Ah- summer. Riding around the neighborhood on your pink two-wheeler, traipsing through the trees, jumping in the sprinkler.....such great memories. But seriously- I don't know how my Mom maintained her sanity, especially considering she doesn't drink. Say wha?!? With three children very close in age and a solid two months off from public school- activities were a must. Girl scout camps, swimming lessons, Disneyland, visiting family, art classes at the local fabric store- yeah, we did some pretty fun things in the summer time.
And you just know I'm going to do my best to give my own child the same great summer memories that I had growing up. I'm also a planner and a bit OCD so you know I've got this down to a science- a science people! My goal is to allow the kiddo plenty of summer free time with a few structured activities in there to break up the monotony.
Today I'm going to share with you what we are doing this summer. This is targeted at the 10 year old boy crowd (because that's what I have mmkay) but you can adjust as needed.
We begin by kicking of our summer with Field Day at the kiddo's homeschool program. This is always a day long event the very first week of June and includes a live DJ, bouncy houses, a dance, food, carnival games, cotton candy, face painting, tie dying, friends and other fun stuff. It's a jam packed loaded day of AWESOME.
I have several local sources when pulling cheap or free learning activities for the kiddo. They are the two closest libraries, the YMCA, the Lego store at the mall, dollar movies at Regal Cinemas, local parks, museums, FREE bowling and FREE baseball game tickets and the local indoor water park/recreation center.
I highly recommend you stop in at your local YMCA to see what programs they offer for summertime. This time of year is when they really excel and we love taking advantage of all they have to offer. This year the kiddo will be participating in the Slice of Summer program. It's FREE to members and it runs Monday through Friday from 1:30-3:30pm as a drop in program. They play fun games outside or in the gym and it's a great way for your kids to make new friends and get some exercise. Oh- and at my YMCA branch, the parents can drop off. Mama's- did you hear that?!? You can have 2 free hours in the afternoon ALL TO YOURSELF. Sign me up!
In addition to the Slice of Summer, the kiddo will be doing two different camps. The husband and I have strict rules when it comes to camp- no away, no overnight, no full day and we must know the camp leaders. Yeah, you could say we are a bit overprotective. Thankfully, this year they have half day camps held at the local campus and we know EVERYONE there! The first one is a Lego themed one- right up the kiddo's alley! The second is called Map It and it's about navigation, treasure hunting, solving mysteries etc. Each camp runs for one week and is from 9am to 12:30pm. Perfection! Cost is just $25 per day or $100 for the week. And since I'm super smart, I planned one for mid June and the second one for mid August to give the kiddo something fun to look forward to.
Of course the kiddo will also be spending quite a bit of time just hanging out at the YMCA. It's kinda his home away from home. With open swim times, open gym and a youth center- there's lots of spaces for him to hang out with friends in a supervised and active environment. For those of you that aren't YMCA members- you can purchase a day pass for just $5 per person. So if you're wanting to take the family for a day of air conditioned fun, this is a fairly cheap way to do it!
Alright, after the YMCA, the local libraries are where it's at! They offer a Summer Program for school aged kids and I have to say that ours are pretty impressive. They bring in fun performers and experts in the field- like the Reptile Man and they have themed events with crafts and games. While some of these can be a bit on the "young" side, for the most part- the kiddo still enjoys them. This year they are doing a fun evening of Mad Science with dry ice storms, balls floating on air, burp potion- seriously some great stuff for kids of all ages! The will also have local legends and stories, animal heroes, Lego clubs, Minecraft building competitions, duct tape crafts, superhero movie marathons and more. And the best part of all- it's completely FREE.
My tip is to check with the libraries closest to you, especially if they are within different library systems. We are fortunate to have 3 to choose from and between them all, there's something fun and free to do several times per week.
While you're there don't forget to check out the Summer Reading program. Each year the kiddo meticulous keeps track of his reading so he can enter to win a new bike. This year he's decided he wants to read 10,000 pages. Let's do it!
Other ideas for summer include the $1 movies offered by Regal Cinemas- yes, they are really just $1 per person. There's also FREE summer bowling daily, although you do have to pay for adults and shoe rentals. Don't forget to register with Lowes or Home Depot for FREE building clinics for kids! Local craft stores offer weekly crafting classes for $2 for kids. There's lots of programs and ways to get FREE minor league baseball tickets- our library gives them away each year. The Lego store at our local mall offers a FREE building clinic on the first Tuesday of each month and yes, you do get to keep what you build! They also have monthly Club meetings and lots of contests and ways to get FREE Legos. Stop by the store and grab a calendar!
In addition to all this great stuff there's also your local museums, many of which will offer FREE days during the summertime. Don't forget to check out all the great parks near you as well! We try to find a new park to visit every couple of weeks- it's a great way to teach your children some very useful life skills (like how to find your way home when lost) and it's fun to find something new in your own neighborhood!
We cap of our summer fun with a long weekend away in September once all the public schoolers are back in the classroom. We try to go somewhere we've never been before (hello great learning opportunity!) and usually invite friends along for the fun! Unfortunately, due to the nature of the husband's job, we simply aren't able to take a longer vacation. Summer is his busy season....BOO. But we do make up for it with plenty of fun activities.
So...are you just a bit overwhelmed with all this info coming at you? I know I would be....so here's what I want you to take away from the above.
My Goals for Summer
- Have a planned activity for each day. Even if it's just going to find a new park and get an ice cream- something to do each day will keep the boredom away.
- Leave plenty of time for free play. Even though we have a daily planned activity, it does NOT take up the entire day. After school work is done, the rest of the day is open for free play.
- Mix the bigger activities/events in with the smaller. This will give you some variety. For example, don't schedule three weeks of camp back to back. Try to do one each month instead.
- Encourage active play. Our summer is NOT spent in front of the electronics.
- Ask your kids for their input. Find out what they want to do this summer and see if you can make it happen. The kiddo is ALL about the Legos right now and while his wish is to go to Legoland in Florida, that simply isn't going to happen. But I did find plenty of Lego events- camp, builds, contests etc to keep him happy.
- Be flexible. We have a goal for each day. Schoolwork, planned activity, fun. That's it. But as all Mama's know, sometimes even accomplishing a small amount is difficult. So remember your goal as you begin your day but don't stress if you can't make it to the planned activity or your kid wants to ride bikes all day instead of going to the museum. It is summer after all....
- Leave one day completely free. Summer is all about hot, lazy days spent playing outside with friends. Give your children this gift.
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