Every family needs a few simple ideas for a good time that cost no money and require no equipment or even skill. Here are five all-ages ideas to use through the summer.

Treasure Hide and Seek. Use any object that’s handy and easy to spot to use as the “treasure” in a game of hide and seek. While the seekers hide their eyes and count to 30, the hider finds a good place to hide the treasure. Then everyone looks for it. Whoever finds the treasure is the new hider. Everyone enjoys this game and preschoolers can play too. Play outdoors or inside.

Scavenger Hunt. Draw up a list of things to look for at the park or on a hike, then look for them. Simple enough. Make the hunt more interesting and challenging by first generating a list of about 100 possible items (a feather, a soda can, a red leaf, a caterpillar, an empty chip bag, whatever…). Cut apart the list and put all the slips of paper into a jar. Draw out 20 slips and use those as the list for your hike. Or, each person can draw out her own set of 7 to 10 slips. This game is different every time.

Star Gazing. City kids hardly ever see the stars, so if you go camping this summer or find yourself out in the country at night, look up. But you can go star gazing any evening, even in town. Take a blanket or two to the park on a warm, clear night. Since it will be late, you can even bring the kids in their pajamas. Lie down on one blanket (use the other to cover the kids if they get cold) and see what you can see. Bring along some snacks and just chill out together.

Progressive Story-telling. This works well in the car, on the bus or airplane, or even standing in a long line somewhere. Start a story – just make up anything – but only talk for a few sentences. Then pass the story on to the next person, who takes the story on from there. Start with an agreed-number of turns (no more than 3 per person) before the story comes to an end. But then, of course, someone can start another story and around you go!

Left-Right-Straight Hike. You and the kids want to get out of the house and just take a walk in the neighborhood. But that seems so boring. Here’s a way to make it more interesting: take turns saying “left,” “right” or “straight” at the end of every block. You might find yourself going past houses and businesses you never saw before when you’ve stuck to your “regular route.”

Having fun is free and takes only a little imagination and a willingness to play along with the kids. Make sure the car is packed with a tennis ball or two, a Frisbee, and an empty ziptop bag or paper cup with lid (for catching or saving interesting things). Add in a sheet or blanket to sit on and a couple BandAids and you’ll always be ready for family fun!

It’s every parent’s nightmare: your child isn’t where you thought she was. In fact, she’s nowhere to be seen.  Even if being lost lasts for only a minute or two, you want to save yourself the anxiety and protect your child from what could happen when she’s lost.

From the moment a child is able to walk, he has places to go, things to see. His ability to keep track of where he is and how far he’s wandered doesn’t develop until much, much later. His ability to retrace his steps to get back to safety is even slower to develop – it’s something even we adults struggle with sometimes. Children often don’t even realize they’re lost. Many times, they’re just moving ahead, absorbed in whatever they’re doing.

Keeping toddlers under your eye is important. Use the seatbelt to keep your little one securely in place in a shopping cart. Hold hands or pick her up when you walk through a crowd. At the playground or children’s museum, keep your phone in your pocket so you’re not distracted. Many a parent has looked up from a phone after “just a few seconds” reviewing updates to discover the child has disappeared. It’s amazing how far away children can get when you’re not looking.

Preschoolers and older children are a bit more of a challenge. They are more independent of adult oversight as they play with each other at the park or walk along with the family on an outing. With picnics, street fairs, and water park visits coming up this summer, what can you do? You may not always keep them from getting lost but you can make it more certain they’ll be quickly found.

Here are some strategies to keep you and your kids safe.

1. A child who realizes she’s lost should stay put and yell. Once a child realizes she’s become separated from her parents, she should stop moving and make a lot of noise. Running to find you or even just continuing to walk around hunting for you is more likely to lead her further and further away. Teach her to call loudly, “MOM!”  Most of all, children should know to not go to the parking lot to find you. Your child must know you would never leave without her.
2. The lost child should enlist the help of a woman who has children with her. A mother is likely to be helpful and sympathetic… and safe. A store clerk or other employee can help, too, but the child should stay close to where they first realized they were lost. Teach your child how to speak up clearly, saying “I’ve lost my parents. Can you help me?”
3. A child should never be more than a few steps away from you. Make it clear that your child should always keep you in sight. Make certain your children know they must tell you when they want to stop to look at something.
4. Forbid playing hiding games in unfamiliar locations and unbounded spaces. Hide and seek is a great game, but what are the boundaries if you’re playing at the park? How far can a child go? How will you recover a child who hides so well that you can’t find her? At the very least, assign yourself thejob of “watcher” whose job is to know where every child is hidden.
5. Know where you’ll meet and when. If you’re at an event with older elementary children and you want to let the kids go on their own, set a time and place to reunite. The place should be something very obvious – something tall that can be seen from a distance is a good location. If your child has a cell phone, then insist he answer your texts and calls. Make sure the notification volume is loud enough to be heard in a noisy situation.
6. Make your child easily identifiable. To people not their parents, all children look alike. Before going out with your children, notice what they’re wearing today. Take a group photo before setting out at the fair.

Think ahead, you and your kids together, and have a lovely time!

© 2014, Patricia Nan Anderson. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Join Dr. Anderson in an online conference for teachers and parents. Find out more at Quality Conference for Early Childhood Leaders.