Summer is just around the corner. Bring on the sunshine and lemonade! For kids, it’s time to unwind from school and enjoy freedom and relaxation. As parents, we want to make it memorable for them because we know we have a limited number of summers with our kids, and they’re quickly ticking by. Great summers are made of a mix of creativity, adventure, togetherness, and downtime, and it all begins with a good plan. Here’s how to make the most of summer with your kids.
Start planning now.
The crafting of epic summers begins in March or April! Get out your calendar and pencil in your big to-do’s like that beach vacation or concert you don’t want to miss. Look around locally for summer happenings and add what interests you to your calendar. Block out a few days for a road trip to nowhere (or somewhere!) and then intentionally shade in a good amount of free, no-plan, no-fuss days. Plan at least one unforgettable adventure!
Take a road trip.
Nothing screams adventure quite like throwing a few packed bags in the trunk and hitting the open road with your family – windows down, music up. If you have a destination in mind, great! But sometimes the grandest adventures are spontaneous. Go where the road looks most interesting. Stop at small bakeries and new parks. Visit caves, caverns, and hiking trails. Sit on the hood of your car with a pizza and watch the sunset. Sleep under the stars. Wander where the wi-fi is weak!
Read together.
Choose a great book at the beginning of summer and read aloud together every evening. Reading to big kids has benefits to, and it’s a great way to cozy around together and connect. My favorites: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, The Hobbit, Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter, Wonder, and The Emerald Atlas.
Unplug and play.
Bored kids want to be on screens, and that’s okay sometimes, but we don’t want zombie kids who lay around all summer watching YouTube videos. You know what they say, “Kids don’t remember their best day of television.” Lead the way by putting your own devices away and inviting kids to play. Board and card games are a great, low-key way to end boredom and get the family together. We are loving Castle Panic and Boss Monster. My friends love Catan, Forbidden Island, Dragonwood, Ticket to Ride, and Pandemic.
Make a memorable bucket list.
Making a bucket list ensures a good amount of togetherness and summer fun while giving the kids lots to look forward to and check off. It feels good to check something off a list! There are lots of versions online to choose from, or just create your own! My personal favorite way to do this is to hang a poster board on the wall and draw a line down the middle. On the left, write TO DO and on the right, DONE. Write your ideas on post-it notes and place them all on the TO DO side. Simply move them over as you complete them.
Try something new.
Encourage your kids to pick up a new instrument, take a kids’ cooking class, or write their own comic book. Maybe they’d like to learn to crochet or take swimming lessons. Summer is the perfect time to discover new passions and learn new skills!
Keep a summer journal.
Give your kid a new journal at the beginning of summer to record memories, ideas, and keepsakes. They can tape photos and ticket stubs inside and even write back and forth with you. It’s a fun tradition you can start this summer, and they’ll love looking back on it for years to come.
Get curious.
During the school year, kids are told what to learn about. Summer is a time to get curious about what interests them and to follow that curiosity! Encourage your kids to be curious this summer and see where their imagination and creativity can take them.
Keep busy boxes handy.
It’s good to be bored sometimes. That’s where curiosity is often born! But no parent wants to hear “I’m so bored” on repeat. Make up a few busy boxes for “emergencies.” Depending on the age of your child, one box might include craft supplies, another box could have a new coloring book with crayons, and another might have playdough or baggies of LEGO bricks to create from. Making a few busy boxes up before summer arrives will save a bit of your sanity this summer!
Leave lots of space for free time.
In between adventures, star gazing, roller coasters, and lemonade stands, save a good amount of summer hours to do absolutely nothing but unwind and just be. That way, in between all of that summer discovering, kids can have time to discover themselves.