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With Summer fast approaching I’ve been working on my Summer activity planning to keep my son from spending his days in front of the tv. As a work from home mom it’s important to have something for him to do so I can get my work done. I’m sharing how to make a Summer activity plan for kids.
Summer Activity Planning
Thinking this was only a working mom problem I asked some of my stay-at-home mom friends and found that they too are busy scheduling summer activities. Now when I say scheduling I don’t mean the over-scheduled, helicopter parenting type of thing. I just mean making sure you’ve signed up for camps your child is interested in attending, seeing which ones make sense to attend since you can’t be two places at once, etc.
Summer Childcare
As a working mom childcare is something you’ve got to think about. Last year we chose to send our son to a local daycare, Children’s Learning Adventure, that does field trips two days a week. While he is old enough to entertain himself so I can work, it’s nice to be able to focus on my work without the occasional, “mom can I” interruptions. It’s also good for him to get out of the house and learn new things through the field trips the center takes them on.
He loved it and would ask to stay longer whenever I picked him up early, which always makes a mom feel good- in that I’m glad you’re happy here but wish you were happier to see me sort of way.
Childcare doesn’t have to be at a daycare. You could also hire an older child to come over and keep an eye on your kids. One of my friends hires a high school student her sons really look up to. He comes over a few days a week and does different sports training exercises with them. I think this is a fantastic idea!
Activities
For the days that my son stays home with me I like to plan a starter activity to get him outside. My office faces the driveway so he can play and do his activity while I work and watch from my office.
I like to sit down with him to make a list of all the activities he would like to do over the summer. The ones he really enjoys usually get repeated. You can find a list of the activities I have planned in the calendar below and check out some pictures from last summer’s activities in this Summer Fun Activities post.
I also take some days off during the summer to do fun things with B like visit the Children’s Museum.
Summer Camps
I’ve signed my son up for a couple of day sports camps and a church camp. He’s not quite ready for a sleep away camp yet but I think those are great as well. Check your local school district’s website for camps they offer through athletic programs as well as local universities.
My son is doing a basketball camp at the high school and a soccer camp at the University of Houston. It’s always a good idea to sign up with friends so you can carpool. My son is attending Pine Cove Camp in the City. He went last year and had a blast. I really like that they focus on developing the children’s relationship with God and building character. They also bring in some really fun activities. The staff is made up of such energetic and wonderful college-aged role models.
Family Vacation
We don’t plan on taking a big vacation this summer since we plan on going to Kauai next summer. I think it’s important to schedule some time to get away together as a family without the distractions of work. The key is taking the time to plan and put something on the calendar. Otherwise, Summer will be over before you know it. Use these tips to plan a family beach vacation.
Summer Activity Calendar
Here’s a look at my son’s Summer activity calendar. It includes all his camps & activities. I’ve also written down his daily/weekly TV, Video game and reading time.
Click on the calendars to edit and print your own Summer activity calendar.
The calendar is really just an outline. I know things will change and I fully expect that everything won’t go as planned. But for me it’s nice to at least have a plan to fall back on.
How do you plan for summer and what sort of activities do your kids enjoy?