Summer Fun

Summer is filled with so many wonderful sounds and smells: chlorine, lemonade, charcoal, freshly cut grass, flowers, children laughing, sprinklers.  The list is endless.  With all the fabulous things Summer brings, you would think that occupying your children (or other people's children) would just happen.  Riiiiight.  Sometimes, the thought of entertaining your own child/children for hours a day, for days and weeks at a time can be somewhat daunting.  I'll just say it: my kids get somewhat annoying when they are bored.  That's not really how I envisioned my first Summer as a SAHM.

My husband's financial brain and my type-A personality can be a lethal combo.  Most of the time it works pretty well, but sometimes it's a bit challenging.   (I want to sell out arenas, but my manager has me playing county fairs.)  I am often challenged with finding new and creative ways to ROCK.  I need to be the best mom I can be on a budget that satisfies my need to be an over-achiever and solidify my career as a stay-at-home-mom and, most importantly, makes my fans applaud.

One of my favorite sayings is "Lack of preparation on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine."  As parents, we quickly learn that taking the time to prepare is very important.  It keeps the everything in tune.  I also believe that you can't plan everything.  It's fun to improvise and it's also important for our children to be able to bob and weave, ebb and flow.  If things are too structured, they are less likely to be able to handle change successfully....and, what's the one thing that's constant? 

Here are a number of brainstorms that I came up with to make our first Summer together ROCK.  Some are very simple, others a bit more detailed.  I would encourage you to remember my 10 Tips to Parenting Like A Rockstar while planning your activities. 

1. Make paper airplanes. Decorate them, have races, see which one goes the farthest
2. Lemonade stand.  The kids will have a blast decorating the sign, plus you can take the opportunity to learn about money and get the chance to mingle with your neighbors.
3. Play in the sprinkler.  Who needs anything fancy? Grab the lawn sprinkler and your sunscreen.
4. Ride bikes.  Pack a lunch and make it a journey. 
5. Play an old game.  Try hopscotch, 4-square, croquet, boche ball,  Frisbee, or jacks.  Kids are inundated with video games and electronics.  Take them outside and back to basics.
6. Have a treasure hunt.
7. Make a time capsule.
8. Make your own Popsicle.  I found some plastic Popsicles molds at my local Dollar General.  They also retail on-line for around $10.
9. Make your own ice cream. You don't have to have an ice cream machine.  Follow the easy steps from David Lebovitz.
10. Tie-dye.  For instructions visit Ritdye.com.  You don't have to stick with t-shirts.  Try shorts, cotton bags, or socks.  I found an interesting idea of hanging an old white sheet outside, mixing color dyes with water in squirt bottles and letting the kids spray a beautiful abstracts.  The sheets can be used for bedding, the beach, for picnics in your backyard.
11. Make a Volcano.  You can get the instructions here.  You can also take a trip to the local library and check out How to Make a Chemical Volcano: And other Mysterious Experiments.  It is actually written by a 13 year old! 
12. Have a tea party.  Don't forget the tablecloth, napkins, and cucumber sandwiches! Really get creative and have the kids dress-up in fancy hats, ties, and dresses.
13. Learn magic tricks and put on a show.  Take some time each day to learn some simple magic tricks.  On Friday, put on a show.  The kids can even make their own "magic capes" by decorating old sheets.   Here are 9 to get you started!
14. Play the recorder.   Oh, the memories.  My girls actually have plastic recorders.  I found them for a dollar and couldn't resist!  You can learn how to play some simple songs here.
15. Go on a picnic.  Visit parks in your area or throw a sheet down in the backyard. 
16. Fly kites.  If you really want a project, make your own.
17. Pick fruit.  Visit your local orchard and pick some fruit.  Not only is it good for you, but they usually have short, educational tours.
18. Visit someone.   It doesn't have to be grandma, but it will get you out of the house and moving. Go to your local library, fire department, candy factory or bakery.   You may want to call ahead to verify the tour times and see if there is any cost involved. 
19. Volunteer.  Call your local food pantry or soup kitchen and see if there is an age limit.  You can also talk to your Home Owner's Association.  Our HOA will assist elderly with yard work, cleaning, etc.  The children can help plant flowers or stain mailboxes.
20. Make a fort.  Gather all those winter blankets and put them to use.  Throw a sheet down and let the kiddos eat lunch in their "secret club house".  Let them create a password or handshake.
21. Go bowling. 
22. Camp out.  Or in, depending on the weather.  Who says tents are only for outside use.  We camp out regularly right in our living room - pop tent and all!!  Make s'mores in your oven, tell scary stories, talk about what animals might be lurking outside the tent, and sing campfire songs. 
23. Take a hike.  Pack a lunch, your magnifying glass, and a bug catcher and go for an adventure.
24. Go to the movies.
25. Create a journal.   Place some white paper between two sheets of construction paper.  Let the child decorate it.  Have the child make journal entries about their Summer fun.  They can use a combination of words or pictures to capture their memories.  You could take some old magazines and let them cut out pictures and create a collage for one of the pages.  This works great for little kids who can't write, but love to draw and color.
26. Do a science experiment.  You can find limitless experiments at http://www.kids-science-experiments.com/.  Most (if not all) of the items needed you will already have around your home.  Be sure to engage your children by asking questions like: What happened first, second, last, and why?
27. Go to the Olympics. Have a water balloon toss, egg toss, sack race, obstacle course, jump rope, hula hoop, etc.  You can make medals from construction paper and yarn. 
28. Visit another country. This trip doesn't require a passport.  Log onto the computer or visit your local library and discover another country.   Learn about it's language, food, traditions, and clothing.  Gear all of your meals and snacks around native dishes.
29. Have Theme Week.  Create a theme using animals, colors, shapes, etc.  Learn about it, create a meal and do projects centered around it.  For example: Dinosaurs.  Learn about a different dinosaur each day (where it lived, what it ate, etc.), read books about dinosaurs (one of my favorites: How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?), eat dinosaur eggs for snack.  There are a lot of fun dinosaur recipes.
30. Have a dance party.  Turn the music up and dance around!

Don't forget to check the zoo, aquarium, COSI, and amusement parks.  They typically put memberships on sale half-way through the summer and they normally last 12 months.  Also, don't forget about "old faithfuls": bubbles, chalk, board games, UNO, and hide and seek.  It's also fun to brain-storm with your child and come up with fun activities.  This comes in handy when you feel like you've exhausted all options and aren't quite sure if going to the park for the 10th time is going to excite your little one.  You never know, the 10th time to the park might ROCK just as much as the first.

I will certainly be sharing photos and stories of our Summer with you.  Please feel free to do the same or provide feedback on some of the suggestions. 

ROCK ON!