It’s August. It’s hot. And the kids are more than ready to be done with summer vacation. All right, the kids might not be, but you probably are! As the mother of three I can quite honestly tell you that the enchantment of having my little darlings home all day after an entire year of putting them on the bus every morning has more than worn off by this point. They’re bored, they’re restless, and they want to go somewhere and do something every day of the week-which is completely understandable, but a little difficult since my husband and I both work from home!

I found my answer (temporarily at least) in making homemade bracelets. Local craft stores carry designer beads and basic stringing materials by the pound, many designed especially for little fingers, and by having the ability to create and keep their hands busy the kids are happily occupied for hours on end rather than draping themselves across the couch or in front of the computer and complaining about how bored they are.

My recommendation? If you have young children (aged 9 or under) go out and pick up some of the large beads designed especially for kids. These have large holes that they can string plastic string or thread through without needing to use a needle, which is good news for their fingers. If your children are older you can pick up

a more advanced set that involves professionally beading or flossing your beads, or braiding rather than beading (as in the friendship bracelets shown here, featured on ehow.com); however, make sure your materials are age appropriate.

Letting you kids’ creativity flow free is a great way to keep them happy and busy while creating a horde of homemade bracelets for family and friends (oh, say, for Christmastime?). If you’ve had enough of your summer vacation and need to keep the kiddies happy for just a little bit longer, cruise on down to your local craft store today.