Summertime Asset Building Ideas

Ahhhh, summertime! A break from the typical routine, slower pace, and those

long, lazy summer days can provide opportunities for family fun and Asset

Building!

Assets are building blocks -- positive opportunities, skills, relationships and values that form the foundation of healthy development. Focusing on building Assets with the youth we care about can help children and youth thrive and grow up healthy, caring and responsible. Read on for some ASSET BUILDING ideas:

Hot summer days are perfect opportunities to quench kids’ desire to feel

Valuable.

Help them build their Empowerment And Positive Identity Assets

by setting up a lemonade stand. Use proceeds to make a monetary donation

or grocery shop for donations for a local food pantry. They will feel good about

helping others AND learn what it means to be of service to the community.

While summer is a fantastic opportunity for kids to explore interests via

camps, classes, sports etc., are their summer activities balanced with quality

time at home with nothing special to do? If the answer is yes, their

Constructive Use of Time Assets are growing! With your unstructured time

with your kids, do something fun together—tell jokes, read to each other, play

a board game, do a craft together, go for a bike ride or plan a family dinner.

Want your child to develop a sense of responsibility and build his or her

Positive Values Assets? Help your child plant some flower/herb pots or a

vegetable patch that your child is responsible for watering, weeding, and

Harvesting.

Planning and decision making are important life skills and part of the

Social Competencies Asset category. Support your children in growing these

skills by asking them to organize a family picnic, and let them do most of the

planning. Have them think about, “Where will we go?”, “What will we bring to

eat?”, “What supplies besides food might we need?”

Bring a smile to someone’s face, contribute to a caring neighborhood,

and strengthen Support Assets! Have your kids use chalk to create messages

on the sidewalk for neighbors. If you don’t have sidewalks, your kids might

leave notes on a neighbor’s door, sharing what they appreciate about

them.

Keep reading skills sharp over the summer while keeping the Commitment

to Learning Assets strong! Participate in a summer reading program at the

library or have your kids start a book club with their friends.

Want more information about the 40 Developmental Assets and why they matter? Click HERE.