Summer is a special time of year when families have time to be together. When school is out and it’s a new kind of busy. If you are feeling summer break is going to be an overwhelming experience for you, here are some active strategies you can do to make the summer break more manageable for you and your family.
Make a plan.
Don’t leave it all to chance and hope for the best. Summer is meant to be a time for a more relaxed schedule and a time for the whole family to get some much needed rest and recreation. Yet, it can all too easily turn into a boredom fest, which will leave you irritated with your children and itching for next school year to start.
Add structure to your days and weeks.
This structure doesn’t have to be a rigid schedule that maps out every 15-minute increment of the day. But, it should give the kids a rough idea of what to expect each day. Intentionally consider where you want to direct your children’s energy and what activities you think would be enriching for them. This can include things like: physical activity, art and craft time, time for other creative endeavors, quiet reading and rest time, family meals, family adventures, play dates, and fun outings.
Some ideas are:
- Plan a trip to the library once a week, to get books for the quiet reading time you have 3 days per week and DVDs for family movie night on Friday.
- Consider investing in some new art and craft supplies – getting input from your kids about what piques their interest.
- Head to the pool 2 to 3 times per week.
- Plan 2 to 3 play dates or outings each week, so there’s something novel to look forward to every couple of days.
- Allow your kids to fill in gaps or entertain themselves on rain days using a list, which they’ve created, of things to do for fun at home – see below.
If it’s feasible, invest in some camps.
Whether it’s day camps or overnight camps, camps provide so many benefits for families. Camps give kids a chance to pursue specific interests in greater depth, provide excellent opportunities for socialization and interpersonal skill-building, and provide parents much needed alone time.
If your budget is tight, consider registering your kids for a local church’s vacation bible school (VBS) or a similar program at another house of worship.
Limit screen time.
Unlimited TV viewing and video gaming is many children’s idea of the perfect summer activity. But, in my experience, unlimited screen time makes most kids cranky, at best, and downright irritable and hostile, at worst. Increasing screen time limits, for the summer, is a welcome treat for many kids, but exercise moderation. Make sure screen time is interspersed with periods of fun physical activity and time outdoors.
Create a big list of at-home activities.
Before the summer starts, sit your kids down and have a brainstorming session of all the things there are to do for fun at home. Record all the ideas in a list and keep adding to it as you get new ideas. Print off a copy of the list and keep it on the fridge for easy reference when scheduled activities get rained-out or the kids complain that they’re bored.
Get creative and really try to come up with some ideas that are appealing to everyone. Be open to buying some supplies, if the investment is minimal and it gets the family excited about an idea. If you’re having trouble getting started, use Google to see what others have come up with.
Here are a few places to start:
https://www.care.com/c/stories/3780/101-things-to-do-when-kids-say-im-bored/
https://www.allprodad.com/101-weekend-family-activity-ideas/
https://www.famifi.com/2767/101-non-electric-things-for-kids-to-do-when-theyre-bored
https://thestir.cafemom.com/big_kid/181945/indoor_activities_kids_crafts_winter
https://www.suburbansimplicity.com/100-activities-bored-teen/
https://seemeandliz.com/111-awesome-ideas-for-what-to-do-when-the-kids-are-bored
