As summer comes upon us, you can see the panic rising in parents as their kids transition from busy school days, followed by extracurricular activities and homework, to nothing but free time.
How will they be kept occupied for the entire summer? How can we keep them off their screens?
If you are lucky enough to be able to send them to summer camp, fantastic, but you may still be left with a couple of weeks before or after camp sessions where your kids will be home with you. In which case, you might want to put some structure around "Camp Mom" for the sake of everyone's sanity.
Assign specific time slots for morning activities, afternoon activities, quiet time, and chores
My kids are much more cooperative when they know what to expect. Moreover, my kids are complete opposites. When given the choice between two or more things, it is guaranteed that each kid will choose something different. Therefore in addition to a daily outline, we also came up with a fair way to choose our activities and eliminate any arguments or choice paralysis. It also eased my need to come up with ideas all the time.
In addition to a schedule, create jars for each time slot or activity
Together fill each jar with options, and have the kids take turns blindly selecting each day's activities from the jar. When completed, remove that item from the jar until all items are completed and you can start over.
Consider a jar for a weekly field trip(s) and have the kids pick from it on Monday, so you can plan for the excursion(s) later in the week.
Stay Flexible
Be prepared to scrap the schedule to spend time with friends, or when the weather calls for it, to spend the entire day at the beach or pool without advance notice.
Take Advantage
Another benefit of the jars, is the ability to slip in some activities that you may have an ulterior motive for. For example, using up the rest of a slime kit, or performing an experiment from a science kit they had yet to open from their birthday - things you want to finally dispose of.
Activity Jar Examples
Indoor Activity Jar
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Outdoor Activity Jar
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Movie Jar
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*Use your own parental discretion. See also - Top 50+ Movies for Tweens and Teens
Cooking Jar
Create a separate jar for things to cook together. Pull recipes from Macaroni KID EATS! or create a jar for theme nights, in which case the theme could help determine the meal.
| Theme Jar | Cook/Make | Wear | Activity |
Venetian Night | Pasta/Pizza | Masks | Listen to Opera |
Luau | Hawaiian Chicken | Hawaiian Shirts/Skirts | Play Limbo |
Fiesta | Tacos | Ponchos | Watch Book of Life or Coco |
Beach Party | Burgers/Bomb Pops | Bathing Suits | Dance Party |
Red Carpet | Surf and Turf | Fancy Outfits | Watch an Oscar-Winning Movie |
Mad Hatter Tea Party | Tea Sandwiches/Pastries | Crazy Outfits/Hats | Play Cards (Hearts) |
Baseball Night | Hot Dogs/Sausages | Team Jerseys | Have a Catch in the Yard or Watch a Classic Baseball Film or Game on TV |
Potential Field Trips Jar
Our 2023 Guide to Your Summer Bucket List
Our 2022 Guide to the Best Splash Pads and Pools on the Northside
Have fun all you Parent Camp Counselors out there! We are always interested in hearing your ideas as well. Join us on Facebook to share your ideas and get event/activity updates in real time.
