Help!!! How Do You Spend Your Days/weeks with the Kids During Summer?

The indoor waterpark at the Macomb Rec Center (25 mile & broughton) is great. Stony Creek beach and Metro beach are fun too. Pump it Up at 22 Mile & Hayes is fun. MJR has free popcorn on Tuesdays if you see a movie. Dave & Busters has deals on some days. Maybe some sports camps?

Is there a community swimming pool you can go to. I know you said it's hard to get out of the house everyday, but I would think a trip to the local swimming pool would entertain even the 14 month old. He/she might be so interested in watching the people and kids that he/she might not need any other entertainment, or at least minimal.

Do your kids have bikes?
Roller blades?
No kids in the neighborhood to play with?

I don't get why they can't entertain themselves outside. Is there dirt they can dig in?

Can you give them some things to make themselves a fort outside.

Run through the water sprinklers/play with the hose.

There are so many things to do outside, it's hard to imagine kids that just sit there looking bored!

I don't know about your area, but the summer camp my GD goes to is weekly so she can go whichever weeks she wants. See if your area has a summer camp that takes registrations weekly.

I am part of a Meet Up. While not all the events are appropriate for all ages, there are some where the parents take along the older kids who are out of school (going to a museum, going to a kiddie concert, going to a zoo). Look around and see what other parents are doing, what is available with parks and freebie events, what the library is doing. The other thing is if you can't get OUT, then consider what to do in. Can the kids play with friends? Can you watch a movie with the older kids while the little one sleeps? I remember my mom (and aunt - she has 3 girls around our ages) shooing us outside when we were kids. We figured it out. They might look soooo bored, but give them a few suggestions - from running through the sprinkler to playing with chalk, to pulling weeds if they are soooo bored. A little bored is good for the imagination.

I have a 9 year old and a 4 year old, and we live 30 mins from town.
So we don't go in every day, it would cost too much, and take too long.

In the morning, we get up, and watch tv for about an hour, have breakfast, tidy up a little.
I turn off the tv, the kids play, while I do housework.
they play indoors, it's very hot here.
We may do a small craft for 30-60 mins, drawing, or painting etc.
We have lunch, then go swimming, this is our saving grace, we have a pool, and we swim for a few hours each afternoon. Then we come in and have a snack, and I start on our meal for the evening.
the summer is boring - for me, but my son loves being home and off school. Your kids are so close in age, they should be able to have so much fun together! I am a firm believer in just leaving them to it - they will find stuff to do. Our rule is no computer games unless it's dark outside, which forces them to play with each other. I do relax it sometimes though!
I wish sometimes we lived in a neighborhood with lots of friends for my son to play with, but I think that would bring it's own problems!

Well we school at home so we have a group that we do stuff with, so with them we did hiking weekly and also a kids book club. On top of that though we did our local libraries summer reading program. We have a zoo membership as well but haven't used it much (too hot!) I think it is really important to have things for them to do outside. I don't know what kind of neighborhood you are in, but my kids have sling shots and throwing knives (not okay with some parents) but for my kiddos this is a huge source of entertainment. We have cardboard boxes with targets and things on them. Also there is nothing wrong with physical labor :). My older two, 7and 10 have been pulling weeds for a neighbor for an hour everyday. We also have a 25'x35 garden that they help to weed and water regularly. We have 10 chickens that need cared for as well. They are all three given 3 big chores everyday, dishes, laundry, bathroom, basement, etc. also this can be valuable time to teach them to cook, or once this summer we picked choke cherries and learned to make our own jelly. So we all learned something new. :). When my kids are through with chores I rarely hear from them they are bored. In fact they usually make it a point to disappear just in case I ask them to do something else.

I hear ya. Our 12 yr old went to two camps, stayed with a cousin and grandparents for extended times. The 6 yr old and I hung out all summer.
And we have just about had our fill of each other, lol.
Wish I had some suggestions for you.
School starts in 27 days.....

By 7 and 9 my kids spent many summer days playing with friends. Since we don't have kids in our neighborhood it took some phone calls and planning but it was worth it for them to be busy and happy and out of my hair.
We got out a lot too. We went to the pool a few times a week, and usually did a day trip once a week or so, like to the beach, lake, zoo or kid's museum. A lot of movie theaters have cheap kids movies during the summer, that's a nice way to beat the heat.
Not sure why your 14 month old is needing so much attention. Is he maybe not feeling well? That's usually an age of on the go, non stop getting into everything. Try setting up a little sprinkler or baby pool, with sponges and cups and bubbles, that usually keeps them busy for a while.
I think you're all just getting sick of summer, I know I am!

I have a sitter because I work full-time. However, I think maybe you can get a sitter for the 14 month old and do some things with the older kids?

Museums, pool, park, library, etc.

I know my older kids would go nuts if they were stuck at the house all the time...but I understand the spot you're in too.

Vacation Bible Camp!! We did one in June and then are doing 2 more in August. It is usually free or very inexpensive and you don't have to make any committment to the church. Is there a local pool you can take the kids too? What about playdates? They are old enough to go to another child's house without you. And I know this was not a question about your 14 month old, but unless he is teething or ill, he is too old to be wanting to be held or played with constantly. I would look into if he has any food allergies or possibly some sensory issues.

I would aim for something different each day. So Monday could be free movie day (check your local theater - ours has free movies 2x a week so you could take everyone and even if the 14 month old got restless, you could walk around outside of the theater and let your kids finish it).

Tuesdays could be park/museum/etc day.

Wednesdays could be water day - swimming at the pool, slip in slide or sprinkler at home, playing with ice/different sized bowls/freezing small animals/toys buckets of water and letting the kids chip away at them in the heat to find 'treasures'

Thursdays could be quiet/home day - they have to find quiet activities - coloring, stickers, movies, games, puzzles, etc.

Fridays could be playdate/visit someone/grocery shopping/etc.

Good luck!