News & Updates
Connect with The Libertore Fund for Children in Central Florida and the Florida Suncoast to improve at-risk children’s quality of life with the tools they need to succeed.
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Summer is a great time to create family fun memories. We've collected a lot of ideas that are inexpensive or free for your family. Making a plan for weekly activities will make it easier to be prepared to do the activities. Include the kids in the planning and gathering of what is needed for the week.
For example on Monday – water play (make a water blob), Tuesday – science experiment (make a volcano), Wednesday – kids cook dinner, Saturday – field trip to the farmer’s market, the park, a museum, etc.
Here are just a few summer fun ideas to make those memories with your kids and grandchildren.
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Visit a local farmers' market. Feast on the fruits and veggies of the season and enjoy a few locally-made treats.
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Grow fresh herbs in containers. Use old coffee cans, milk jugs, mason jars, plastic cups, or anything else you have around the house. Keep your herb garden on a patio or windowsill.
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Research and make a food chart of healthy foods.
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Let the kids cook dinner. Have them plan the menu and shop for the ingredients. (This would be a good time to learn about budgeting. They have so much money for groceries for dinner and they have to stay within the budget.) Then allow them to cook dinner for the family.
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Build a Lego castle or put together a puzzle. Clear off a table or use a card table and make it a family project. Work on it all summer.
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Hold marble races. Use an old pool noodle as the track. Simply cut it in half, making two tracks of equal length. Then, race the marbles down the tracks to see who has the fastest one.
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Make paper airplanes. See whose airplane goes the farthest.
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Play a card game. Choose from crazy eights, spoons, go fish, or even poker. Take your pick. Or buy a board game for the family to enjoy.
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Play charades.
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Go to a flea market or garage sale. See if the kids are better negotiators than you. Another opportunity to learn about budgeting and money.
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Get a book of riddles. See if you can stump each other; then write your own riddles.
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Read a chapter book aloud. Plan to read a chapter or more a night. You can even read a whole series together.
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Perform science experiments together.
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Collect rocks and paint them. Turn them into pet rocks, garden ornaments, or gifts for family members.
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Create a summer mural. Stretch a long piece of white craft paper across a wall or on the floor in the basement or garage and create a family mural. Include hand-drawn, painted, or colored pictures of your summer activities. Work on it all summer, adding to it little by little.
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Hold a photoshoot. Plan different outfits and poses and take pictures outside or around town. Older kids and teens can then edit the photos on a computer.
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Put on your own dramatic performance. Write a script, make costumes, or just do a little improv.
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String beads or pasta. Just use yarn or string. This is a good time to learn about measuring. How long does the string need to be to fit a wrist, a neck, etc. If using pasta tubes, paint them first.
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Create a treasure hunt. Do it on your own property or around town. Change things up a little and make it a photo scavenger hunt where the kids need to take photos either with their phones or disposable cameras of various things on the list. Examples might include: Take a picture of a flower. Take a photo of something red.
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Make a water blob. If you don't have a pool in your backyard or neighborhood, make your own water blob! With just a roll of heavy-duty plastic sheeting or plastic shower curtain, some duct tape, and a hose, you can create a giant pillow made of water. More fun water activities at https://www.parents.com/fun/activities/outdoor/water-activities-for-kids-to-beat-the-heat-at-home/
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Make a bucket list of things to do this summer. Check out ideas on this site: https://redtri.com/things-to-do-with-kids-during-summer-vacation/slide/1
https://www.thoughtco.com/top-chemistry-projects-for-bored-kids-604324
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Free educational sites for summer ideas:
https://www.verywellfamily.com/summer-fun-ideas-kids-and-parents-3542627
https://www.verywellfamily.com/best-free-educational-websites-for-kids-3129084
https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/summer-activities-for-kids/
https://www.cademuseum.org/cade-activities.html
https://funcheaporfree.com/100-summer-activities-for-kids-free-printable-included/
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A Safe Haven is just as its name implies, a safe haven for newborn babies to be dropped off when the mother finds herself in a situation where she cannot keep the baby. The Safe Haven partners statewide where the babies can be dropped off without any questions are hospitals, fire departments/EMS, and ambulances.
They also assist pregnant girls and women in the form of referrals to counseling, shelters, maternity homes, providing temporary housing, help for abuse issues, providing baby items, connection to Medicaid, and recently assisted a woman considering suicide. They offer service hours for students and they can live anywhere to earn them.
”We cannot save every infant and guide every troubled mother, but we can make a difference for as many as possible, and WE WILL NEVER STOP TRYING.” - Nick Silverio, Founder
Learn more about Safe Haven For Newborns.
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How much does one month cost to care for a child in foster care? ... $5,300
How long does a child typically stay in the Florida foster care system? … 13 Months
The math: One child needs $68,900 if they do not exceed the average length of stay.
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We get to see your gifts and prayers at work every day but over the past year, we went into survival mode. We forgot to share these special moments with you. Today we are taking time to recognize your generosity. Read on to see how you’re helping dreams materialize for our kids at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Polk County.
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The 5th Annual Incredible Duck Race is going VIRTUAL! Adopt a Duck for just $5, all proceeds benefit The Kiwanis Club of Tampa and provide services for local kids in need.