Summer vacation (for kids anyway) is right around the corner, or has already started if you have university aged kids still living at home. Or maybe you have some time off work over the summer. Either way, summer is a great time of year to get out and plan some fun things to do, or plan some great get togethers.

With young kids the summer can seem…rather daunting.

Especially after what seems like forever already, being locked in our own homes, hanging out with our own family. The whole summer of the same, may not seem as exciting. So far, this summer may look a bit different than last summer as far as COVID restrictions, which is great and liberating! Camps for kids are opening, some summer sports are open, we are even allowed to hang out with people outside our home or bubbles! All of these little bits of normal should help parents who are working from home still, or those who are heading back to the office. AND it will help to give kids back their summer.

One the hardest things while kids are out of school, is finding things to do to alleviate the “I’m bored” syndrome. During the summer though, when the focus can heavily rest on the kids, it’s also a time to find things to do for yourself! The key is to spend some time thinking about it all and talking about it as a family.

I honestly don’t always have great original ideas of what I can do with the kids. It’s not like I am organically coming up with new school curriculum to continue their eager studies of all the things they are curious about during the summer. It’s way more chaotic than that! It’s way more “I said turn OFF the tablet!”, or “Why don’t you just go outside!” I don’t have a creative answer for every time they tell me they are bored, often I say “that’s great, now you can use your imagination!” then they roll their eyes and leave the room….ahhh….peace and quiet, it was my secret plan all along….So anyway, I am not the most original thinker when it comes to occupying the kids, BUT I know that Pinterest and, well, the internet as a whole is very creative. It is such a great resource because there are so many awesome and creative people out there sharing their wonderful ideas of what to do with kids of ANY age!! (Even adults!)

Hence, I return to my love of Pinterest.

As the end of June approaches, I generally spend some of my spare time researching my kids’ interests on Pinterest. Literally typing “activities”, or “things to do”, or even just “fun”, then the age of the kids. It’s the easiest way to find great ideas of what to do. I love having a few ideas in my “back pocket” that I can pull out on a rainy day, or when the kids are having a particularly extra BORING day!

I love getting the kids involved in planning their own fun.

It’s basically like coming up with a bucket list of activities for the whole family. Sometimes it’s hard for kids to come up with ideas, so we often use kids’ magazines to pick out easy recipes to try or crafts to make. Sometimes I simply go through Pinterest with them to help them find a new summer hobby or interest.

When we create a family bucket list, we try to make sure every person in the house has at least 2-5 items that they are really excited about. That way everyone feels like they have fair representation on the list. Keep in mind this list doesn’t have to contain things like Disney World. Sometimes a simple picnic can be one of those lost fun things to do. If COVID has taught us anything, it’s how to make the most of the simplicity of just being together. The greatest thing about planning your summer fun is…

You can do this whether you have kids or not.

In fact, I highly recommend it when it’s just you, or you and your partner. Why not?? Make a date night of planning a couple things you really want to do this summer. Bonus points if you come up with things that are slightly out of your comfort zone. I am always encouraging people to push their boundaries, even if by just a slice! You never know what new experiences will become your next passion.

Have fun planning your fun!!

Thanks for coming home!