School’s Out – Now What? (Part Two)

By: Stacey Wolking

As we discussed in Part One, no matter how you structure your homeschool year, taking a summer break of some kind can be beneficial for both parents and children. Time away from “school” provides an opportunity to recharge, reflect, and reconnect as a family. So take some time to regroup, relax, make memories, and enjoy a little summer fun together!

Trust me, when your kids are grown, they won’t remember the grammar lessons or even that day camp, but they will remember the moments spent together as a family. They'll remember afternoons at the local pool, evenings chasing fireflies, family game nights, and the simple experiences that brought everyone together. These shared moments help build lasting connections and cherished memories. So this summer, make time to slow down, have fun, and create memories your family will treasure for years to come. Here is a list of possible activities for a summer of family amusement and bonding:

·         Try a week with no TV. Create themed evenings for the whole family for each day of the week: game night, reading night, puzzle night, coloring night (did you know that adult coloring books are all the rage?). Tell jokes, do crafts, draw or paint, write letters (grandparents will love you!), do crossword puzzles, look at photo albums or home movies, sing songs, or have a dance party where you learn different styles of dance, etc.

·         Play outdoor glow stick games.   

·         Volunteer together for Meals-on-Wheels, a nursing home, animal shelter, or charity. You might also consider organizing a neighborhood service project. Serving others not only benefits the community but also helps children develop compassion, responsibility, and a sense of purpose.

·         Build a fort in the living room or pitch a tent in the backyard and camp out.

·         Write a play and practice it together. (The library has books of short plays) And if you’re really adventurous, perform it for a nursing home.

·         Bake cookies for a neighbor or shut-in.

·         Have a good ole’fashioned show-and-tell. Even Dad can share something from work or his childhood.

·         Have a “pajama day” where everyone stays in their pajamas all day and you eat finger foods.

·         Go on a treasure walk, in the dark, with flashlights.

·         ‘Pick-your-own’ at a local farm or orchard.

·         Sign up for a summer reading program in your area or create your own, complete with pizza, ice cream or special outing rewards.

·         Create a “Reading Tent” in your family room with a good supply of flashlights and a no-talking-once-you-enter rule. Parents can enjoy this too!

·         Pick a day for each child to be “Boss for a day”. They get to choose what you do and eat on their day.

·         Read “Fireflies” and catch lightening bugs. Check out “How Stuff Works” to find out how they light up. (Or if you are in the Southeast in 2027 you can catch a glimpse of the 13 year cicadas – YUCK!)

·         Plan a stay-cation scavenger hunt. Ideas: cookie from a local bakery, a local business brochure, a travel map, lost golf ball from the local golf course, specific locally grown leaf or flower, an unusual fruit or vegetable from the grocery store.

·         Plan a surprise family outing day. Don’t tell the kids where you are going, and once in the car play the guessing game and see if they can figure it out before you get there.

·         Start a “Thankfulness Journal” in the spirit of Ann Voskamp’s, “One Thousand Gifts”.   Each day everyone writes down something they are thankful for. Also makes a great dinner topic – share something good that happened today.

·         Kids bowl free.   http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/index.php

·         What new practical skill can you and kids learn together? - gardening, cooking, canning, sewing . . .

·         Take a First Aid, CPR, or basic auto maintenance course together.

·         Field trips and adventures http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/field-trips/

·         When travelling, give each child their own map, marked with your route.

·         Keep kids engaged and content during grocery trips with the “coupon game.” As you shop each aisle, hand your child the corresponding coupons and have them locate the matching items. 

·         Invent a “Brother” or “Sister” Day (like Mother’s and Father’s Day) and let that day be their special day.

·         Create a “Family Awards Night.” Reinforce your children’s positive qualities by intentionally noticing their good efforts and kind actions throughout the week. Then, once a week, gather as a family and present simple, meaningful awards that recognize character and growth. Examples might include Safety Award, Generosity Award, Kindness Award, Responsibility Award, or Efficiency Award.

·         Pick one day a month to be “Yes Day”.  Write down and put in a jar every time your kids ask to do something and you have to say “no” or “not now”. Designate one day a month to pull those ideas out of the jar and do as many as you can.  On the other days, to soften the “no”, remember to say cheerfully, let’s put it in the “Yes Jar”.

·         Have the whole family take evening walks around your neighborhood. As you come across others, invite them to join you.

·         Another way to get to know your neighbors, ask them to join you for a casual progressive dinner.

·         Get a video from the library and start a fun work-out routine.

·         Start a weekly tradition – Saturday pancakes (adding bananas makes them extra good!), breakfast for dinner, or create a special dessert night, like ‘Sundays are for Sundaes’.

·         Create History dinners – find period recipes, a little story and maybe even some thrown together costumes. Then watch a period movie together.

·         Create a “summer memory book”. After each outing, have the kids write a short summary with interesting or funny observations and pictures.

·         Have a power outage night. Pretend the power is out and do anything that doesn’t use electricity.

·         Roast marshmallows or make s’mores over a fire pit or a grill. Go to a park if you don’t have one.

·         Create a memory jar. Collect a rock from every special outing and vacation. Write the date and where/what it’s from and any other special memory before placing it in the jar.

Pick a few that fit your family, and let the memories do the rest. Happy Summer!