kid stations

A Summer Survival Tool for Days at Home

By Sandi Haustein

You spent the first few weeks of summer doing splash parks, hikes and road trips, but now all you want to do is spend a day at home. The problem is, the kids are suffering from Too Much Togetherness, they've started picking fights with each other, and they're badgering you for screen time. They need some space from each other, and you need a break.

25 Things YOU Can Do While Your Kids Are Doing Stations

Read a book

Prepare ingredients for dinner

Sit out in the sun

Fold some laundry

Take a shower

Work on your home business

Call a friend

Watch a 20-minute Netflix show

Pay the bills

Catch up on Facebook
or Instagram

Organize a cabinet

Work through an online course

Run on the treadmill

Read a magazine

Clean out your inbox

Facetime a family member

Mop the floor

Pin some recipes on Pinterest

Knit or crochet

Read your favorite blog

Do an exercise video

Write in your journal

Shop online for a new outfit

Work on a DIY project

Take a nap

Let me introduce you to a tool that helps me (and my four kids) not only survive but actually enjoy time at home during the summer. I call it Kid Stations, and it's really easy to implement.

Every day we're home, usually after lunch, I set up a series of activities around the house, and my kids rotate through them individually. They get a break from each other, and since they're rotating every 20 minutes or so, it's nonstop fun for them. For me, it's almost 1 1/2 hours of peace to either enjoy some downtime or to get something done around the house. It's a win for all of us. Here’s how to make them work for you:

1. Pick 3-4 stations. How many you choose will depend on how many kids you have and how much time you want to fill. Plan for at least the same number of stations as you have kids. I have four kids, so I typically do four stations.

Here are a few ideas to get you started: