Summer School!

As the school year comes to a close, you may be breathing a sigh of relief.  You made it!  School is over- YAY!  But if you homeschool year round, you know the fun is just beginning.

Summer homeschooling is an odd place.  You are most likely much more relaxed in your schooling approach, there's probably less overall "volume" of work to be completed, lots of fun things to do that are only offered during the summer time and of course now you've got to contend with packed venues because the public schoolers are out.  And of course, if you belong to any homeschool groups or co-ops, they most likely break for the summer time as well.  This means you've got some LONG and potentially BORING days ahead.  Ah- the lazy days of summer.  But y'all, summer homeschooling is my favorite!

For us personally, summer is our time to relax a bit.  Our summer routine has evolved a bit as the kiddo has gotten older but enjoying SUMMER has always been a big priority.  We are lucky enough to live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and can spend pretty much all summer long outside.  We go fishing, swimming in rivers and lakes, trail/nature walks, biking, park days, swimming in the backyard pool and such.  It is not uncommon for us to take off for the lake when the husband gets home from work and return after 10pm.  LOVE THIS!  However summer is also the time we play "catch up" and we try to focus on just one or two areas that the kiddo needs improvement in.  Sadly for him, that always seems to be math.  Well- I suppose it's tragic for us both since I detest math.  Blech!

We also take advantage of programs, activities, camps etc that are typically offered during the summer only. Lots of fun stuff going on at our local library, good stuff happening at the YMCA, some pretty amazeballs camps if you're willing to shell out the money and lots of opportunities for some good ole socialization.

Summer is also the time for the kiddo's READING CHALLENGE in which he basically reads as many pages as he can and challenges himself to read new books and authors.  Yes there's prizes but he must work for them and trust me when I say that he does.  Would you believe this boy child asked me in March if we could set up his Summer Reading Challenge?!?  March y'all....He loves this yearly reading challenge and its special because we ONLY do this during the summer.  

While the amount of actual book work is minimal compared to what we do during the school year- there's still lots of valuable learning happening here.  In fact, I would say that if you participate in any summer activities on the regular, then you too are year round homeschoolers.  The learning never stops y'all!

So this all sounds great, but what does it look like?  How does it all work out?

Well....in our house the kiddo begins each day with time spent in a workbook.  This year, I decided to make it super easy on myself and purchased this Summer Bridge workbook.  He will sit down with his breakfast and completes that day's page.  Ten minutes tops.  From there, he pulls out the work we are focusing on during the summer.  Yep, that's right- it's time for math y'all.  He is typically finished in less than an hour.  While this might not seem like much to you- it's focused, targeted learning.  One hour of quality work is worth WAY more than hours upon hours of quantity work.  Just keep that in mind mmmkay....

From there, the day is pretty free.  We may have an event to go to at the local library, he might have friends over, perhaps watch a movie if it's too hot outside, ride bikes, lounge around and have quiet reading time, we may run errands or do some housework.  It's all pretty chill and we try to really embrace the mentality of summer.

To help break up this "monotony" I have strategically planned camps, programs, activities etc throughout the summer.  This year the kiddo will be going to a Go Kart camp with a fellow homeschool friend.  It's a week long, full days but no overnight, in the middle of July and he is DYING to go.  For the first part of the day they will drive and race Go Karts and then after lunch, they have a mechanics course where they learn to fix, repair and work on these machines.  Perfection.  The best part of homeschooling is combining your child's joys and interests with valuable learning opportunities.  If they have fun, the knowledge and information stays with them and it certainly doesn't feel like being at school.

In addition, we are having some friends over for the 4th of July holiday weekend.  We go BIG for this holiday and put on our own fireworks show.  Basically it's an entire weekend of fun.  Major fireworks, camping in the backyard, lots of yummy food, friends, cocktails, kids- oh my word but it is seriously FUN.

As summer winds down, we typically take a short trip before starting on our Fall schedule.  We do this AFTER all the public schoolers are back in session and just another one of the MANY benefits to being a homeschooler.  It is also our last HURRAH before really getting back into our routine and the kiddo simply loves this final weekend of summer.  And you just know that there's plenty of valuable learning happening here too!


So y'all- summer time homeschooling is in reality, pretty darn easy.  There's many benefits to keeping a year round schedule, the biggest one being the flexibility it offers.  And with a little planning and effort, you can give your kids a super fun summer full of lots of unique learning opportunities.  LOVE THAT!


Want to read more?

• Summer Homeschooling
• A Look Back at Summer
• Gearing Up for Summer
• Summer Reading Challenge

Summer Reading Challenge

A few weeks ago, the kiddo declared that he was going to read 10,000 pages this summer.  While I certainly thought it was an awesome goal- I knew that it would never happen without some way to keep track of all those pages and a few incentives along the way.

So was born, William's Summer Reading Challenge.  The idea is simple, create a visual where your child can keep track of their pages read throughout the summer and make notes of the rewards along the way.

• Our challenge begins with 3,000 pages.
• Each reward is at the 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 mark.
• The rewards build up in value as you get higher on the challenge.
• Have your kids come up with the rewards so it ensures they will work towards the goal.
• For each 100 pages read, the kiddo must do 3 things.  #1- Write down the name of the book.  #2- Write down the exact pages read.  #3- Summarize to me what he's read.

Today marks our first official day of the Summer Reading Challenge.  The kiddo is SUPER EXCITED to get started and has declared that we need a trip to the library so he can "stock up on lots of books."  Let's hope we can keep this momentum going all summer long!

PS- I made this super cute "reading thermometer" with an recycled paper grocery bag and some of the kiddo's construction paper.  No need to go out and buy supplies to make this- just you what you already have at home!  The lines or "temperature" is drawn at the 100 page mark, so for every section, he must fill in the name of the book and the pages read.  The title at the top reads, "How Hot Will Your Summer Be?"  

Pure awesome you guys!  Summer reading, here we come!!!!

Gearing Up for Summer

If you homeschool year round like we do, summer time can be a bit tricky.  There are a ton of free or very low cost activities that are only offered in the summer.  Add in beautiful weather, working from home and homeschool and you've got yourself one FULL calendar!

So here begins a two part series on getting your homeschool ready for the summertime.  In this first part, I will be talking about all the awesome activities that our family participates in and the best part is that they are all either FREE or super cheap.  As in, super duper cheap.  Yay!

Well let's just jump right in shall we?


First, I start by checking out our local library program online.  You could also stop in and pick up a summer program flyer.  However, I like searching online because they post the programs for all ages for the whole library system, not just school age.  Everything is free too!  And don't forget to check the libraries closest to you, not just your "regular" one that you go to.  We are lucky to have a couple within 20 minutes- I'll drive 20 minutes for a fun, free summer activity!

These programs are typically offered weekly or twice weekly.  Here's just a few of the programs that our library system will be offering this summer:

For Teens- Marble Magnets, Duct Tape crafts, Make It: Ditigal Microscopes, LED wristbands, CODEACADEMY (learn how to code computers), Minecraft Building Challenge, Hands on Henna, Guitar 101, Writer's Workshop, Soundlab, Amazing Race Digital Scavenger Hunt

For School Ages- Summer Kickoff: Raptors in the Library, Lego Club, Reptile Man & Friends,  Explore Summer: All About Frogs, Whale Tales, How to Train Your Dragon (dragons & vikings), Blast Off to Mars, Our Magnetic Sun, Animal Habitats, Project Recycle

For the 5 and under crowd- Saturday Science: More Trees Please, Storytime, Science: Sea, Sand & Surf, Toddler Play & Learn Group, Saturday Science: Earthworks, Baby & Me Storytime, Ready Readers

Seriously- how awesome is this!?!  Something fun for kids of all ages- and yes, many libraries also offer adult programs.  So check them out!  Really.  Do It.

The local YMCA is up next.  They offer lots of extra fun summertime activities for the kids, especially for the school aged kids.  Every day, Monday through Friday at our local Y- there's a specific activity from 1:30-3:30pm.  Typically, there's only one or 2 per week that the kiddo wants to attend.  So those get marked on the calendar.  They also offer summer day camps if you're so inclined and there are swimming lessons too.  But let me share something totally awesome with you now...shhh....are you listening?  You don't have to be a YMCA member to participate in their activities.  You can pay a flat one time "day rate" and just enjoy a fun day of swimming, crafts and classes.  Our Y charges just $5 dollars- yep, only $5 dollars!  There is also something totally cool called Swim Week.  It's a full week's worth of lessons for just $10.  It's open to everyone in the community, all you have to do is sign up.  Now that's a sweet deal!

Next up is the $1 movies offered by Regal Cinemas.  Yeah, you heard me- just one dollar!!!  Here's the link to see if they offer this in your area.  These are movies that have been released throughout the school year, they are NOT new releases and they are all kid friendly movies.  The kiddo and I sit down and go through the list and then I put the ones he wants to see on our summer calendar.  The movies are usually offered first thing in the morning before the movie theater opens for their regular business day, for our's- that's 10am.  But not too worry friends, you can still buy popcorn!  Although who can stomach popcorn at 10am is beyond me!  They offer a choice of two movies each week and do this on two days per week, usually Tuesday and Wednesday.  So if you're up for it- you can see one movie on Tuesday and the other one on Wednesday.  However, because our summer schedule is so busy- I limit this to just one day.  And for anyone who has a Lego fan like I do- they will be playing the Lego Movie.  I repeat- the Lego Movie is on the summer schedule!

Now let's add in FREE summer bowling.  Say what?!?  Another freebie- how awesome is that!  Here's the link to see if this is offered in your state.  For this activity, you must sign up and register.  You will print off weekly coupons to take into the bowling alley you've chosen from the list of participants.  You can also add up to 4 adults at a flat paid fee.  So parents can bowl with the kids every single day of the week.  Beware- you must pay for the shoe rentals, but everything else for the kiddos is free.  Sweet!

It's time to add in FREE museum visits.  Holy Crap- can you even handle all these FREEBIES!!!!!  So here's how it works- most museum's offer one day per month, sometimes it's a specific time frame, that is totally free for everyone.  They do this year round- not just in the summer.  You can simply google "visit museums for free" and your local city and you should be able to pull up a nice list.  Or you can visit the museum's websites directly to see if they offer this- not all of them do.  Our favorites to visit are the local children's museum, Imagine and the Museum of Flight.  Imagine offers the half price admission on Thursdays and then totally FREE admission every 3rd Friday of the month.  So just do a little research on the museums near you and then make sure to mark it on your calendar.  And word to the wise- plan for it to be busy.  Any time something is free, it will be busy.

And here it is- another awesome FREEBIE!  Did you know that most local hardware stores offer a free building clinic for school aged kids?  Pretty awesome!  You simply need to register online, print out the form and go.  They are usually offered on Saturday mornings- we like the ones at Lowes.  You get a free apron, goggles, an iron on patch and of course, you get to keep what you build.  These are offered year round- but during the summer, they have fun movie themed builds.  Visit your local hardware store online or in person for more information!



Pick up your calendar in store or online.

Next up, at least for this house, is the activities at the local Lego Store.  The kiddo is obsessed, so we make this a priority in our schedule.  You can pick up a monthly calendar in the store or view it
online at Lego.com.  Each month they offer a FREE mini monthly Lego build that you get to keep.  But be prepared for long lines!  In addition to this they also do a themed monthly Lego Club meeting.  These you have to register and pay for and you do not get to keep what you build.  Instead, you are given a "goodie bag" upon leaving.  Typically, these are offered on Saturday mornings before the stores open.  Cost is about $30 but if you sign up for a free VIP membership, you get a discount.  We do not participate in these every single month- could you imagine the added costs to doing this!  Instead, I sign the kiddo up for the Club meetings that are on the specific Lego's he's currently into.  For example, he LOVES the Superhero themed Legos- so we did that one.  And next month is the Lego Movie themed Club meeting, so he will participate in this one.  We've skipped the Star Wars ones, Lego City and more because they aren't his favorites.  Just be selective here to save on costs.


Ok- so far we've filled our summer calendar with FREE library programs, FREE activities at the local YMCA, $1 movies, FREE bowling, FREE museum visits, FREE Lego mini builds and Lego Club meetings.  What more could there possibly be?!?  Why FREE farmer's markets and water parks of course!

Let's start with the water parks.  Ok- these aren't water parks in the grand scheme that you're probably thinking....but more of those little splash parks that many local parks have.  We are lucky enough to live literally right around the corner from a pretty great park that offers one of these splash parks.  So you better believe that we add in a weekly trip here!

Splash Pads!  Totally free & fun!

This park also offers a Farmer's Market in the summertime on every Friday.  So we usually end our week by stopping at this local Farmer's Market.  This is a relatively small market but they offer fruits and veggies, local honey, flowers and the all important- kettle corn and snow cones.  What more do you need?  To find a local Farmer's Market near you, click this link and simply enter in your city. 
And don't forget to check out what's happening on your local farms!  Berry picking, corn on the cob, animals, hay mazes- all super fun and low cost!

Now what would all these activities be without a little book work.  Right?  During the summer time, I keep the kiddo's lessons light and fun.  Each year, I plan something new and different.  This summer, I purchased a monthly science kit membership.  I was lucky enough to score a deal on Amazon local for 50% off making the kit just $120- that's only $10 per kit!  Every month, a different themed kit is mailed directly to our house and includes everything he needs for a complete science based unit study.  Now that's pretty awesome!  Click here to see the kit I ordered from the Young Scientist Club and the Magic School Bus.  This is by far- THE MOST money I've ever spent on summer time lessons.  In fact, it's probably the most I've ever spent on school stuff period.  Seriously.  You think I'm joking- but I'm really not.

I have also signed the kiddo up for a FREE summer math program.  The cost is typically $40 but they are currently offering a summer special.  Here's the link to sign up your kids!  Because we've never done this program before, I can't offer any reviews.  But I can tell you that it looks like your kids take an assessment to determine their skill level and then the assignments are given based upon that.  You can also set up rewards and incentives along the way.  For example, I just put in a reward for a trip to Menchies for FROYO after the kiddo completes 5 assignments with a score of 80% or higher.  Sweet!

I also print out FREE worksheets, art projects and science experiments from Education.com.  You will need to register with your email address and then you have a specific number of free downloads per email.  Folks- register every single email address you've ever had and you can seriously maximize this great free source!

Whew!  Are you tired yet?  Let's recap!

• Free library programs
• Free summer programs for YMCA members
• Low cost ($5-$10) activities at the YMCA for non members.  Including swimming, arts & crafts, swim lessons, exercise classes, recreation hour, sports and more.
• Free summer bowling
• Free trips to local museums
• Free building clinics at local hardware stores
• Free Lego mini builds
• Discounted Lego Club meetings when you sign up for the free VIP membership
• Farmer's Markets, parks and splash parks
• Half price science kits from the Young Scientist Club
• Free online summer math program
• Free worksheets from Education.com
• Free science experiments and art projects also from Education.com

Holla!  This list is sure to keep the boredom monsters away from your house this summer and keep your wallet nice and fat.  Ok....well at least it won't be totally empty, right?

Stay tuned for my next post discussing how I incorporate all these awesome summer activities while balancing working and homeschooling.  And can I just tell you how hard it is sometimes to keep your kids on track with lessons when it's gorgeous and sunny every single day?  I've got a plan for that too and I'm sharing it with you all!  Don't miss it!