Are your LONG summer days feeling a bit chaotic yet not really "eventful" at the same time? Kids claiming boredom, you scrambling for something - anything - fun to introduce into your routine while at the same time trying to get your own "work" done? Tired of all the screen time everyone's been getting?
Maybe it's just me! But if you're feeling a need to add something new to your bag of tricks, having a summer schedule for your kids can be life-changing! A daily alliteration schedule is fun, gives them something to look forward to every day of the summer, and it helps bring some structure into the summer break.
Here's what my family is using this year, but you can change yours as you see fit. Try to keep the alliteration - it's what makes it fun and memorable:
Make Something Monday: This is a day to make something with your hands - a new recipe, tie-dye shirts, paintings, etc.
Take a Walk Tuesday: Get out of the house and take a leisure walk. My girls and I walk around the neighborhood pretty regularly, so on Take a Walk Tuesdays we drive to a new place before parking and walking. The Woodlands Waterway area from Town Green Park to the Westin Resort and back is a lovely walk that shouldn't be too long for younger kids.
Wet & Wild Wednesday: Visit the pool, the spraygrounds, or the beach. OR, pull out the water hose and Slip N' Slide at home! OR put together a sand and water table for tots! Water balloon fights, Super Soakers, renting swan boats at Riva Row... there are tons of options for this day!
Thinking Thursday: This doesn't have to look like a formal "school day", but Thinking Thursday is all about using your brain and learning something new. Think science experiments (Mentos & Coke explosions!), solar ovens, geography lessons with map work, etc.
Family Fun Friday: Fridays are the days to introduce some "new" type of fun to your family, something you're not already doing most days. A few ideas: karaoke nights, outdoor movies and s'mores, board games...
Sunshine Saturday: Some moms don't worry about having special routines for Saturday and Sunday, but I personally need all the help I can get when deciding what to do on the weekends. On Sunshine Saturdays, we spend a lot of time outdoors - at the parks, in the backyard (bubbles, swings, chalk art, popsicles, playing catch, playing tag...)
Sit and Read Sunday: Our church service is the anchor for our Sundays, and afterwards, it's an easy day. Sit and Read Sunday is a time for everyone to read or be read to - books, magazines, e-books on the Kindle - but my family has expanded this to include watching how-to videos on YouTube (something hubby and the older girls appreciate, as we're trying to amp up our skill levels in various areas). Make reading fun by making book nooks / reading forts, and bringing in warm tea, cookies, and popcorn.
