At Camelot Care Centers, we specialize in higher-level foster care for children and adolescents that need extra support. We partner with our foster parents/homes to provide trauma informed care and additional services, including in-home counseling, parent support and training, tele-psychiatry, and therapeutic mentoring, to maintain children at the least restrictive, yet most appropriate level of care. Camelot Care Centers (“Camelot”) is a Child Welfare Agency licensed by the State of Illinois, a member of the Illinois Collaboration on Youth (ICOY), and is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA).
