Yikes…I mean yay! It’s summer!!
Do you dream about and anticipate the warm, lazy days of summer…until they’re actually here? Do you then start to loathe the thought of kids having too much time on their hands?
Within minutes of school being out for the summer, we start hearing the all-too-familiar words “I’m bored!” — and the parent-child conflict begins.
Summer Bucket List to the rescue!
Sit down with your family and make a list of all the things they’d like to do during the summer months. Sprinkle this list with community freebies and splurge days. Mark them on a realistic calendar and vow to follow the list throughout the summer. Pinky swear with your family to commit to the list, if needed!
Ideas for summer activities can include:
- Visiting local art museums
- Taking a walk through the park
- Volunteering to walk a neighbor’s dog
- Cooking a special meal together
- Planting an “above the ground” garden
- Going to a baseball game
- Volunteering at a local charity
- No-screen Sundays — removing all screens for the day (TV, computer, etc.)
- Learning a new skill together — crocheting, sewing, drawing
- Making your own “Sip-‘n’-Paint” using homemade lemonade and a fun picture to draw
- Redecorating a favorite room in the house
- Going to a matinee
In your search for ideas, look for free and fun family activities and have a conversation with your family and/or other families to generate more interest and feedback.
Most important is to make time to share with your family, get to know each other in a healthy manner and remember that there are only 18 summers together before the kids go off into adulthood.
Make this summer a special one!