Summer is on the horizon and this cooler weather has me hoping it won’t be as hot as previous ones, but I won’t count my chickens before they hatch. Summer is hard when your kids are home every day and you have to keep them “entertained.” To make our summer enjoyable for everyone (for the most part), and not run to the screen all the time, I’ve tried to be intentional about what I have in the house and what we go do. Some sort of routine is still good, though I try to make it not as strict or scheduled as during the school year.
Let’s be honest: one of the biggest summer struggles — besides the heat — is the nonstop snacking. Kids are always asking for snacks, and no matter how many you stock, it feels like you’re constantly running out. When we played outside, I felt like a yo-yo, constantly running in and out of the house for snacks every few minutes. So last year, I grabbed a snackle box during Prime Day, and it turned out to be one of my best buys. I just wish it was a little deeper to add an ice pack to it. I actually get to relax outside and enjoy my kids playing. It’s great for pool days too. I just saw some individual-sized snackle boxes for kids the other day that would be great for a day out or travel.
Ever since we experienced our first couple of 80-degree days this year, my kids have been asking me non-stop if it’s warm enough to play in water. They can’t wait to dive into one of their favorite warm-weather routines: exploring one of the aquarium buildings and then splashing around in the fountains afterward. On days in which we can’t make it downtown for the water, we like to use our splash pad. As time consuming as it is to drag out, set up, and clean up, we’ve used ours every year since we got it. My kids love setting up a slide and using their sand toys in it. I also like it because it gives me a chance to sit outside and read while the kids are happily entertained. It’s definitely worth the price. The only downside is our yard doesn’t have much shade, so we’ll need to find a solution for that. I’ve also been thinking about adding reusable water balloons to our outdoor lineup. Anyone have a favorite brand to recommend?
The other struggle with summer is not letting your kids watch tv all the time because it’s too hot to go outside. My kiddos have slowly started playing better together and using their imagination to make up games; this has been a pleasure to see develop. I’ve tried to have a few different options for non tv time. We’ve got a selection of dress up clothes from Sarah’s Silks, Little Adventures, and previous halloween costumes. They love to play superheroes and bad guys. I also to keep the box of coloring books and crafts accessible to spark creativity. My littlest could sit and color or play with playdough for hours. She has become very proud of being able to write her name. She’ll write on her tablet and then say, “Mommy look, I wrote a letter!” The LCD writing tablets and magnetic drawing boards we originally got for travel purposes have become daily staples. The magnetic drawing board is soothing even for adults, kind of like those mini sand boxes at therapy offices. Another screen time replacement we love is the Yoto player. It’s a speaker that plays audiobooks for kids and we use it every day. If you don’t have one, you should look into them. But if I’m honest, there will be days in which they spend more time watching tv than being outside.
We also love board games and have found some our kids have really enjoyed. Outfoxed is an early learning Clue-like game, Hungry Caterpillar keeps kids active inside, BusyTown Eye Found It is an early learning find and seek game, and any of the matching games out there are favorites as well. We have several things in the cupboards that I’m hoping will get played with a little more now that school is out, especially those that spark creativity, grow imagination, and fine motor skills. I have a list of fun “learning” things I would like to incorporate this summer, but if I’m truthful with myself, I won’t be mad if we don’t do any of the things this summer.
