What do you kids do during the summer?

[jaylensmom]

So what do your kiddos do during the summer? Jaylen gets out of school next Friday...For some reason it seems like he's getting out earlier than last year but maybe not. He stays at home with my parents during the summer but I've been trying to come up with some activities that will keep him busy. I don't want him watching tv all day...every day. So what do your children do during the summer?

[farrijc]

Swimming (can't do anything else outside, it's too hot!), free activities at the library, bowling (AMF has free bowling for kids, you just pay for the shoes), a few days of summer camp, $1 summer camp movies at Cinemark, vacation bible school

[Jen22]

I'm going on Saturday to get my kiddos into a swimming class. I'm excited for that. We also go bowling a lot. There's a mini-golf course there too, but we haven't done it yet. We also have a small water park near us, and we're going this weekend and we're gonna be getting the season pass. I'm so excited about that! That's about it, aside from some trips (we want to go to Seaworld this summer sometime!).

[dgreenshield]

Sports camps, swimming, movie days and our church has Impact week where the kids do service projects locally then a fun activity in the afternoon. Check with the local high schools, many do sports camps to raise money and they are geared to kids 5-13.

[jaylensmom]

Oh thanks for reminding me that I need to check out swim lessons...I think we have free bowling too so I'm going to check that out too...

We have a small waterpark where my son usually takes swim lessons...maybe I'll check out a season pass there...

I'll have to research the sport camps...that would be nice if we had something like that but I've never heard of it in our area...

[tanyiadeskins]

...annoy me

[Traci Reed]

lolol Tanyia

[Tracyfish]

We have free movies here and also the library brings in a lot of shows and activities. Other than that, we'll probably be at the Legoland water park if I decide to upgrade our passes now that it is open.

[Traci Reed]

We're doing our Summer of Fun again this year, it give the kids a list of (mostly) free activities all Summer that we do as a family..

[Milmomma]

this years plans include but are not limited to

trips back home, at least 3 planned
OKC waterpark
OKC zoo
OKC dino museum
pool
swim lessons
camping
fishing
cannoning
rock climbing
5k/kid run
movies on the beach
Summer library reading program
Library day camps
Sill museum
possible soccer camp
possible ballet camp
hiking
back yard stuff, like sidewalk chalk, bbq, bubble, jump rope, freezebee
We are gonna do cooking lessons, to teach my almost 7 year old how to cook more. He loves too.

And anything else I can find/think of we will add to it.

[tanyiadeskins]

sorry I am in a bad mood can you tell lol.

We do not do anything too exciting, the beach, parks, movies, game days, movie marathons (at home), mall stalking, sleeping in a bit... ya know, the usual hehe

[maryinaz]

My kids have always wanted very low-key summers. They swim, play video games, watch TV, and hang out with friends. The younger 2 sometimes do certain crafts. When they were younger, I always made a point of getting them new basic craft supplies at the start of summer.

[jessica31876]

alot of movies at the dollar theater, beach, river, lake, springs (hmm notice a theme? LOL it is to hot for anything else), fishing, hiking on cooler days, go to the u-pick-em farms for berries. (blackberries in July I cannot wait!!). picnics with cold watermelon. (just got some yesterday!! they are soooooooo GOOD!!) Oh and the library. We need cool mostly indoor activities or somewhere I can be in the shade outdoors. I cant do the sunlight for long periods because it causes migraines. We have a mostly secret swimming hole we go to on the Econlockahatchee River. It is deep and ice cold. Reason it is mostly secret is you have to hike aways to get there and it is kinda hidden by trees/palmettos all around it. It feels good in the summertime though

[mariewilcox]

I work from home but Cheyanne is going into 7th grade so she is becoming quite self-sufficient now.

When she's home she hits the basketball court in our neighborhood with her friends and we try to get to the local pool most afternoons after I'm done working. She goes outside and works on her soccer skills in the backyard too. Friends come and go and she comes and goes to her friends.

She will be doing 4 weeks of a basketball camp and 2 weeks of an outdoor extreme adventure camp (zip lines, ropes courses, rock climbing and belaying, kayaking, etc.)

We are going to Vermont for a week of camping also. We also plan on weekend camping trips this summer (we sold our summer home just this past week, so this will be our first year of not spending the summers there). We are planning on visiting several of our numerous state parks this summer for weekend trips.

[Stacey42]

We're out here in a rural area without many options. My boys swim in our easy set pool (assuming I get it set up), play Wii, run around the yard, ride bikes, make Flip videos, play games on the computer and participate in summer reading programs at the library in two counties, plus if the school has one as well (we live practically on the county line). They camp out in our yard, sometimes a few nights in a row. They do yard work & other outside chores for money.
We meet up with some friends once or twice a week a week at one of our homes to swim or play in the creek or run in the woods or scream & yell and tattle on one another depending on how they feel. Our friends belong to the local private pool (no public ones around) and sometimes we join them there. Sometimes they all camp out in one of the yards.
We might go a see a movie a couple times a month if they do the Wednesday matinees again. I'm waiting to see if the bowling alley has any specials this summer. We are dead broke due to a pile of medical expenses so the only camp type thing they are likely to do is 3 days of football camp in August before football season starts. Usually I try to get them in a week of some theme camp like science or robots or art but that is just not happening this year.

[KristinCB]

I'm starting to think of plans and have just been pinning stuff. I have plans of wanting them each to have a summer fun type book where we can sorta check off activities? Ideally I'd like to design some little crest type elements that they would receive as an award/fun type thing for completing each activity. Nothing crazy making either - Ie.. a library day and having just a little crest with a book lol

Last year I did up a dry erase board like traci did but lucas found it fun to keep wiping it off so that was sorta headache making

Lily is going to bible camp for 2 weeks in july so that will be a bit strange but she went last year for a week and had such a good time

[AmberK]

Ive got a bunch of stuff pinned that I want to do with the kids. Mostly stuff to do at home and will hopefully keep them busy and not fight too much. Hey, I can dream right?

Definitely swim lessons, a trip to my parents, a trip to DH parents. Nothing too big.

[Sherri Tierney]

Today is day 2 of our summer break. So far, NADA. Cleaning. LOL The house is a wreck and before we do anything else I'm getting it in order. I have lots of household projects for this summer since I'm off work.

Typically though, we go to the library, the dollar movies, the park, the pool, let them play in the little pool in the yard, baseball games most evenings (we live around the corner from ball diamonds so we just take a walk and watch a random game). Mostly what they enjoy is staying home, playing Wii games, riding their bikes outside and spending time as a family. We don't *need* to do anything.

[mummytothree]

whine!!!!!!

[mummytothree]

We do lots of swimming and just general playing outside!!! I did sign the kids up for free bowling we get 2 free games everyday from May 1 thru August 31. You can check to see if anywhere in your state does it

www.kidsbowlfree.com

We also go to the drive in movies almost every weekend. I have been pinning a ton of things too...mostly free and inexpensive activities!!! You can check out my summertime board

http://pinterest.com/mummytothree/sum-sum-summertime/

[jaylensmom]

Originally Posted by tanyiadeskins

...annoy me

Tanyia you are too funny...I'm trying to avoid my son annoying my parents all day...

[jaylensmom]

Originally Posted by mummytothree

We do lots of swimming and just general playing outside!!! I did sign the kids up for free bowling we get 2 free games everyday from May 1 thru August 31. You can check to see if anywhere in your state does it

www.kidsbowlfree.com

We also go to the drive in movies almost every weekend. I have been pinning a ton of things too...mostly free and inexpensive activities!!! You can check out my summertime board

http://pinterest.com/mummytothree/sum-sum-summertime/

I signed up for the free bowling...Thanks for the link...

[rach3975]

Originally Posted by jaylensmom

I'll have to research the sport camps...that would be nice if we had something like that but I've never heard of it in our area...

Here the sports camps are all run by the Parks and Rec department, so check through them, too.

Summers are hard for us. One of my kids needs to be on the go or we have behavior issues (and he doesn't like staying home doing crafts and projects) and another who battles fatigue and can't handle days full of constant activity. So the one who needs to be busy will do 6 weeks of camp through the parks department. 2 weeks will be baseball camp, and 4 will be a more general camp. The other 2 kids will do a morning camp or school program for a few weeks but mostly be with me.

For the 2 who will be home with me most of the summer (and my 3rd during his non-camp weeks) we'll go swimming, to the library, many different playgrounds, the sprayground (water play area with sprinklers), do crafts and cooking projects, playdough, and lots of other low key stuff. I'll check out the bowling link here, and a few movie theaters in our area offer low cost matinees for kids once a week. I always buy some new craft supplies, water guns, etc. at the start of summer and we'll get a lot of mileage out of those, too. I haven't been good at arranging summer playdates in the past, but I'm hoping to plan more of them this summer.

At some point later in the summer, when the kids are getting bored, I'll take them to the toy store and let each of them pick out a few new activities or outside toys. That usually helps get us through a few of the later weeks when they're tired of everything we've been doing.

[jacinda]

Lots of play dates with friends (usually at our house), sleepovers with friends/cousins/grandparents, and lots of outdoor time. I restrict TV time, and after a few days they don't even ask for it. They spend a LOT of time playing outside with the neighbours kids and using their imaginations. We go swimming, to the beach, to the movies, for a walk in the bush, have a picnic, go to the library etc.

Mostly though, they're just happy playing outside. They're 5 and 8 BTW.

[julifish]

I work full time, some times from home and some times not. So my kids are headed to the YMCA for summer camp again.

It's the only place that will take my 13 yo and my 9 yo - plus they love it. 13 yo will be a Counselor in Training. She's also going to sleep away Y camp in North Caroline for a week as part of the Leadership group. Then she has one week of Jr. Lifeguard camp. My 9 yo will be attending a Fins and Snorkel camp at the Y one week and an Aqua Builders camp for another week. The rest of the summer will be Sports camp. Each week they focus on a different sport. Plus both will get to swim everyday which is necessary in Florida.

When my kids were little and I was a stay at home mom we got our preschool group together for once a week outtings - any splash parks we could find, parks with shade, roller skating, any free classes we could find. Then we would do activities at the library - story time, special shows they have. The mall has free movies on Tues and Wed so we would do that too and we would take turn watching the littler kids so the 3 and ups could go to the movie.

[lovely1m]

This is the last summer my son is not in school, but I work full-time and I work weekends so its not too different for us. We do go to the pool every Wednesday night and the park at least once a week. When I get weekends off, we like to go to a local sand bottom pool. I am also planning a day trip the lake and to a zoo about an hour away. Nothing else big planned, we don't get much time especially cause the military is sending me to El Paso for over 2 weeks in August.