Break out the Sunscreen! It is Time for Summer!
There is nothing better than warm summer nights and the smell of coconut sunscreen. With no school, never ending days and family vacations, you definitely should take some time to prepare for the summer. There is nothing like a good plan to make sure that your summer starts on the right foot. Summer adventures are where fond childhood memories are made so make sure you are on your A-game. Here are some simple things to do to help prepare you for the summer.
- Plan your family summer vacation early. Planning your vacation early will allow you to save money for it and get a good rate on a travel package. When you prepare early you can also make sure that you choose what activities you want to do in the summer. Summer is a time where majority of family reunions, weddings and block parties happen and you want to make sure you make time for the things you really want to do and what you are okay skipping. When you plan your summer vacation early, you can also get everyone in your family’s input on what they want to do. This will help make sure that everyone has something to look forward to on their summer vacation.
- Create a Summer Bucket List. Create a bucket list with your family on all the things you want to do this summer. That way you can make sure that no one misses out on their favorite activity and it also helps make sure that there is no summer boredom blues. A bucket list can include the following: water fight, fort making, a trip to the water pad, picnic at the park or visit the local zoo.
- Summer service project. Service projects are great for children to do. They help cultivate empathy for others, help them remember that it is always important to help others and give back to the community. There are many different types of summer service projects out there that kids of all ages can participate in. It can be as simple as having them hand out cold water bottles to workers who are working outside to making busy bottles for kids in the hospital.
- Plan a Stay-cation. You don’t have to go far to go on vacation. Some of the best vacation places can be found right in your own backyard and it’s always fun to discover something close to home. You can visit local museums, enjoy your local theater or go to a local festival. The key to making your staycation a successful one is to pretend that you are tourists from out of town. Bring your camera and remember to completely turn off work mode just like you would if you were going somewhere out of town.
- Keep young minds active. While summer activities are fun make sure that you also add activities that help your kids challenge their mind during the summer. Whether that is making them stay on top of their summer reading lists or incorporating some fun summer experiments, keeping their minds are active during the months without school is very important. Use this time so they remember all that they learned during last school year so when they go back they don’t feel so far behind.
- Make a Routine. Having a set schedule for your kids is a great way to keep this going smoothly and not have to worry about your children getting bored. While having free time for your kids is great to help them cultivate their imagination and develop solid friendships, too much free time can sometimes lead to finding trouble. A routine or schedule can include time for chores, free time, a little school work and fun summer activity like running through sprinklers or visiting the library.