1} MAKE LISTS
It’s no surprise that I love nothing more than a good list! Lists have become such a part of my daily life that I’d be completely lost with them. Summer is no exception! At the beginning of each summer the girls and I brainstorm all of the fun things we want to do with our time together. Above is our list from 2011.
And here is our current summer to-do list. A lot of the things are the same and things we will do regardless, but one thing I love about these lists is that they can act as a sort of “I’m bored” stopper. My kids are usually pretty good to entertain themselves but if they do happen to be wandering around wondering what to do, they can always check our list to get a few fun ideas.
My girls are able to help so much more now! In the summer when we’re home I let my kids sleep in and relax for a bit in the morning and then it’s time for chores. Chores have to be done before any fun activity can start (there’s always something they want to do that’s great motivation for finishing fast!). I’ve been working on a daily chore list for this summer and will share it when it’s finished, but lately I’ve just been writing the kids’ daily to-do’s on a piece of paper each morning and my girls check them off when they’re done. Nothing fancy! But it’s effective.
We all know that when siblings start spending too much time together things can get a little crazy. When my girls were younger I created these “Star Charts” to help encourage them to get along, keep their rooms clean, etc.
We used them on and off for years (especially in the summer time!). The picture above was a couple of years later with a different set of goals. (One tip *let the kids’ help you come up with the goals and rewards – they love to have ownership in stuff like this and come up with some pretty fun things you might not have thought of yourself.) :)
Our rewards were always fun family/friend activities. Instead of a toy or money, I wanted to teach them that spending time together doing something fun was the best reward.
Obviously you don’t have to create something like my star charts to have the same effect. Simple stickers on a piece of paper would work. Little kids especially thrive with this sort of thing. I’m working on something similar for my 4 year old little buddy this summer. :)
3} HAVE HEALTHY SNACKS READY
4} ORGANIZE YOUR ART/CRAFT SUPPLIES
We all know I’m all about organizing everything. :) But if there is one thing that has to be organized for summer it’s our arts and craft supplies. Summer is a great time for your kids to be creative and find their inner Picasso! But if supplies aren’t organized and become a constant daily mess it’s no fun for anyone.
These pics are of how I organized my mom’s art supplies in her recent laundry room makeover. So simple. When the kids are done creating, they can just put everything back in its bin in the cupboard.
In our previous house I used a kitchen cabinet to create an organized craft cupboard. LOVED this so much. So did my kids. They knew where everything was and could pull it all out and make a mess on the table and then put everything back quickly and easily in its place. (You can check the full post on this cupboard here.)
5} HAVE A FEW ACTIVITIES READY
While we love to go where the wind takes us in the summer and have less of a schedule, I still like to have a few activities ready for those afternoons when kids aren’t getting along as well or they need some quite time or a break from friends. There are so many places you can go on-line to find fun activities or art projects. I’ve collected quite a few on some of my Pinterest Boards if you are looking for this sort of thing.
These pages are from school kits I’ve had for years but you obviously don’t need them to do this same activity with your kids. Just pull out blank paper and have them write all about the previous school year. Who their friends were, what subjects they loved, what was a moment they’ll never forget, etc. I LOVE these pages. Such treasures. I really enjoy seeing how their handwriting and interests change each year. And so do the kids!
While my kids write their own pages I can get caught up on adding a few other things from the year to their albums.
This is one last summer activity I’ve shared before that I have to mention again for anyone who missed it. Give your kids buckets full of water and a few paint brushes. Let them “paint” a wall or space in your yard. Such a simple activity that has kept my kids entertained each summer for years! I keep thinking they’ll grow out of it but they don’t. Very happy about that. :)
6} BE PREPARED FOR TRAVEL
Summer is full of trips! And I’ve traveled enough with little ones to know that the key to a successful family trip {and I call a trip with kids a trip – not a vacation :) } is all about preparation. If you spend some time preparing a few activities to keep them busy on the road or in the plane you will make life MUCH easier for yourself.
So that’s it! Six things that have become summer habits for me that help our family of five enjoy a much smoother summer. These six things make me feel like I’m thriving instead of just surviving.
