You've been happy to be getting some of those summer tasks done - school portfolios, curriculum plans, deep cleaning projects, gardening. Often it feels like a good day if you are still showering, making the bed, keeping up with the laundry, and getting dinner on the table each night. But you are wondering if you are dropping the ball somewhere...
Many years ago another home school mom shared with me her plans for the summer days with her kids. She had lists of required reading books and read alouds, specific tasks and goals (like refinish this dresser, paint this room), and I can't even remember what-all.
I won't criticize her, but I will say that her level of enthusiasm was way beyond what worked for me and my kids. Many years ago I got a spiral book from Focus on the Family called Help! I've Got a Pre-Schooler that suggested an activity a day.
That is much more my style. So what I suggest to you is consider your specific kids and their interests, your own family and its style, and add in your present commitments and your budget. Keeping these items in mind, come up with a plan for an activity a day, for weekdays only, or for seven days per week. For my life a calendar would work best for writing down plans, but for the blog here I will do this in list format. Here is what your summer might look like:
Sunday, 7/1: Watch a family movie together/read from family read-aloud
7/2: Library trip; read aloud one picture book
7/3: make chocolate chip cookies; save six egg shells -clean, dismember, and start drying for next week
7/4: family picnic; see fireworks
7/5: go to the pool (play under sprinkler/hose)
7/6: make goop
7/7: nature walk along creek
Sunday, 7/8: Family movie/read aloud
7/9: library day; picnic lunch at park
7/10: art day: listen to classical music while painting (temper paint, water color, acrylic, your choice)
7/11: Go to pick-your-own farm and pick something in season (blueberries, blackberries, green beans...)
7/12: pool day (or sprinkler/hose)
7/13: make sidewalk chalk
7/14: go to nature center and birdwatch. Identify five types of bird
Sunday, 7/15: Family cook out; catch fire flies
7/16: Library day; get Slurpies on the way home
7/17: Make home made laundry soap
7/18: Cover kitchen table ; climb under "tent" with your kids and read to them
7/19: Make bread in a bag
7/20: make popcorn and snuggle together to watch a classic Disney movie (Old Yeller, Lady and the Tramp, Pollyanna, etc.)
7/21: Take a family drive to a nature park; take a short hike
Sunday, 7/22: Find a clover patch and sit together looking for 4-leaf clovers
7/23: Library trip--get a book on trees while you are there
7/24: Big trip: go to the zoo
7/25: Make Kool Aid Play Dough
7/26: Make brownies
7/27: Get you kids to help make breakfast today. Teach them how to make "Toad in the Hole"
7/28: Nature walk: teach your kids to identify five local types of tree (in my area that might be dogwood, redbud, willow, oak and maple)
Sunday: 7/29: find a patch of clover that has flowers. Teach your kids how to make a clover necklace. We always knot the stem
7/30: Library trip--get a book on wild flowers/weeds while you are there
7/31: Go on a nature walk. Teach your child to identify five wild flowers/weeds. In my area that might be dandilion, plantain, poison ivy, Queen Anne's lace, chicory, etc.
So those are some ideas. You could use my ideas or come up with your own. What do you think? Do you like any of these ideas? Do you want me to make another list for August?
Those are really good ideas! I've always felt that kids needed downtime and even a chance to get "bored" so they could come up with their own activities. We do just a bit of school through the summer - usually finishing up a few things and a little bit of review - but our schedule is really relaxed.
ReplyDeleteI always found that one of my kids, when left to his/her own devices, could come up with activities that could require parental repairs in the long run, like the 7-foot deep hole in the back yard one year, and the 60-foot rope still dangling from the high-up branch in the sycamore tree. Besides, when I would get so wrapped up in my own devices, the girls would be begging for a library trip, and I'd be saying, "Tomorrow... Tomorrow..." Trips like the zoo happened so rarely because of my tendency toward procrastinating...
ReplyDeleteA list like this created with input from the child can enable the child to get the activities he/she wants that still require parental assistance, like the 10-year-old wanting a few hours at the pool. Otherwise, give me my own agenda and I would practically say to my kids, "Have a nice summer! See you in the fall!" (Heh! Heh!)
I needed to thank you for this wonderful read!! I certainly enjoyed every bit of
ReplyDeleteit. I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post...
Why thank you! You are very kind.
DeleteThese are fantastic ideas! I love the idea of doing one thing a day - I am sure that will often move into more than one thing as kids (and parents) get interested. I know it will in our household.
ReplyDelete