vision for summer - ideas needed

[EmilyGF]

Like many people, our summer is looking nothing like planned. We live in a city, so most of the cultural attractions we enjoy are shut. My husband's mom died, so he's grieving and goes from pretty normal to completely checked out in a matter of minutes. It isn't clear whether ds15 is going back to school in the fall (due to CV) so there is uncertainty. A few unexpected things happening one after another means that money is super tight. (We had three things happen - we budgeted for about one problem of that level per year and instead got three this year.)

Needless to say, things are a little overwhelming here right now.

I'd love ideas of cheap things we can do as a family or new rituals we could start that could help us right now.

We do have a family read-aloud right now, The Fellowship of the Ring, though my two older daughters don't really like it that much. We've done some birding with ds15, but now that spring migration is over, the birds are less exciting. We also have two massive parks near us, so starting to visit those regularly might help.

Thanks for the help.

Emily

[SereneHome]

A few years ago, somehow I came up with Mystery Monday idea. We did - MM movie night, , MM mascarade (I ordered cheap masks and decorations from OTC and did little "gifts" such as candy, gum, $5 tokens and kids wore costumes the entire day), MM mega game night, MM mega snack day (we only had snacks the entire day), MM bingo day (I created a bingo card with different activities- some fun, some chores and if they completed it all, they got a prize), MM scavenger hunt. There were others that started with "M", I can't think of right now but at some point I would just use word 'mega" in front of anything.

 

[Pen]

Vegetable gardening

nature study

Meditation 

Card games or board games night 

charades

drawing

A different read aloud?  Maybe more lighthearted one that the girls would prefer? 

 

homemade pizza night?

 

funny movie night? 

 

[EmilyGF]

9 hours ago, SereneHome said:

A few years ago, somehow I came up with Mystery Monday idea. We did - MM movie night, , MM mascarade (I ordered cheap masks and decorations from OTC and did little "gifts" such as candy, gum, $5 tokens and kids wore costumes the entire day), MM mega game night, MM mega snack day (we only had snacks the entire day), MM bingo day (I created a bingo card with different activities- some fun, some chores and if they completed it all, they got a prize), MM scavenger hunt. There were others that started with "M", I can't think of right now but at some point I would just use word 'mega" in front of anything.

 

What a great idea! That is something my mom would have done growing up. She is such a kick. I know my kids would love this idea.

[Ottakee]

One we are doing is a Parks Challenge.

Three years ago we visited all 38 of our county parks.  That involved hiking, swimming, biking, etc.    The kids grumbled and complained but then ended up enjoying it.

This year we are doing all 70 local parks.  Some are boat launches, others just 2-3 city lots of green spaces, some are boardwalks or bike paths and other beaches, hiking parks or a traditional playground park.

This was all free and got us out and exploring our community.  We even walked to r ride our bikes to the closest ones for extra exercise.

A picnic lunch/supper or a $1 BK or Mcdonalds treat at the end makes it extra fun.

Geocaching might get them interested as well.

As a single mom I also try to stick with very low cost or free activities.

If you have some gas money for a bit of a road trip, search out national, state, county, and local parks within an hour or so of your location and explore those.   We call these "brown sign adventures" as most of these free parks/nature preserves/open spaces are noted by arrows from a main road on a brown road sign.   Fish hatcheries have also been popular with my older ones.

[Miss Tick]

Great thread! In our house we have a Duolingo streak challenge with small prizes after your streak reaches certain milestones.

In previous years I have set up my own summer reading club with different challenges.

Everyone has to do some kind of exercise each day before sinking into video games.

If you have some basic tools I built a Leopold bench with my younger dd last week. I can't see the ages or energy levels of your kids, but my ds spent time last fall constructing PVC foam swords with pool noodles.

 

[Teaching3bears]

Have a set time once a week where you choose a new recipe that you will try out. Maybe something from a different country. If you do a different country each week you could also do other activities to go along with this. Virtual tour of country online; literature from country; music, dance etc.

Once a week, after getting all ingredients, cook recipe as family.

Study poetry together. Get them to choose a poem each and present it.

Study a new language. Work on it one hour each day.

Board games

Have 2 read-alouds. Have the girls choose one they like. Also add a non-fiction book to spark discussion. We are currently reading a detailed kids book on politics and how politics work and one on the scientific method.

Get outside as much as possible. Picnics in park. Also, play soccer, badminton.

I agree that a schedule is a good idea.

[ktgrok]

Maybe learn some new skills together?

Recipes - each kid picks one new one a week and you all cook together?

Ethnic cooking - different one each week?

Yoga - do free online videos together?

Art - there are a ton of online art classes, art hub for kids is fun and easy, and then there are harder ones, all free. 

If it isn't too hot where you are a couch to 5 K program or one of those virtual walking clubs?

Gardening?

 

[mommyoffive]

Movie nights, we did this every night at the start of this

Exercise, there are so many free things on YouTube.   Dance, yoga, and more

Bike rides 

Walks

Parks 

Crafts. my kids like arthubforkids and painting with a purpose. 

Lots of dance and opera online for free.   We have watched so much these past months. 

Could your dad work or start a business 

Reading.  Is your library open?  Or book outlet is so cheap

Learn a language at duolingo 

Take another free class.  My oldest is taking some free college classes for fun.  Khan academy has a lot .   Oh there are a lot of free classes on Varsity Tutors.

Can your dd do some big home projects?  I had dh teach shop class to the older kids.  They have painted rooms, built 2 chicken coops, and made a sprung dance studio.

Gardening.

Cooking

Bonfires, we are doing a lot of these

[EmilyGF]

1 hour ago, Teaching3bears said:

Have a set time once a week where you choose a new recipe that you will try out. Maybe something from a different country. If you do a different country each week you could also do other activities to go along with this. Virtual tour of country online; literature from country; music, dance etc.

Once a week, after getting all ingredients, cook recipe as family.

Study poetry together. Get them to choose a poem each and present it.

Study a new language. Work on it one hour each day.

Board games

Have 2 read-alouds. Have the girls choose one they like. Also add a non-fiction book to spark discussion. We are currently reading a detailed kids book on politics and how politics work and one on the scientific method.

Get outside as much as possible. Picnics in park. Also, play soccer, badminton.

I agree that a schedule is a good idea.



 

Ooh, what's the politics book?

I love the idea of trying recipes from different countries. Since we live in a city, a normal thing we might do is to go to street fairs in different ethnic neighborhoods. Of course we're not doing that this year. But this idea is awesome!

[TheReader]

Loving this thread and multiple good ideas! 

We are doing a variety of things at our house.

One night is TV night, and we watch a show all together.

One night is outside night, and we go to an empty parking lot and ride scooters, bikes, skateboards, let the dogs run, etc.

One night is board game night, and we pick a different board game each time.

One night is movie night, and we rotate through movies.

Our middle son & youngest son enjoy D&D, so our middle son is running a campaign for us, so one night/week we play D&D together. 

One night is video game/sew-in night; the guys video game together, and I get to sew. 

On weekends, we do cooking projects -- we've learned to cook naan, tortillas, arepas, homemade pasta, brioche bread, etc. We try to do one "cook something new" thing each week. 

We've filled in with various projects -- the guys built a picnic table for the backyard. We pulled out our cornhole boards and had a family tournament. We bought a hula hoop, to train the dog to jump through, and had a family hula hoop challenge as well. We're getting ready to do some interior painting, and build a support/pergola for a shade for our patio, although that Leopold Bench looks very cool and I'm putting that on the list.  We rearranged two rooms (swapped my sewing room and the kids' computer room, which I've been wanting to do for a while now). Stuff like that. 

We walk the dogs together as a family. 

Go to parks. 

"Road trip" to fun eateries around and do curbside pick-up, eat a picnic, go home. 

Def. explore local parks, beaches, etc. that aren't too crowded. Find the green places in your area. 

It's definitely challenging. 

[Pintosrock]

4 hours ago, Ottakee said:

One we are doing is a Parks Challenge.

Three years ago we visited all 38 of our county parks.  That involved hiking, swimming, biking, etc.    The kids grumbled and complained but then ended up enjoying it.

This year we are doing all 70 local parks.  Some are boat launches, others just 2-3 city lots of green spaces, some are boardwalks or bike paths and other beaches, hiking parks or a traditional playground park.

LOVE this idea. We have a county park pass and only ever go to one park. I think I'll steal this idea!

[Katy]

I do a Summer bucket list rather than a calendar (because weather).  You can find all kinds of ideas online.

[ashfern]

One thing that we're doing is Girl's Camp. Usually my girls would be do that through church. This year would have been the last year for the oldest & first year for the youngest. We decided that we would do it on our own and then found out that the church group was going to provide bags with activities for the girls. I was planning on camping out in the yard, doing tye-die, making clover jelly, 15 yo wants to make bread to go with the jelly, a day hike somewhere if they can agree on location, a needlepoint project (we all get to learn together). The church bag has sidewalk chalk, smores, glow bracelets, and some religious stuff. 😜

[TheReader]

6 minutes ago, ashfern said:

One thing that we're doing is Girl's Camp. Usually my girls would be do that through church. This year would have been the last year for the oldest & first year for the youngest. We decided that we would do it on our own and then found out that the church group was going to provide bags with activities for the girls. I was planning on camping out in the yard, doing tye-die, making clover jelly, 15 yo wants to make bread to go with the jelly, a day hike somewhere if they can agree on location, a needlepoint project (we all get to learn together). The church bag has sidewalk chalk, smores, glow bracelets, and some religious stuff. 😜

I like your ideas way better; that sounds so fun!