SUMMER ACTIVITIES
Some things my kids will learn this summer (We don't homeschool and they are off for three months)
Childcare- help with younger sibs
Cooking and canning- all help with these, from three up. Everyone packs pickles and apples. The bigger kids make customized jams. Everyone likes to help with stirring and cooking dinner.
Baking- everyone's favorite. We get out lots of cookbooks from the library.
Swimming for recreation at the pool, three will take lessons, reduced fee
Dance- 3 will take dance camp, $40 with a 75% reduction for free and reduced lunch kids, $10 each
Art- this year two will take darkroom skills. Last year they took fused glass and ceramics.
Reading- we take advantage of the free book clubs at the library, kid, teen, mother/daughter, and teen/ parent. Last year my son was the only boy in the teen/parent, we both agreed we don't like the sad teen girl books that were picked. This year we will do the community reads at least, and read a book with the city. Instead of the book groups, we might do the Barnes and Nobles read, or try an internet book group. Most years two of the kids are in chess club at the library, again this might be nixed this year in favor of more swimming. We usually go to the library at least every other week for books.
Sharing- one Wii, many children
Camping- some years a weekend at camp in a tepee or a wagon at Christian camp, or Girl Scout day camp. This year trying to get ds into a week of Christian classic camp.
Golf- Pat, this sounds genious, ds would like to caddy, I could take him to a few par 3 courses. This would prep him for his caddy interview Feb 2009
Business- the kids helped me run my farmer's market booth last year, they come with me to work at the childcare. This summer we will be posting travel info at colleges, with my travel agent website. Dh will need to make a flyer, we'll go post 'em.
Leisure- the backyard is the place for the afternoon, with the sprinkler, kiddie pool at times, sandbox, plastic adirondack chairs for lounging and reading in, or just sunning your face. It's the time for lazy plans and confidences, sending someone in for a tray of water cups or pudding pops. I hope to get our tire swing back up, missed it last year. It's shaped like a horse.
Housework- more time for loading the dishes, learning to do clothes, vacumning, bathrooms, etc.
Walking- evenings are for walking to my mom's , or the big kids bike. We walk to the park and the library. We like to walk back late sometimes and look for fireflies. Grandma usually walks back from her house with us, to help with her blood sugar and to be with us. I love seeing my mom more.
A tad bit of gardening- last year was just chives and patio containers of flowers, and a few tomatoes. This year a little more.
Seeng family and friends- usually we have a weekend at a cabin with friends. This year we might stay at a hotel in town one night, to get two days at the resort. This year we are going to visit dh's family in Chicago, the first time in almost 2 years.
Playing games- poker, life, sudoku, monopoply, family feud, chess, they all come out for the summer. Favorite last summer- Rumicube.
Summer List- We also make a summer list of everything we want to do- from see puppies- the 6 yo, to go on a factory tour, to pick strawberries, to walk around the lakes, to free outdoor concerts, the free rose garden, and frozen custard. We like to go to the 24 hours of free music at Orchestra Hall, usually two or three different very good, sometimes ethnic, music selections at a time, inside and out on the Plaza. We like to go to the Musem of Art-free- and find the pieces that were in Art Masterpeice in the schools every month. We try to do something from everyone's suggestions.
Summer box- a box of things the last day of school- to have fun with- this year a hot air corn popper from a friend, a four person bubble blower and whiffle balls from Walgreens, a dress up box that I'll put together, and a book for everyone. Chocolate lollipops I got for free.
Homework- I'm very bad at this, the kids usually get a Bridging Into ____ Grade, a $13 book avaliable at Barnes and Nobles, and the charter school expects them to do it. I really do not emphasis this at all. They get very few pages done- but they've learned a lot of other stuff. I'm happy with the way we spend our summers.
We love summer.
2 comments:
I also have a long list of foods I miss that should be added to the summer list!
foods- watermelon, ice cream, olive bread and hot deli from the Wedge, crepes with filling and cherries - we haven't had that for a long time, I found recipes for real kringle, with the almond filling, chips with homemade guacamole, iced chai, what else.
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