I love summer.
And about 2 weeks ago I started planning out every second of our summer this year with fun, thoughtful, and educational things to do. But then I started dreading all of the structure. Wouldn't it be nice just to wake up, ask Harvey what he wanted to do and then go do it? Or get a phone call from a friend asking if we could fill-in-the-blank-with-something-fun-here, and be able to drop everything and go?
Definitely.
But on the other hand... I don't want our summer to just waste by, either. I want it to be full of fun, thoughtful and educational things. So I decided to implement all of my crazy plans in a casual way.
First, I dug out my old Summer Fun Advent Calendar.
It does have little glittery numbers written on each of the cones, to be followed according to the calendar month. But this year - we're bagging that feature.
I printed out a list of fun things to do during summer, and cut it into little strips. Then I simply folded each one up and stuffed it into a cone. When Harvey and I get done with our morning routine and nothing is planned for the day, I'll let him choose a cone, pull out the slip of paper and we'll do that activity. On the days when something better comes along, we'll do that instead. I really have no idea what activity is in each cone. It's a little thrilling, and a little nerve-wracking at the same time. But pretty much all of these activities don't need a whole lot of prep; maybe just a run to the store. No biggie.
Here's our "back-up" fun list:
1. color scavenger hunt
2. take a treat to the librarians
3. edible jewelry
4. homemade bubbles
5. ding dong ditch a neighbor with a gift
6. run through the sprinklers (I'd like to make this one)
7. make popsicles
8. make glow in the dark slime
9. play on a water bag
10. make watermelon waffles
11. obstacle course in the hallway
12. kool-aid ice cubes in sprite
13. make a bird feeder
14. visit a temple
15. handprint art
16. write/mail letters to family
17. potato stamps
18. make a pinaqua
19. make fossils and dig for them
20. play in our wading pool
21. fly a kite
22. bug hunt with a magnifying glass
23. make a rocket
24. make a smoothie
25. play restaurant
26. design/decorate a t-shirt
27. design marble art
28. have a puppet show
29. make cookies and deliver them to a friend
30. take a gift to the local police or fire station
31. give stuffed animals a pretend bubble bath/groom
32. go to a farmer's market
33. make a fort
34. tape popcorn to a RedBox
35. make your own puzzle
36. play with PlayDoh
37. bubble art
38. make a park passport
39. go to a photobooth
40. make crayon rubbings
41. make a watercolor resist picture
42. have a backwards day
43. make something with a box
44. host an unbirthday party
45. picnic at the park
46. make oobleck
47. mail a message in a bottle
48. go feed the ducks
49. go fishing
50. bathtub puffy paint
51. neighborhood scavenger hunt
52. play super heroes
53. fingerpaint with pudding
54. paper airplanes
55. face paint
56. wash the car
57. make a felt car mat
58. marshmallow guns
59. play post office
60. go on a treasure hunt
If you need more summer fun ideas, check out my Kids Page for fun "at home" activities, as well as places to go! Happy Summer!
And about 2 weeks ago I started planning out every second of our summer this year with fun, thoughtful, and educational things to do. But then I started dreading all of the structure. Wouldn't it be nice just to wake up, ask Harvey what he wanted to do and then go do it? Or get a phone call from a friend asking if we could fill-in-the-blank-with-something-fun-here, and be able to drop everything and go?
Definitely.
But on the other hand... I don't want our summer to just waste by, either. I want it to be full of fun, thoughtful and educational things. So I decided to implement all of my crazy plans in a casual way.
First, I dug out my old Summer Fun Advent Calendar.
I printed out a list of fun things to do during summer, and cut it into little strips. Then I simply folded each one up and stuffed it into a cone. When Harvey and I get done with our morning routine and nothing is planned for the day, I'll let him choose a cone, pull out the slip of paper and we'll do that activity. On the days when something better comes along, we'll do that instead. I really have no idea what activity is in each cone. It's a little thrilling, and a little nerve-wracking at the same time. But pretty much all of these activities don't need a whole lot of prep; maybe just a run to the store. No biggie.
Here's our "back-up" fun list:
1. color scavenger hunt
2. take a treat to the librarians
3. edible jewelry
4. homemade bubbles
5. ding dong ditch a neighbor with a gift
6. run through the sprinklers (I'd like to make this one)
7. make popsicles
8. make glow in the dark slime
9. play on a water bag
10. make watermelon waffles
11. obstacle course in the hallway
12. kool-aid ice cubes in sprite
13. make a bird feeder
14. visit a temple
15. handprint art
16. write/mail letters to family
17. potato stamps
18. make a pinaqua
19. make fossils and dig for them
20. play in our wading pool
21. fly a kite
22. bug hunt with a magnifying glass
23. make a rocket
24. make a smoothie
25. play restaurant
26. design/decorate a t-shirt
27. design marble art
28. have a puppet show
29. make cookies and deliver them to a friend
30. take a gift to the local police or fire station
31. give stuffed animals a pretend bubble bath/groom
32. go to a farmer's market
33. make a fort
34. tape popcorn to a RedBox
35. make your own puzzle
36. play with PlayDoh
37. bubble art
38. make a park passport
39. go to a photobooth
40. make crayon rubbings
41. make a watercolor resist picture
42. have a backwards day
43. make something with a box
44. host an unbirthday party
45. picnic at the park
46. make oobleck
47. mail a message in a bottle
48. go feed the ducks
49. go fishing
50. bathtub puffy paint
51. neighborhood scavenger hunt
52. play super heroes
53. fingerpaint with pudding
54. paper airplanes
55. face paint
56. wash the car
57. make a felt car mat
58. marshmallow guns
59. play post office
60. go on a treasure hunt
If you need more summer fun ideas, check out my Kids Page for fun "at home" activities, as well as places to go! Happy Summer!
I totally ditched the ice cream cone thing this year. Too much planning. I wanted this summer to be totally laid back.
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