Planning the Summer Break

It’s that time of year again! Most of the kiddos are out of school and parents are trying to figure out what their summer will look like. 

Sometimes, the most fun is had during unplanned moments. However, to keep our sanity, its good to have an idea of what we’ll be getting into for the best overall outcome. 

If you’re wondering where to begin in planning out the summer break, here are a few tips to get you started. 

Summer Camps

There are so many options for summer camps, but it can be trying to go from web page to web page, or school bulletin to grocery store bulletin, in an effort to find what you’re looking for.

summercamps.com is a site that has been linking campers with camps since 1995! You can search camps by clicking on your child’s desired interest. Whether its academic, art, sports, military or technology, summercamps.com is sure to provide a list that will please. 

Another site that is wonderful for finding camps in your local area is find.acacamps.org. 

American Camp Association is an organization that partners with individuals from the American Red Cross, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other agencies that serve the youth to ensure camps use practices that reflect the most up to date research based standards. 

You can pick the location, timeframe you want, activities, note whether you have children with disabilities or special needs, dates you are in need of camps and any religious or cultural needs. ACA will take everything you’ve entered and give you a list of camps that fit your specific needs. 

Planning Childcare

Finding sitters for the summer months can be a tall task for many, especially working mothers. Be sure to look at all possible options in an effort to get the best assistance possible for your family. 

College students can be great options for childcare. They tend to have some babysitting experience and are often willing to take on the task to earn extra income. 

Family members who have other school-aged children are also a good go-to. They may be willing to assist with childcare, as other children could provide good companionship during those summer months where interaction with others can be quite limited. 

High school students are another option. Though they lack the experience of college students, with a little help, they can be taught how to keep your littles occupied. 

Be sure that you have full trust in the individual(s) that you allow to care for your littles and make sure any sitter has completed a CPR course. 

Plan Activities

For those of you that are home with your tribe, planning out the summer with day-to-day activities will allow things to run much more smoothly. 

You can give each week a theme or even have a theme for each day. 

Pinterest is my go-to for many creative ideas and activities for my boys. Below is an example of a themed weekday idea I found via Pinterest on printablesfairy.com.  

The summer break can be tough to plan out but if you follow any of my tips, you’ll be taking a step in making it as stress free as possible. Hoping you all have an AMAZING summer break. 

Until next time, 

Keon