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How to Create an Indoor Summer Fun Survival Kit!

It’s summer time and we all want to be outside as much as we can. However, sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate with us so we need backup plans – especially to keep the kids entertained! We received a fun “Rainy Day SOS Kit” complete with movies, snacks, cards, and ideas for DIY fun, but we are lacking rain around here. What we have been experiencing are extremely hot days with a high heat index and heat advisory. This means stay inside in the air conditioning if you can!

summer fun kit

So, I renamed it an “Indoor Summer Fun Survival Kit” because it doesn’t have to rain to keep us indoors. Though it seems harder to explain to my daughter that we can’t go outside because it’s too hot. To her it looks just fine out there! So it becomes all about the distraction!

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Like playing with cards (teaching shapes and numbers!) or picking out a movie to watch together.

Redbox’s Summer Family Fun Program and Sweepstakes

From now through August, Redbox has a bunch of new family-friendly DVDs for rent. 8 of these DVDs are from Phase 4 Films and they’ll be available all summer long: I Heart Shakey, Rock Stars, Space Dogs, Smitty, Kiara, My Friend Bernard, Freddy Frogface and Donkey X.

There’s also a fantastic sweepstakes inspired by the “Summer Family Fun” DVDs offered by Redbox. Prizes such as a four day West Coast Princess Cruise for four that includes round trip airfare or a seven day vacation for four at the Kennedy Space Center. When you rent one of the “Summer Family Fun” movies from Phase 4 Films, just enter your email address at checkout to be automatically entered! For the official rules and find out how to enter without renting a DVD, please visit www.redboxsummerfamilyfun.com.

Create Your Own Indoor Summer Fun Survival Kit!

Get a plastic storage bin or box to fill up with fun things to keep your kids occupied for those days when everyone feels cooped up.

  • A new (or all-time favorite) movie
  • A throw blanket
  • Snacks (popcorn, boxes of raisins)
  • Deck of cards
  • Markers
  • Construction paper
  • Glue sticks
  • Cards with crafting ideas
  • Playdough (or make your own)
  • Music CD
  • Buy or make an “I spy” set (ex: a tube filled with rice and small objects to find like a penny, a thumbtack, an army guy, etc)

And so many other things… the trick is to keep items and activity ideas in the survival kit that you don’t regularly engage in so that they are fresh and exciting. It helps fight off the boredom!

How do you keep the fun going when you have to stay inside?

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Disclosure: We received the above mentioned films as part of a Rainy Day SOS Kit. No other compensation was received.

manda

Monday 4th of March 2013

This is the greatest idea Darcy! It also kind of gives everyone something to look forward to on dreary days. I bet I have so much stuff to make one of these kits all a mess in my closet. You gave me incentive to clean it out!

Darcy Zalewski

Saturday 9th of March 2013

Glad to give you a project! I need to put together a new one.

Martha C Payne

Tuesday 27th of November 2012

This is a wonderful idea, I love the I Spy idea. One additional thing that I can think of to add would be pipecleaners, you can do so much with them!

Mary Gallardo

Friday 16th of November 2012

This is so cute! The summer is the worst when there is inclement weather. The kids get so bored and annoyed and finally annoying! haha It is always good to keep things on hand for when we need to stay in! During Tropical Storm Sandy, we had lots of board games to keep us occupied!

Kathy Damron

Monday 30th of July 2012

Thanks for the great idea - I hadn't thought about something like this!

dee williams

Saturday 28th of July 2012

thanks for all the posts. they help me out alot