Summer vacation: we all smile on the outside, but are a little panicked on the inside. As a parent, I have had a love/hate relationship with summer vacations. I loved having the opportunity to spend time with my children: going to the beach, camping, kayaking, Vacation Bible School, and visiting the library. As a working parent, the vacation always had it challenges too. Even though I didn’t work long hours, we still had to make arrangements for summer camps and activities in the mornings. My children are older now and we are almost “empty nesters”, but I remember the joy mixed with panic as we scrambled to keep them busy and happy.
We all have our unique challenges as far as kids being out of school. Some extra challenges may be when we have children that are a wide range of ages, when they have very different interests, or have a special medical or developmental need.
Some ideas for families (other than summer camps or day camps):
- Vacation Bible School: check out your local churches for dates and times. If you live close to many churches, you may be able to take advantage of more than one program.
- Summer Reading Programs: Elementary kids are encouraged to read and keep track of their efforts. For many families, going to the library becomes a habit over the summer and is carried over into the school year; not a bad habit to have!
- Splash Pads and Parks. These are great alternatives to large amusements parks because they are obviously less expensive and can easily be an hour or two trip instead of an all-day event. Meet friends there and make a picnic lunch. It’s fun for parents to meet with other adults too, so win-win! Don’t forget the frisbee, beanbags, and soccer ball.
- Crafts and Science Experiments. Florida summers are hot and stormy many days so having some supplies for indoor activities are a must. When my kids were young, I subscribed to Family Fun magazine and always had lots of ideas for birthday parties and summer fun. Now we also have Pinterest to inform us of a plethora of crafting, cooking, and sciencey fun! (I know “sciencey” isn’t a word, but I like it!) Include your school-aged kids in the planning stages of the activities. Make a list of what you would like to cook/bake, craft or build and prioritize. Have each child choose their favorite activity and they get to take charge for the day. Everyone gets a turn. Take your kids with you when you go get the crafting supplies. You will have a much better idea of what they would be interested in. If you have toddlers and preschoolers, limit the choices to two. If they are not making choices yet, then plan the activities with their abilities in mind. Keep it simple and short at the beginning and gauge how much your child can tolerate.
- Stay Vacations. Living in central Florida is great if you love theme parks. We are also fortunate that we are just an hour or so drive to either the coast or gulf. My family loves the outdoors and we are still visiting new places to kayak, camp, and explore after over 13 years of living here! Yes, we have our favorite places that we revisit almost every summer but finding places that are within a days’ travel is always fun. Research your area to find fun spots to visit. Some local spots could include: museums, libraries, movie theaters, ranches/horseback riding, zoos, aquariums, butterfly gardens, bird sanctuaries, ball parks, concert halls, dinosaur parks, alligator/animal parks, petting zoos, and factories that make chocolate or other foods that give out samples! Don’t forget all of those beaches, rivers, lakes, and mountains that are just waiting for you to climb and explore!
- Host a “summer camp” at your house for the day. Make sure you provide an invitation with directions and clear hours of start and end times, so there is no confusion. (Trust me, this will be important.) Have friends over and plan fun foods and lots of outdoor activities and crafts. Encourage other families to do the same (so you can also get a break to run errands, etc.). Hosting with another parent is always advised, four hands are better than two, and you can’t be indoors and out at the same time.
One year, we (and when I say “we”, I mean my husband) made a kid carwash out of PVC pipes. Of course this was my idea and the kids did have a great time! The backyard was flooded and we probably “wasted” lots of water but we have wonderful memories! We have since recycled the PVC pipe into several different projects but the memories will last forever! This was at least 8 years ago and my kids remembered it when I mentioned Family Fun magazine as I was writing this.
Another interesting activity comes to mind that we tried around the same time as the kid carwash, the frozen t-shirt game! This is great for a hot day. Take damp t-shirts, fold them and place in the freezer. Make sure they are not soaking wet shirts, otherwise you will have blocks of ice. Trust me, you don’t want them that frozen, just frosty and crunchy! We played this game at a birthday party and the kids were wearing swimsuits. Each child gets one t-shirt. The first kid to get the t-shirt on is the winner. So the kids had to figure out how to warm the shirts up enough to get them on. It was hilarious and the kids definitely stayed cool for awhile!
Check out your own community
Many times we have places within our own communities that we forget about because we are so focused on “the vacation”. Local theaters and parks have a lot to offer, so check them out for a day of fun! Let me know what your favorite activities are for the summer.