Summer is the perfect time for fun and new adventures with your family. Your kids’ summer vacation should have an excellent balance of family time, fun, relaxation, and new adventures. Here’s how to make the most of the two months of school-free time:
Keep Weaving in Some Education
Summer learning loss is a real thing. If your child’s brain isn’t stimulated and learning new things over the summer, there’s a good chance she’ll forget some of what she’s already learned and will start the new school year a step behind.
It’s crucial to keep your kids ahead of the game and ready for the start of school by continuing their education over the summer. The good news is that you can do this in fun ways to avoid moans and groans when you mention anything about learning.
Take your kids to a hands-on children’s museum or out to explore wildlife and plantlife in the woods behind your home. Let them create a daily journal full of their summer adventures. Whatever keeps their brains active can help them stay on track for the new school year.
Get Them Active
As important as it is to keep brains active, it’s equally as important to keep your kids’ bodies active over the summer. Parents know that a lot of laziness and a lack of sun don’t mix well with kids, but it’s easy to fall into the “I don’t want to get out of bed” trap over the summer.
So make this fun for them too. Challenge your kids to a race around a local school track. Make an obstacle course in the backyard. Take a trip to the city swimming pool. Or, get your kids involved in some sports or dance classes over the summer.
Soak Up the Sun
You can’t have a great summer without a lot of sun! There’s a reason that being outside on a sunny day makes you instantly feel refreshed: the sun helps the body make Vitamin D, a nutrient that’s essential to healthy bones, a strong immune system, and a positive mood.
Getting fresh air is also important to the body, so make the most of your time outdoors over the summer. From having a backyard pool party to hiking nearby trails, there is plenty that you can do to soak up the sun.
Seek Adventures
What’s a summer vacation without new adventures? Now that the kids are off school, you have a little more flexibility in finding new activities for the family to do that you normally wouldn’t have time for during busy school weeks.
Commit to coming up with one new adventure each week. It should feel spontaneous and like nothing you’ve done before.
Maybe you can lay in the backyard once the sun goes out and stargaze, having your kids help you find the constellations. You can enter the family in a walk or run for charity. Or, look for local talent shows to enter and get the whole family involved in a skit!
Plan a Family Getaway
One of the best ways to bond with the family is by going on vacation, especially to a place that gives you the right balance of adventure and down-time. A family resort that includes a lot of your costs in one price, like meals, lodging, and activities, can make the vacation less stressful to plan and budget for than traditional vacations.
Wherever you choose to go, make sure it’s something that offers fun for both you and your children. Check out some educational activities in the area and also plan some that are purely for fun.
Turn Your Home Into Something New and Exciting
We often forget that our own backyard can be the perfect place for a summer adventure, too, if we’re creative enough! If you don’t have a lot to spend on a vacation but you want your kids to experience an adventurous getaway, then transform your own home into something more fun.
Outdoor camping in the backyard is something you can set up weekly for a quick family “getaway” that won’t cost much money. Pitch the tent, set up a campfire, tell stories, roast marshmallows, and hunt for insects. You can even set up some outdoor games to play before the sun goes down.
Make the Most of Rainy Days
There will inevitably be some rainy days in your summer’s future, so it’s a good idea to prepare for them now to avoid having bored kids without a plan.
Create a box of rainy-day goodies to grab quickly when you need to fill in some down-time over the summer. A movie day with your favorite DVDs, cozy blankets, and some bags of popcorn are sure to make most kids squeal with delight. A day filled with family-friendly board games and video games can also be a fun treat to make up for a humdrum, rainy day.
Have a few “fun boxes” prepared and let your kids pick out the one they want to do on the next yucky day. Summer vacation doesn’t last forever – make sure your kids are having as much fun as possible before they have to go back to school.
