It’s almost that time…Summer! Summer is such a great time for families. School is out, things are open, and there’s so much opportunity! I’ve compiled a great list to help you take full advantage and have the best summer ever. Don’t you want to make the most of summer with your kids?
Head to the Library
There’s literally nothing I love more than the local library. If you live in a decent sized town, you probably have a great library system where you live. Ask for the calendar-most libraries have one-and pick out a few activities for your family. Some offer toddler reading time, music time, cooking classes, shows, etc. I even went so far as to “plan” out a few weeks where I had a weekly theme. For example, one week in our house was apples. We read a ton of books on apples, did apple crafts, ate apples, you get the idea. Our local library inspired this idea and had a ton of resources for me.
Vacation
What is summer without vacation??? I know it can be difficult to plan and afford one, but even if you have a “staycation”, make it happen! Take five days to be together and rest, do things outside of your normal schedule, and soak up some quality time together. There are definitely many ways to vacation, and no one is the “right” way, so make the most of summer by creating new memories! Whatever you do, just have a great time with no work, no school, and no stress!
Book CollectionRead
Find some great books to read or listen to together. I have a really great post here about my suggestions for audible books, if that’s your thing. Spending 20-30 minutes a day reading with your kids is an amazing bonding experience. Do you have an emerging reader? Even more of a reason to spend that time together. There are studies as well that show that students that read over the summer gain 1 month or more of reading proficiency. Allowing your kids to choose what they read will help instill a love for reading early on in their lives!
Cooking
Brush up on your skills and help introduce independence to your kiddos by taking a cooking class together a few times this summer. Can’t find a class? Whip out a cookbook and choose a recipe! It’s never too early (or too late in my case) to start learning the basics of cooking! Teaching them easy tasks, and watch your child eat more adventurously and feel more confident in herself.
Take a few classes
We love Outschool. It is one of my daughter’s favorite places to take a class on cheetahs, megalodons, Ninjago Math, or Encanto Voice-lessons! I’m sure there are plenty of in-person classes in your area that your child can take, education-related or not. Get them into something! We tend to use out-of-school time for things she is really curious about, with no pressure. I suggest you do the same. It should be completely fun and whatever your child is interested in! Just because it’s “out of the box” doesn’t mean your child isn’t learning! Think theatre, animal rescue, clay/pottery, chess, an instrument, dance, debate, forensic science, STEM, coding…the options are limitless!
Camp
To really make the most of summer, find a camp! There are family camps, age-specific camps, and activity-specific camps. Camps that are a weeklong and camps that are only a few hours long. SO many options to choose from, it just takes a little bit of research. Ask around on social media, ask other moms, and google! Camps are such a great option as a summer activity, because they can be tailored to your family’s needs. If you have a lot going on with work one week, you can send them to camp. If you really want some deep bonding….find a camp to stay at together!
I hope I gave you some great ideas on how to make the most of your summer with your kids. Whatever you choose, just remember that you have 18 short summers with your children before they’re off to college, the military, or just “adulting” on their own. Embrace the summer, soak it up, and enjoy all the time that you have with them!
What are your favorite summer activities to do with your kids?
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