ok, what on earth are you doing w/ your kids this summer?!?!

I need some ideas... I have no idea what to do with the boys this summer! I'm partially glad that MDO is over, because they've actually been well for the past 3+ weeks, but now I have nothing to do with them! WHat are you doing with your kids? Any ideas? Suggestions? I signed them up for a 4 day class at the zoo, but that's only four days of the whole summer!!! I need more!!!!!!!

 

We do alot of "what do we feel like doing now". We swim at my mom's, we go to Carowinds (amusement park about 10 min away with a waterpark), we hang in the a/c and watch movies, etc. I know a lot of movie theaters do free or very inexpensive kid movies one or two weekday mornings. The mall play area is usually good until about 11 when it starts to get overcrowded. We run around all year so during the summer we tend to hang around the house and do things that require no schedule!

 

I head to Cape Cod with my kids for the summer. Before we go, they are all three going to a nature camp for 1 week (5 mornings) that is run by the recreation dept. They also offer swimming lessons for 3 and up and another activities camp for 3 and up. Do you have anything local like that? We also do little day trips in the spring and summer. Zoos, museums, trips into the city. Check your local library to see if they offer any kind of discount passes. I can get them for the Boston Children's Museum, the New England Aquarium and lots of other places in the city and around New England and they make the trips a bit more affordable. We also do walks in local parks/nature preserves. We did a nature bingo hunt recently and the kids loved it. We pack a picnic lunch and make a day of it. And when we stay home, we do the sprinkler or the kiddie pool to cool off.

 

We'll be taking swim lessons for a few weeks. DD will be taking a sports class and DS will be taking a karate class at The Little Gym, too. If you have a Little Gym near you...you might want to inquire about their summer camps. They have a different theme each week. You pick one day each week and they have planned games and activities for them (either 9-12pm slot or 1-4pm). We will be doing 3 different ones this summer. HTH!

Also, many book stores and libraries have a summer reading program. Most of them have you keep track of the number of books they read and then you turn in the list and get a free book! Here is a link to the Borders summer reading program.

 

story times
splash parks
if we had a yard, we'd be in a pool or running thru sprinklers as often as possible!
park (we're park hoppers lol)
garden centers at walmart/home depot, etc to look at and smell flowers
zoo
the aquariums and museums out here have "free days"
sidewalk chalk
a new one i discovered: big paint brushes and water... they can "paint" water on the sidewalks
train ride to the city
paint rocks
fests, fairs, carnivals

 

We have been taking swimming and golf lessons...they are five but there are children in both classes 3 and up.

So now we head to the pool, hit balls, go to the parks. We joined a couple local gardens and nature centers...once you pay for annual membership its free to go.

We go to the library for story time and now during summer many hold special programs. There was a play on Friday. They also have a reading book program so we are enjoying lots of books together.

I signed them up for a free bible camp for one week...many areas have similar one week camps.

We do crafts, activities and try new recipes every week...we just did some Fathers day crafts featured at my site.

 

My girls are still going to go to daycare two days a week (which is nice, I'll have a chance to get some things done). Other than that, I imagine we'll swim some in a kiddie pool, play outside early in the day, it's already so HOT! They have finally decided play dogh is not for eating so that has been added to our list of activities. This week, I'm going to figure out some father's day activities. I think our library has a story time but we've never been since I work during the school year. We may check that out this summer. Our mall has a place full of those inflatable jumpers, I was told they are very slow during the week so I may take them there too. Some days we just kinda hang around and act lazy for a day. I wish we had a zoo or something like that closer to us but we don't. Good luck keeping busy!

 

We have some things on our list already:

Zoo
Petting farm
splash parks
swimming
we want to try a drive in movie
they show movies every Sat. night at one our outdoor malls. You just pull your car up (sort of like a drive in)
nature center
hands on museum
sprinkers/pools in the yard
gardening
art fair/street fairs
My older daughter wants to finally learn to ride a 2 wheeler
parks/playgrounds
feeding the ducks at the pond
picnics
Bounce U (inflatable jumper place)

Each of the kids is taking a long weekend trip with their Grandma as well (some great one on one time with her). I'm home on Tues. and Thurs., so this will get to most of these items on the list. But I think that summertime is a great time to just be out in the yard and playing as well. Sometimes we get so busy and on the go that the entire summer is gone before we know it and then it's back to school and we haven't spent much time at home.

ETA: I forgot, we signed up for the Kids Bowl Free program. It's so awesome and my kids love to bowl. Can't get a better deal.

 

Our plans for the summer are:
playdates
playground
Zoo (we have a membership)
Sesame Place (we have a membership)
Going to beach and while we are there: going to Storybook Land & the Aquarium
Story time at Barnes and Noble
Puppet show at library
Swimming
Please Touch Museum
We plan to use their gift cards to get them tricycles, so teaching them how to ride them
Outside using sidewalk chalk

 

Oh man you're more courageous than me... absolutely no way I'd take mine also to the please touch museum!

 

Well...we just got back from Sesame Place...and we ventured to the Please Touch Museum as well. This coming weekend we are going camping-yes-in a tent-for Father's Day Weekend. I'm super excited! LOL!

As for what else to do...we were doing storyhour Wed, playgroup Thur, and music Fri. That was insane. Now it's just playgroup on Thursdays(they go for two hours alone).

We'll do:
water park
lunch with daddy
playdates
sprinkler in the yard
bounce house in the yard(we bought one with two other families)
painting
cleaning the playroom :laughing:
Target
Costco
Mystic aquarium(hopefully)

Wherever the day takes us mostly! I hope to get outside more often with them-it's just hard with the three of them, and Annabella becoming more and more mobile... It should be an interesting summer!