SimplyMom: Surviving the Summer

Posted by Mary

FIVE THINGS TO DO WITH THE KIDS THIS SUMMER
When you want to be “go, go, go….” but the budget says “no, no, no”

If I had a money tree and the bank account that goes with it, I’d have no problem keeping my kids entertained in the summer. But let’s face it – with the gas prices up and the economy down, we need to tighten our belts this summer. Which means we’ll have to be doing things close to home and, for the most part, they’ll have to be low-budget or even (dare I say it?) free.

But scaling back doesn’t mean giving up. Sure, you may have to use some mental muscle, but heck, it needs exercise too. So gather the kids, do some brainstorming and come up with a list of fun activities or hometown adventures you can turn to when the summer grows long. Here’s my “top five” list, just to get you started:

1. Get to know your neighborhood. From movie nights under the stars to reading programs at the library, most towns offer a plethora of activities for residents. Pick up the phone and call your library, municipal office or recreation center. They’ll be happy to send you a list of the events and activities happening right there in your backyard.

2. Take a field trip. Forget the high priced theme park and get back to what a field trip really is – an opportunity to learn. So call up your local shop owners and merchants and ask if your brood can come visit the work site. The local candy store let my kids watch the employees mold chocolates and run the taffy puller, while the pizzeria we frequent had us in to show us how they toss the dough. (We were even allowed to try it ourselves – oops!) Kids are fascinated about how things – and grown-ups – work, and most are willing to share. Live near a big city? Check out Factory Tours to see if there are any free tours in your area. (To make your field trip a weeklong activity, see this article .)

3. Make a summer yearbook. Throughout the summer, save small souvenirs – a pressed flower from your last picnic, a shell from the beach, the printed napkins from a block party and so on. Then choose a day every week or so to make simple scrapbook pages using the things you gathered and the pictures you took at the event. At the end of the summer, put the pages together to form your own “summer yearbook” full of the memories you collected.

4. Do some volunteer work. You don’t have to be especially good at anything to make a difference in people’s lives. A woman at our local church, for example, makes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the homeless people in a nearby city – and she’s always looking for help smearing on the Skippy. Local zoos often take young volunteers to help with the smaller animals or to keep areas clean. If you love the beach, why not pitch in at the next clean up? Your children will get more than a busy day – they’ll learn about the importance of giving back.

5. Plan a family movie night. Get out the favorite family DVDs (or borrow some new ones from the library), pop some corn and snuggle in your pajamas. We let the kids choose the first feature (anything goes, as long as it’s rated G), then we parents choose the second show of the night (often one of our own childhood favorites, like “The Incredible Journey” or, as the boys got older, “Stand By Me” or even “Grease.”) It never seems to matter if the movie is good – sometimes campy or familiar is better. And if it gets really cheesy, we pelt the screen with popcorn. You can’t do that in the multiplex!

And don't forget Dorothy's wisdom in "The Wizard of Oz"....your heart's desire is seldom further than your back yard. Make a picture of lemonade, open up the lawn chairs and enjoy watching the kids chase fireflies as the sunset. Simple living....that's what summer's all about, right?

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SimplyMom: Surviving the Summer

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