As I write this post, it is March and our spring break begins in one week. (Not that I’m counting down or anything.) When we return from spring break, we will have ten more weeks of school.
If you’re a parent, it’s time to plan for summer!
First things first. Map out the entire summer. When we start thinking about summer, it feels like this long span of time, but when you actually start putting dates on the calendar, that time fills up quickly. Make a chart of each week in the summer. Then beside each week’s dates, list any commitments and plans your family might have (for vacations, beach time, visits to family, etc.).
Once you have done that, you can begin thinking about the rest of the remaining time.
PLANNING FOR CHILDCARE
If you are a working parent, you have probably already made plans for child care for the weeks when you will be working and your child will be home from school. If you are trying to fill in some space, check with your local school district, your local parks and recreation department, and your local YMCA. You might also consider hiring a local high school or college student to provide child care for the summer.
If you are a parent working from home, you might still need to consider the options above. Even though you are home, you still need to get a certain amount of work done daily. Day camps in your area and/or hiring a high school or college student might be the best options for you.
Start making a list of day camps in your area that fit your child’s interests. Call or go online for information and pricing and begin completing applications and submitting payment. If you attend church, check on your church’s Vacation Bible School dates. Check out your local YMCA for camp options. You might also check your school district’s summer camp offerings.
If you send your child to sleepaway camp in the summer, you have probably already registered. If not, and if this is something you are considering, start asking other parents for suggestions and recommendations.
PLANNING FUN FAMILY TIME
Once the necessary childcare (if needed) is planned, and any camp plans are made, it’s time to think about the remaining time. Summer is a great opportunity to reconnect with your children and to enjoy some unstructured time to relax together. With that in mind, make a list of some things that you enjoy and that you would love to do with your child. Then ask your child about their summer wish list! You may find that many of the activities that they would like to do in the summer are simple and cost very little.
You might set up some kind of theme for the week or theme for the day and plan activities, snacks, and books around that theme. Or you might plan one craft per day, one outing per day, etc. Another idea is to have certain things that you do on certain days of the week. For example, Monday could be library day, Tuesday could be go visit the park day, etc.
PLAN A DAILY STRUCTURE
Now that you have your summer weeks mapped out and you have some fun ideas and activities in mind, it’s time to plan for some daily structure. Even though it’s summer, it’s still a good idea to enforce chore times and doing some kind of learning/academic practice.
When my children were young, we had a flexible but definite schedule for our days. We would eat breakfast and just enjoy playing at home in the morning (instead of the rush to get out the door for school during the academic year). Then it was time to make beds, straighten up rooms, do any other chores, and get dressed for the day.
In addition to getting chores done in the morning, I would set up some academic work time. Of course, I didn’t call it that! We usually called it something like “learning time”. When my kids were preschoolers, learning time featured simple coloring books that also contained puzzles for their age range, play-dough, puzzles, and looking at picture books. Once my kids were in school, I bought workbooks at places like Target or Barnes and Noble and they would work their way through those. While they are nothing fancy, they do serve a couple of purposes. 1 – my children were practicing important math or reading skills independently and 2 – they could check their own work with the answer key in the back, which gave them immediate feedback.
Here are two good summer workbook options:
Summer Bridge Activities
When my kids were small, we didn’t have iPads if you can believe that! While I would caution against the use of too much screen time, I do agree that there are many academically valuable apps and websites available that would serve the same purpose as the workbooks.
Keep in mind the value of reading and schedule time for it daily. Once my daughter could read, she would read to my son, who was younger. She was getting practice in reading herself and he was benefiting by hearing a fluent reader read aloud to him. Once they were both readers, they would often sit together and read their books while I was working on something else.
If your children are not avid readers, consider the following tips:
*set a timer for short amounts of time to read, then increase the time as they get more “into” a book;
*make a trip to a local bookstore or the public library and choose some books that your child wants to read. Any reading counts, even if it’s not what you would choose;
*use a simple chart and add a sticker for each increment of time your child reads. It’s usually better to start with small amounts of time (10 – 15 minutes) and watch the stickers add up;
*when your child meets a certain reading goal, you might reward that in some way. Maybe they get a few extra minutes of screen time, or they get to have a playdate, or they get to purchase some small toy. I don’t believe in bribes, but rewarding someone for meeting a goal is a good thing.
We were members of a local pool, so we often went to the pool around learning time, often taking a picnic lunch along with us. After pool time and lunchtime, we would return home for rest time. Even if they didn’t actually sleep, it was a good time to just rest quietly and read. After rest time, we would head back outside to play in our yard or go to a park to play or play with friends. If my kids had playdates, I would often schedule them for this afternoon block of time.
Even if you allow for a later bedtime in the summer, think about following a regular evening routine. Whatever your routine might be (baths, books, prayers, and bedtime is a popular one), sticking to a predictable relaxing routine leads to good sleep for all of you.
The slower pace of summer is a great time to reconnect as a family. I hope these tips have inspired your planning the best summer ever for your family!